Conquering the Fear of Undergoing a Mammogram

My family's history of breast cancer is extreme, having lost a mother and two aunts to the disease at relatively young ages. My mother had such anxiety towards undergoing any personal exam so she shunned breast exams and mammograms. This fear eventually caused her to lose her life to stage four breast cancer, because of her stubborn refusal to acknowledge what was happening to her breasts. Each year I face that same fear of going to a mammogram, but I overcome it, realizing I'm doing the right thing to save my life. Many other women suffer this same fear towards undergoing a mammogram, risking their lives to breast cancer and decreasing their chance to be a breast cancer survivor.

A Mammography is an x-ray technique for detecting breast tumors before they can be seen or felt. A Mammogram is an x-ray obtained by mammography. By undergoing a mammogram you increase your chances to beat breast cancer in the early stages if detected.

Here are a few personal factors that may help you reduce your fears towards undergoing a mammogram.

Schedule your mammogram appointments as soon as possible. If at all possible bring a friend or family member with you to reduce anxiety and be your support.

The day you take your mammogram, do shower. Don't apply perfumes, deodorants, powders, talc, lotions or oil above your waist. Cosmetics could interfere with the mammogram screening and give false readings, per instructions by my mammography center, "Center for Women's Well-Being," Don't feel embarrassed towards having body odor or armpit odor. Technicians are accustomed to different body scents. Be aware because of your fear, nervousness may make you sweat during your mammogram.

The fear of loss of modesty is always considered during your mammogram. Most centers will have a separate waiting and dressing room for patients undergoing mammograms. You will in the majority of cases have a female technician. This will ease any tension towards having a strange male handle your breasts. In my mammography center you're handed a colorful short cloth draping to conceal your breasts for modesty, until they need to be exposed in a private exam room. Remember the technician will have to personally position your breasts in the mammography machine.

The fear of waiting should be eased because most mammogram appointments are scheduled so there is minimal waiting time to ease anxiety in the waiting room.

One major fear towards undergoing a mammogram is the fear of pain from breast compression. Newer digital mammography machines require less breast compression. Compression, once the breast is positioned, only lasts a few seconds. The discomfort factor is minimal, a slight sense of pressure. Smaller breast tissue size may be slightly more uncomfortable due to trying to get all the breast tissue compressed. To ease discomfort, schedule your mammogram two weeks after your period, and eliminate caffeine products 48 hours prior to your mammogram.

Two views of each breast will be taken, top to bottom compression and side to side compression. Your breast will rest on a stainless steel plate and compressed by a clear plate. The technician remains in the room behind a shield. One side is done and then the next side. Again the mammogram only takes a few minutes once you are in the examining room.

If you have fear of waiting to hear your mammogram test results, this issue also can be eased. If there is an irregularity noted on your mammogram it's usually addressed before you leave with further recommendations. You might have to undergo a repeat breast compression of the breast in question or a sonogram to clarify results, usually done in the same radiology center. My mammography center mails a letter of normal results within three days. Your physician will be notified immediately if there are any irregular results by the radiologist.

You can conquer the fear of undergoing a mammogram. Encourage your friends to get a yearly mammogram per their doctor's recommendations. Age forty is usually the general age recommended for your first screening mammogram, per recommendation by the National Cancer Institute, NCI

For further information about the National Cancer Institute and Mammograms, please check out the below link.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Detection/screening-mammograms

Another recommended link about Mammograms is one below. It will connect you to a site where you can research mammography centers in your area. *Remember your family physicians and gynecologists are the best sources to recommend any mammography centers.

http://www.ucomparehealthcare.com/search.html?q=Mammography+Centers&cref=all&siteurl=www.ucomparehealthcare.com%2F&x=43&y=20

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