What do you make of this? (Mammograms)

[Gyn_Paul]

One of the (many) things to be applauded about the French health system, is the fact that you can have a PSA test done when you present with no symptoms. Given that our 'natural' hormone levels all fall within an extremely wide band of what is defined as 'normal' it is very useful to have a few year's antibody figures to express what is normal for you.

Damned hard to achieve that in the UK, I found.

p.

[Gardengirl]

I've had an email today from a friend who was found to have a problem when she went for a mammogram; that was how my breast cancer was found about 4 years ago.

She's been advised to see a surgeon at a hospital quite a distance away, although there are nearer hospitals with good reputations; I know from my radiotherapy how very tiring it can be. I met other women during treatment who had to travel quite long distances, who found it even more exhausting, which made me even more grateful to live just a short car ride away from the hospital.

I recommend that all my friends made sure they attended for their mammogram appointments. My appointment with my surgeon is next week, months after my mammogram, as my husband was ill in hospital in France at the time of the original appointment.

[NormanH]

[quote user="Gyn_Paul"]One of the (many) things to be applauded about the French health system, is the fact that you can have a PSA test done when you present with no symptoms. Given that our 'natural' hormone levels all fall within an extremely wide band of what is defined as 'normal' it is very useful to have a few year's antibody figures to express what is normal for you.

Damned hard to achieve that in the UK, I found.

p.

[/quote]

Yes. I started having  tests for PSA some years before anything showed up, which gives a good baseline reading. This is important as it is the rate of change which is often more important then the single figure in indicating that there is a problem.

[Chancer]

Well I am one of the few men who does know how you girls feel to have a mammogram, it was bloody painfull and extremely degrading even for a guy, i dont envy any of you who voluntarily allow your breasts to be made into paninis.

And I would never ever go through the same thing if there was a gonadagram, I would rather cut them off myself if someone doesnt beat me to it!

Whats wrong with the good old weighing test?

You know the one where the tester exclaims "weigh hey!" whilst juggling them [:-))] [6]

[Gardengirl]

[:D][quote user="Chancer"]

Well I am one of the few men who does know how you girls feel to have a mammogram, it was bloody painfull and extremely degrading even for a guy, i dont envy any of you who voluntarily allow your breasts to be made into paninis.

And I would never ever go through the same thing if there was a gonadagram, I would rather cut them off myself if someone doesnt beat me to it!

Whats wrong with the good old weighing test?

You know the one where the tester exclaims "weigh hey!" whilst juggling them [:-))] [6]

[/quote]

[:D] [:D] [:D]

I'll remember those paninis next year!

[Pierre ZFP]

And I'll never look at my lunch time panini in quite the same way again [:-))]

 

[Chancer]

A panini accurately describes the action and the result but the force involved is many magnitudes higher, a panini or even something like a chicken would be flattened into a pizza [:(]

My heart goes out to you girls, well most of you that is, not the one that once made me suffer a similar test to Normans prostrate examination, I wonder if they are still as brutal these days?

Mind you I still reckon the mammogram is worse [:(]

[idun]

This may be a joke, but still, there is much truth in it too and that would have stood me in good stead for what happened in France. As I said, they were a bit kinder with me in the UK.

How to prepare for a mammogram.

Many women are afraid of their first mammogram, but there is no need to

worry. By taking a few minutes each day for a week preceding the exam

and doing the following exercises, you will be totally

prepared for the test.

And best of all, you can do these simple exercises right in your home.

EXERCISE ONE:

Open your refrigerator door and insert one breast in door. Shut as hard as possible and lean on the door for good measure. Hold

that position for five seconds. Repeat again in case the first time wasn't effective enough.

EXERCISE TWO:

Visit

your garage at 3 AM when the temperature of the cement floor is just

perfect. Take off all your clothes and lie comfortably on the floor with

one breast wedged under the rear tire of the car. Ask a friend to

slowly back the car up until your breast is sufficiently flattened and

chilled. Turn over and repeat with the other breast.

EXERCISE THREE:

Freeze two metal bookends over night. Strip to the waist. Invite a stranger into the room.

Press the bookends against one of your breasts. Smash the bookends

together as hard as you can. Set up an appointment with the stranger to

meet next year and do it again.

[Loiseau]

ROTFL idun!!

Sorry I don' have access to smilies on iPad.

Angela

[Gardengirl]

Idun, just great! [:D]

I know some women who speak of mammograms as ''hurting a bit''. Those of us endowed with very neat breasts know this isn't at all the way to describe such torture. Being one of the latter, just imagine them squeezing me onto the machine with only half a breast left following my breast cancer op! For those who don't know the procedure, the breast has to fit onto one of the outlines by any means possible when the mammogram machinery descends!  [:'(]

For all that, I feel extremely lucky to have had my breast cancer found early, and encourage women (and men, Chancer) to go for their appointments for mammograms. Following such torture, receiving an 'all clear' card is wonderful! One day everyone will have a new type of check up - it must come soon!

I found that having left the fold of those having checks every 2 years to join the club of having it done annually now, these women who do the mammograms are more careful than those in the normal check up clinic - but it still hurts a lot!

Maybe we shouldn't widen the discussion to smear tests - we don't want anyone to come over queasy at the description!  [:D]

[Chancer]

Good description, I had forgotten about the cold although that doesnt really bother me, are the machines cooled as the salle is warm, probably more than 24°c.

[sueyh]

I have to say that the more uncomfortable procedure is the breast MRI, which goes on for about 45 minutes.  Laying on the MRI table with your breasts hanging through two holes and a bar very uncomfortably between them on the breast bone.  Thankfully that was a one off, as I had a preventative double mastectomy last year. 

I have to say that despite the discomfort physically of the mammogram, the comfort mentally of being told all is okay is tenfold.

Keep checking those boobs ladies (and gents).

Suey

[Kitty]

My breast cancer was found as a result of a routine mammogram.  So do go for the test when you get the opportunity.

I have to submit to mammograms every year and now that I am used to the procedure, they don't seem that bad.