I had my routine mammogram last Friday. I kinda skipped a year, and let me tell you why: ever since my very first mammogram at age 39, every single one I've had except one has required a callback for extra films. They're always finding something that turns out to be nothing. I just have those kind of boobs. I'm used to it by now and it doesn't even worry me anymore. But it's...annoying. Inconvenient. And I can't imagine the extra doses of radiation are *good* for my cancer risk, no matter what they say.
The last time, two years ago, when I went back for the re-do, the tech basically told me that the reason the first films showed something and the repeats didn't was that the first tech didn't squish my boobs enough. So Friday I was really tempted to ask/beg/implore the woman to really flatten those suckers, but, y'know, I didn't. So, today at work I went into the computer and looked up my own results, as you do, and I've got a "nodular density" in my left breast and I need to be called in for, yes, more views.
Google tells me that "a mammogram may show nodular density, which means fibrocystic change that usually is benign (i.e., non-cancerous). Mammograms of many women show nodular densities. Although nodular density in a mammogram is not, by itself, a risk factor for breast cancer, the nodular density can make the mammogram more difficult for physicians to read and interpret."
In other words, this is going to, yet again, turn out to be nothing, nothing except more aggravation. (And you'll note they haven't called me yet to tell me any of this or schedule the follow-up.) This is what happens when you try to be a responsible patient and do all these freaking screening tests they want you to do. I just know that poop test is gonna buy me a colonoscopy when I break down and do it.
xoxo
2 comments:
I can't claim first-hand experience with nodular density, but its a problem under this roof. And you missed the "defensive medicine" piece of the puzzle.
Where I do have experience is knowing that all you have to do to buy the colonoscopy is keep breathing for a certain number of years. Damned if ya do, damned if ya don't.
I've already had a colonoscopy at the ripe old age of 41, even though both I and my MD knew damn well my anemia was gyn-, not gastro-, related. Defensive medicine, as you say.
That was not a fun day and a half of my life :-) I went into shock in the recovery room. They had me sitting up, almost ready to go, and my BP dropped to 70/40. They were like, oops, I think we better get you lying down again for awhile. hahaha Needless to say, I'm not real anxious to do that again soon.
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