So if you have never had a mammogram than you have never had a “boobie pancake”, before I had mine everyone lied to me. They all told me it wasn’t bad, yeah right!!! I am going to be honest I guess there could have been things that were worse but, off the top of my head I cannot think of what it would be. I am not positive who invented the mammogram but I am convinced either it was a man or a female into pain.
Here is how my day went… First, my husband came because I think he thought I was going to back-out of it again. They took us back to our own little waiting room with a t.v. and comfy chairs. I personally think they were trying to trick me into thinking the test was going to be as comfy as the room.
So the time comes and I am in one of those great little gowns and they walked me down a hall (it felt like the last walk to the electric chair). When I get into the room, it was not cute or cozy, it was a cold room with a giant machine with something that looks like a Panini press. Now I am not a prude but a little of compassion and warm gentle hands would have been nice, when the strange lady next to me grabs the “girls” one at a time. She says to me “OK don’t move”! Really?
Now I am one who likes to know what is going to happen. When I take my kids to the doctor I let them know the shot will hurt, what an X-ray is, why the CT machine is so noisy, when it is checking to see if you broke your cheek bone playing book toss in the dark with your brother. I got no explanation of what was going to happen at all and I really would have appreciated one.
So if you have never had one I will explain. So you are standing in front of this machine, they place one of your “girls” onto a cold piece of plastic. Then they have you raise the arm on the same side and have you hold a little bar. Next they slowly lower the top piece of plastic that basically makes a “boobie pancake”. They squish it way down, then tell you to hold it and don’t move. It is not comfortable and it does hurt especially if you are already tender from a lump. For a regular mammogram they may do one or 2 images of each sides but with a diagnostic mammogram they do a couple of extra images.
After they have completed both sides they walked me back to my comfy room while the doctor reviews the films. If you are waiting to find out if you have bumpy boobs or the Big C the waiting is the worst. The worst feeling is when they knock on the door and say we need to get more images to clarify what they are seeing. I swear my stomach dropped and hit the floor. So after the next round with the Panini machine I was back in the waiting room just waiting.