Kentucky Mom Encourages Other Women to Squash Their Fears of Mammograms
October is National Breast Cancer Month. It is a great time to remind everyone about early detection and getting checked. Today is National Mammography Day. Let's Do This.
A SCARE WAY TOO CLOSE TO HOME
I remember it like it was yesterday, April of 2020 I was giving myself a monthly breast exam and noticed a lump that I had never felt before. It was tender to touch and stuck out to me that it definitely shouldn't be there. We have a family history of breast cancer and in the back of my mind I don't necessarily worry but I think what if I don't check and something happens and it's too late? I am not just taking care of myself but of my family.
I didn't panic but a lot of different thoughts ran through my head. I immediately told my husband and he told me that I needed to call the doctor right away. Being the stubborn, sometimes hard-headed individual that I am, I waited. Actually, I waited almost three weeks before I called. It wasn't until after I talked with Chad that I finally picked up the phone and called. In the back of my mind, I was terrified of what they might find. I'm not afraid of dying I'm afraid of leaving my family.
My doctor, Judy Carrico, got me right in. She did an examination and found exactly what I found. She wanted to know more so she sent me for a mammogram.
Of course, I didn't video my mammogram but I can tell you my own personal experience. The staff at Owensboro Health took amazing care of me. The nurses were fantastic at explaining exactly what I need to expect.
Kentucky Mom Encourages Other Women to Squash Their Fears of Mammograms
In all honesty, it was nothing like my momma said it would be. It wasn't painful. It wasn't uncomfortable but yes it was cold LOL. It was quick and over with faster than I could blink.
I am grateful every single for the concern and care shown to me by Dr. Carrico and also the staff of Owensboro Health.
One of the most awesome parts about the experience I got to be an advocate for Owensboro Health and even share my story in a magazine.
Here's how to prepare for your mammogram according to the American Cancer Society;
If you have a choice, use a facility that specializes in mammograms and does many mammograms a day.
Try to go to the same facility every time so that your mammograms can easily be compared from year to year.
If you’re going to a facility for the first time, bring a list of the places and dates of mammograms, biopsies, or other breast treatments you’ve had before.
If you’ve had mammograms at another facility, try to get those records to bring with you to the new facility (or have them sent there) so the old pictures can be compared to the new ones.
Schedule your mammogram when your breasts are not tender or swollen to help reduce discomfort and get good pictures. Try to avoid the week just before your period.
On the day of the exam, don’t wear deodorant or antiperspirant. Some of these contain substances that can show up on the x-ray as white spots. If you’re not going home afterward, you might want to take your deodorant with you to put on after your exam.
You might find it easier to wear a skirt or pants so that you’ll only need to remove your top and bra for the mammogram.
Discuss any recent changes or problems in your breasts with your health care provider before getting the mammogram.
Don’t be afraid of mammograms! Remember that only 2 to 4 screening mammograms in 1,000 lead to a diagnosis of breast cancer.
Schedule your mammogram TODAY!