first mammo after treatment

[LAURIE]

I had my first after treatment mammogram today. I guess the good news is that they did not come back and do additional plates. Either the first pics looked good enough to show all the bad or they looked clean and they did not want to do more. I was a little nervous and cried before getting ready to go this morning, but knew that this is something I have to do. This is nothing compared to other stuff. I can't even imagine how I will be with scans in the future. Well, I talked myself out of my fear and was strong. I was a little nervous about squishing my port, but it was fine. I can honestly say that this mammo was a piece of cake. I still can't get over that people are afraid of the pain. ( I am actually offended that my mother in law refuses to get a mammo because she is afraid of the pain, I have tried to reason with her, but I can't get through) I would take mammo squishing over finger pricking or port pokes anyday. I am expecting inconclusive results for my affected breast (due to lumpy, scar tissue and rads) but hope my unaffected breast is okay.

Thank you all for helping me face these crazy cancer days with courage, knowledge and humor. You all inspire me.

[Bev]

Congrats Laurie.

At my mamm center, BC survivors get the digital machines and they really try to be thorough. They do extra plates. I'm guessing everything is looking good. If something was ugly, you would be doing multiple plates and you would see the rad DR. Unless you have something out of reach from the mammo eye, ie deep in chest wall, I would think they found nothing. I hope all this holds true for your case.

As for MIL, you tried. I agree of all the things we need to do, it's the least annoying, but it's not your problem.

Hope all turns out fine. BB

[suzan w]

Sounds like you got through the procedure like a champ!!! Let us know when you hear the results!

[janet11]

Laurie, I was worried when I went in for my first one too, and had the same experience -- it was a relative breeze. They used digital mammograms (first time I had had the digital ones), and showed me the images -- including the one where my port showed up all round and bright. Here I was concerned about doing a mammogram with my port in, and voila -- no problems.

The mammo DID show that I have a 5cm seroma that I had NO idea I had. So we got useful info, AND nothing bad showed up which was even MORE welcome information.

Glad you got through yours and hope the results are good!!

[Faith in Him]

Great news about your mammo. I know how scary these things can be. Even getting x-rays for radiation planning had me in fits.

I understand about being offended when our loved ones blow off mammograms. Some of my family members don't take it seriously either. Being under 40 with a stage 3 dx and not having a mammogram until there was a problem makes me just want to shake them.

Glad you're doing well.

[LAURIE]

Finally go the letter from the hospital, it said that the "mammogram results were as expected based on recent treatment" It also said that I should have another mammogram in 6 months. Told my onc that I got the letter and he said "what did it say?" I guess he did not read it. He did not even bat a eye about it. I didn't press on further today because he was the only onc at the office today and was really sick. I did find out that my first hemoglobin count almost a year ago was 14.9, I want to know so I knew what to shoot for. Since chemo and rads I have never been above a 12.5 even with procrit. It's hard to believe that herceptin would bring it down, maybe it's still side effects from the rads.