May 11, 2011

My First Mammogram

Because my job requires a very thorough physical evaluation, I got a mammogram. I must add that I'm about 7 years younger than the recommended age of when screening should start, be no matter.

A mammogram happens like this:

Step 1 - Stand in front of an X-ray machine. Nurse adjusts left breast on a lower plate, and then lowers upper plate as much as she can, effectively sandwiching the breast

Step 2 - Nurse takes X-ray

Step 3 - Nurse arranges left breast in same manner, but with machine now positionned diagonally

Step 4 - Nurse takes X-ray

Steps 5 - 8 - Repeat process again with right breast

While the nurse was tugging at my breast to arrange it just-so on the plate, I jokingly said "are you sure this isn't going to stretch my breast fibers and make them saggy?"

She responded "oh honey, you can't fight gravity, that'll happen anyways."

Oh vanity. What's wrong with me that I'm more concerned about my breast sagging than finding evidence of breast tumors?






Source



3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That sounds painful actually...
-Ammo

Laura said...

Ouch. I am not looking forward to that. You'd think they would be able to find a better technology in this day and age.

Astrogirl said...

The research work Michael is doing includes trying to make mammograms more accurate and less invasive/painful.