completely comsumed over a mammogram

[tara1414]

I hope I am in the right place. I have always suffered with anxiety over health issues mainly. I create them or I exxagerate them. My recent health scare was a routine mammogram 4 days ago. I must first say that when I go for my mammograms I try to get a hint from the woman "who is not allowed to tell you what she is seeing". Ussually they tell me it looks okay, but im not a doctor",. Well two years ago, the woman didnt say anything and would not give me a hint. a week later I got a call telling me that they found something on my right  breast..It turned out to be nothing. maybe a cyst that dissapeared. Anyway, last year the "woman" said "everything looks okay, but I am not a doctor" and the test was normal.

So I go in this year, praying that I get some type of hint. I look at the woman wondering how nice or bitchy" she is. She tells me to undress, blah, blah, blah. meet me in the room. Asked me a few questions and proceeded to squish my right breast... The picture is taken and she stared at her computer. She was probably standing there for only a few moments, but to me it felt like hours. Then she does the left breast, then back to the right and the left again. While she  was doing the left one again, she said something that is still scaring the heck out of me. She said. "are you expecting your period soon?" now any normal person would just answer and not think twice about such a simple question, but I pondered that question until it completely freaked me out.

My first response was why are asking me this? she said the breasts are more tender right before your period and it hurts more. But that wasnt good enough for me. So I asked her if there were any cysts. Ofcourse her response was "Oh, I'm not a doctor. They will call you within a week if they see anything..After the last picture was done. She said "Okay you're done, have nice day" . Oh but I wasnt done. I left the room and went back to my little cubicle to get dressed, but i wanted to go back in there and ask her what she saw. I wanted an answer. I felt rushed , and my anxiety was rising by the minute.

I was so afraid that they would call me back...And a call back to me is like a heart stopping , terrifying experience. I was angry at the woman for not giving me so much as one little hint. and I was so depressed because all i could think about was when will they call, and why? and she asked about my period, so she must have seen a cyst, but maybe its more than a cyst. And on and on and on my head went.

Now its only 4 days later. I called the hospital this morning, they said that they dont give me the results, I have to call my doctor. SHe said the doctor should have the results by now.
Well I call my doc's office..No results yet.

So ofcourse I am thinking well maybe the bad mammograms take longer to get to the doctors office. And oh my God, it was done on a computer how long could it take and They are going to call any minute. and what will I do if it is really bad news, and on and on.
To most people this all may sound a little crazy. although I know alot of people fear test results, most dont take it to the extremes I do. But I am hoping someone on this site will read this and relate to it. Any responses would be greatly appreciated. I need some re assurance, and comforting words. Because I am still waiting for these damn results. My anxiety is really bad and I have been getting no relief from it except when I talk about it or when I cry.

[Pokeymom1]

Go back and get another one.  Being afraid won't make anything better.  Take charge and go.  Then you'll know you're fine.  After that, go every year.  You know, we get pap smears, and blood tests, and urine tests, and unless there's a real reason, we don't think twice about those tests.  People have pushed mammos so much people are scared to go.  I am waiting on  the results of my baseline right now.  At times I get really nervous too, but I am planning to keep going every year.  Talk to your doctor too.  Get some reassurance and tell him how worried you get.  Maybe he can prescribe something to help calm your nerves.

[MLM61]

I relate!  I received a letter (that I learned later was required by law) that freaked me out.  I received the letter Friday and suffered with terrible anxiety over the weekend until I could get into my doctor, who got the results off of his computer.  He told me that if it was anything serious, they would have called me, but I told my doctor that I had just lost my best friend to breast cancer and I was beside myself with worry that I could not control . . . I mean, crying, and crying, and craying and so scared.  It turned out to be nothing but still . . . .  I had another mammogram six months later because I wanted to make sure . . . no change.  Now it's been two years and I am going in tomorrow morning and I can say I am anxious about it.  Why is it that we worry so about this type of cancer when we could come down with other cancers?  

[RubyWitch]

I don't know who gave you that information, but it's totally wrong. It doesn't matter WHO ordered the mammogram, the tech taking the film is NOT a radiologist and they cannot, by law and by their training, tell you what they see on that film. It takes a DOCTOR OF RADILOGY to read the films and make a diagnosis. To ask the tech if they see anything is not fair. You're basically asking them to throw their entire career away because of your anxiety. But they are professionals and you won't get an answer from them and you have no right to get angry at the messenger.

Mammograms do not hurt anywhere as much as they used to. Years ago when I began having regular mammos, they thought to get a good picture, they had to literally flatten your breast! Trust me, THOSE tests hurt like hell. Today we are much better off. They realized that much pressure was not needed and now a mammo is simply "uncomfortable." It's over very quickly and the peace of mind is worth a moments discomfort.
Peace
Greenlydia

[Robin168]

Did you know that they are required to tell you the results if your doctor ordered the mammogram? I go for my first (i'm 43) tomorrow and I am absolutely freaking out. I have had some moderate pain in my left breast for the past 5 months. My self exam and my doctor's office exam did not reveal any lumps but he ordered the mammogram. My stomach is in knots because you read so many different takes on whether the mammogram hurts. Wish me luck.... I chickened out on my appointment last month but I can't wait any longer.

[RubyWitch]

You cannot be angry at the technicians for not giving you "even one little hint" about what they are seeing. They are not doctors nor are they radiologists. They do not know how to interpret what they are seeing. They are trained to take good pictures of the breast tissue. To obtain a clear view, to understand that a pre-menstrual womans breast tissue can often looked different, which is no doubt what prompted her question, not that she was looking at a cancerous growth. She answered your question within the scope of her practice. She cannot legally answer your quesiton "Are there any cysts?" That is asking her to interpret the X-ray which she is not qualified to do and will cost her her license if she does give you an answer.

It is difficult for many of us to wait for test results and we can all relate to your anxiety. Sadly it's just something we have to bear but it was stated on here that if the radiologist does see something suspicious on the film, he will alert your doctor immediately who will call you in for another set of X-rays usually within a day.

I'd also like to comment on something one of the posters said about the tech possibly "being new and not knowing what she was doing." This poster needs to understand that X-ray technicians are very highly trained, competant people who have done a thousand of these procedures before they practice on their own. Perhaps you have them confused with a new checker at your local Wal Mart?


Mammograms are NOT fun. They hurt. Waiting for results is a time of real anxiety for most of us. But the bottom line is they save lives. Hopefully one of them may be yours.
Since a mammogram causes you such incredible angst, I'd suggest some therapy for your anxiety.

Greenlydia

[moonpiebaby]

Oh sweetie am the same way. I told myself I would never put myself through this again. I made myself so sick the last time I had one done. I cried and had myself convinced I had cancer! I begged my husband to stay home from work cuz, I knew the were going to call me and tell me bad news! So,yes believe it or not thier are people out there that react worse! LOL!! I feel very guilty about not having it done. Its been 3 yrs. I was told by my DR they are read there and if anything showed up, DR would call. I pray everything is good, it sounds like it!

[sandrad85]

I always tell myself no news is good news...if they seriously saw something "bad" they would have contacted you by now!

[AnnieBrooke]

The main thing they look at (and re-photograph for) is if the image is blurry or a fold of skin has gotten into the image and confused it.  If she stood there looking for a while, it was because she was deciding if the result looked fuzzy or clear, not because she was astonished about what she was seeing.  She might have even spaced out for a minute because she was thinking about what to have for dinner that night, and then come to and did her work.  I wouldn't take a pause from her as anything bad.

I had a mammogram yesterday and just took a half Vicodin so the pain wouldn't be too great from being squished, and it was great.  Vicodin makes me feel very mellow.  I wouldn't have cared if she filed her nails and looked at the picture on the screen for a half hour.

Not that I'm recommending drugs or anything!   LOL

Seriously, as mammo says, if you are doing your mammograms regularly, especially if you have no direct female relation (mom or sis) with breast cancer, you really don't have a lot to worry about.

Good luck, honey.

[mammo]

I went thru the same thing, only to find out it was nothing.  It's scares the heck out of us, but I think we let our mind carry us too far.  It may be that she sensed your breasts may have been more tender than usual and she wasn't getting a clear view and had to re-do them.  She may have been new and didn't know what she was doing!  It's difficult to read these people, as they are used to us trying to get some kind of idea if they see anything.  You do regular mammograms and that's excellent because even if they did find something it would be caught very early and that's what's important.  Hospitals are slow, and your doctor probably doesn't have them yet.  If anything is found your doctor is notified immediately so he can contact you, often to do another test, which usually just confirms it's nothing. When I had mine, I couldn't leave until another test was done.  My girlfriend just had hers and they immmediately called her within 2 days to have her come back for another test and it was nothing.  Try to relax, I truly think if something were found, they'd have contated you by now.  But I think all women can relate to this fear.  Try to enjoy your evening, and take care.