When the nurse on the other end of the line asked me,”When was your last mammogram?” I couldn’t believe it. I was about to explain about my breast cancer but I stopped myself. This question had been asked and answered every year since my surgery. I decided a little shock therapy might result in my file actually being updated to indicate that I had a bilateral mastectomy and no longer needed to have mammograms.
So I answered,”It has been six years since my last mammogram.” The audible gasp on the other end of the line was instantaneous. “Six years, with your history of breast cancer; what are you thinking? I answered, “I am thinking that you need to note in my file that I had a bilateral mastectomy six years ago for the very cancer you just brought up. She paused a minute, and then in a huffy tone said, “Well you should have told me that, and not just said that you hadn’t had a mammogram in six years.”
“Why,” I answered, “would I answer any other way when you asked me when did I have my last mammogram? I suggest you find a better way to ask the mammogram question.”
It’s conversations like this that continue to remind me to hang on to my sense of humor when it comes to discussions about my breast cancer experience.
Since this is the 6th anniversary of my not having to have a mammogram, let me share a few thoughts about an annual mammogram:
- Be sure you pick a reputable screening center, one connected to a cancer center or a major hospital
- When you call for an appointment, confirm that you will be getting a digital mammography, which is a newer screening process and known to be more accurate. Sixteen years ago, when my first breast cancer was discovered in a mammography, digital was not available. While my cancer could not be felt in a manual breast exam, it was almost 2 cm. I had been going faithfully every year prior to this finding and my breast tumor was not picked up until it was 1.9 cm. Six years ago a digital mammography picked up a cancer that was 9 mm. Go digital!
- Find out if you will be getting your results immediately following your mammography, or will have to wait for a few days to get your results. Waiting can be nerve racking.
I don’t know of anyone who looks forward to having an annual mammogram, but it saves lives. It saved mine twice! Mammograms discovered my cancers early, before they could be felt. As a result I didn’t need chemo for either cancer.
Until there is a cure, or a way to prevent breast cancer, early intervention is the only way to catch a breast cancer before it becomes a potential killer. So, if you are not getting an annual mammogram…start. If you do not have insurance and cannot afford to private pay, check with your local hospital, or cancer society and find out how you can get a mammogram at no cost to you.