MammoOUCH!!!
May. 11th, 2011 05:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Got my annual mammogram yesterday - and this year it really lived up to our nickname of "tit-squish" - yeowch! It really hurt! I would keep this info to myself, but 24 hours later I'm still quite sore ETA on both sides - feels like a bad bruise - no visible marks, but tender to the touch. I am, ah, not a large woman. But I've had a quite a few of these over the years, and oh my darling it's never felt like this.
Did they do something wrong? Did I? Is there something I can do next time to prevent this?
Full disclosure: For years, it never hurt at all, and I couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about. In the last few years (when I have gained more body fat - more for them to seize hold of? or am I still so small that they need to get a good handful of muscle as well into the machine?) it's been kinda unpleasant, but not hurt afterwards.... What gives?
And let me just sternly add that if you have not had yours yet this year, don't use this as an excuse to avoid it! Because (a) It probably won't hurt at all, and (b) even if it does, you just have to be brave for, like, 11 seconds. And you can do that.
Just make someone take you for ice cream, after. You can do that if you're brave.
Did they do something wrong? Did I? Is there something I can do next time to prevent this?
Full disclosure: For years, it never hurt at all, and I couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about. In the last few years (when I have gained more body fat - more for them to seize hold of? or am I still so small that they need to get a good handful of muscle as well into the machine?) it's been kinda unpleasant, but not hurt afterwards.... What gives?
And let me just sternly add that if you have not had yours yet this year, don't use this as an excuse to avoid it! Because (a) It probably won't hurt at all, and (b) even if it does, you just have to be brave for, like, 11 seconds. And you can do that.
Just make someone take you for ice cream, after. You can do that if you're brave.
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Date: 2011-05-11 09:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-11 09:33 pm (UTC)My understanding is that what matters are the makeup of the breast in terms of size and fat/muscle relationship and also the skill of the tech.
Some techs are better then others, but my understanding is that no matter how good the tech, sometimes the breast just has to be compressed so much to get a good read that it's almost impossible to make it pain free.
I'm not an expert though, so if anyone has more or better info, feel free to correct me if need be.
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Date: 2011-05-12 06:41 am (UTC)Seriously, mammograms will always be uncomfortable, but I can't think of any good reason it would hurt more one year than in others either. My first guess would be the tech, though others have mentioned feasible possibilities below.
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Date: 2011-05-11 09:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-11 09:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 02:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-11 09:51 pm (UTC)It could be that your sensitivity is different due to hormonal fluctuations. *wince* The ice cream sounds like a good incentive to me. Hope you feel better soon.
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Date: 2011-05-12 02:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-11 09:57 pm (UTC)I've had painless, I've had uncomfortable, just depends. I haven't had one in which I was still sore the next day, so maybe it was the tech.
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Date: 2011-05-12 02:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-11 10:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 02:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-11 10:12 pm (UTC)you might want to check the dates and see if you can figure out any correlation with hormonal cycles (harder to do if you are menopausal or thereafter, but people still cycle).
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Date: 2011-05-11 10:21 pm (UTC)Hope it doesn't happen again. Glad you had ice cream to look forward to.
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Date: 2011-05-12 02:07 pm (UTC)I'll look out for tannin/caffeine/salt next time - great tip.
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Date: 2011-05-11 11:27 pm (UTC)You deserve the ice cream.
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Date: 2011-05-11 11:49 pm (UTC)I find that taking a regular dose of the analgesic of one's choice renders the experience considerably less uncomfortable. If you can take an NSAID, you'd get a leg up on treating any swelling, too. But for better comfort during the actual procedure, Tylenol works fine as well.
P.
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Date: 2011-05-11 11:50 pm (UTC)P.
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Date: 2011-05-12 02:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 12:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 12:16 am (UTC)I hope your pain is gone soon, if not already. *hugs*
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Date: 2011-05-12 02:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 02:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 02:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 03:10 am (UTC)I'm sorry they bruised yours! Have plenty of ice cream.
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Date: 2011-05-12 03:19 am (UTC)I've never thought of having ice cream afterwards, dammit, but I will from now on. I've never been in pain the next day. If it settles down, it's probably worth asking your doctor (or any of your medical friends with actual expertise) for a proper medical explanation, and possibly even complaining to the place you had it done. If it's still sore tomorrow, it's probably worth ringing up the place and asking why. If they have a really clumsy tech, they need to know.
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Date: 2011-05-12 02:22 pm (UTC)Thanks for the vote to follow up on the bruising; I wasn't posting to bitch about the mammogram, but rather to inquire whether the soreness after was at all usual, and clearly it's not.
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Date: 2011-05-12 11:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 05:41 am (UTC)However, the last one I had actually hurt much less because the clinic had upgraded their machines to a model that pinched less.
It's really hard to say, but I'd first think it's a less-skilled tech or secondly an older machine. You might want to ask your doctor, though.
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Date: 2011-05-12 12:14 pm (UTC)It is more comfortable, and does not involve exposure to radiation. It's called thermography or a thermogram.
A quick Google search turned up this article about it: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christiane-northrup/the-best-breast-test-the-_b_752503.html
But I learned about it from my doctor.
Just something to consider if you don't want to go through a painful mammogram again.
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Date: 2011-05-12 12:48 pm (UTC)It might be worth calling to let them know, since this was unusual lingering pain. If the machine needs to be reset, someone has to let them know.
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Date: 2011-05-12 02:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-13 05:27 pm (UTC)