Mammogram

August 23, 2012:
It's a week after seeing my doctor and she told me that I needed to have a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound...with a small amount of chastising for not having had one yet even though I'm 41. Whatever, I'm a bad patient.

So, the diagnostic mammogram/ultrasound was just a great amount of fun, I must say. First, I do want to say that the people that work in this department are so friendly and nice and reassuring. However, that didn't really make it enjoyable. Because I had never had a baseline mammogram at 40 (again, bad me), they had nothing to compare it to, so they made sure to run me through the gamut. My mammogram lasted almost an hour, involved 2 separate machines, and included me passing out at the end. (Which, by the way, is something that I did after my ultrasound when I was pregnant with one of my kids...clearly, medical tests and I don't get along). There was one point in time when I thought that the machine was going to rip my skin apart. Good times! 

Side note: please don't let this scare you away from having a mammogram however! The technician assured me that a normal mammogram is about 10 minutes, and only includes a few tortuous squeezes.

After the mammogram, which was apparently not as conclusive as they'd hoped (a theme that will continue to run throughout my testings...stay tuned), I was then sent to ultrasound for another 90 minutes or so. The lumps had to be marked with a Sharpie because they tended to disappear when I laid down (a factor of them being so close to the rib cage). 

After all this was finished, I was sent to "wait for the results." Good thing it was a beautiful sunny day, and I'd brought a good book...don't leave home without one! By the time the morning was over, I'd spent 3 hours there, and knew nothing else other than I had an appointment in 10 days with a surgeon to talk about my options. No one is talking cancer at this point, because everyone says it's unlikely. No one seems concerned or hurried. But the readings are slightly abnormal, so there should be follow up. 

Seriously people, all I want is a yes or no...what are these lumps???