Wellness

Everything You Need to Know Before Your First Mammogram

By Sonja Hegman, Avera Writer/Editor

When I turned 40 last year, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would I feel different? Would I immediately grow wiser? Would shouting, “Get off my lawn,” while shaking my fist in the air become the new normal?

In reality, you’re told you need bifocals, your neck and back problems intensify and more routine screenings are required to ensure you aren’t falling apart.

In February, just before the pandemic hit, I got my first mammogram. Given my history of cancer — I was diagnosed and recovered from cervical cancer in 2014 — I’m always a bit nervous about routine screenings. It was during a routine Pap test that my cervical cancer was discovered. My breasts, however, have never been the focus of much medical scrutiny.

At 16, I found a lump. My mother had showed me, at a young age, how to do a self-exam. Not knowing what to do, and not wanting to worry my parents, I made an appointment with a female doctor. Convinced that I definitely had breast cancer and was going to die, I burst into tears when she asked me to explain what was going on.

“It’s OK,” she said. “Because of your age, it’s probably nothing. Let’s just take a look.”

She immediately put me at ease by saying, “Well, you could poke someone’s eye out with that thing,” referring to the lump, and I laugh-cried. It turned out to be nothing. She said if I cut caffeine out of my diet, the lump would naturally disappear.

I think about all of this as my radiologic technologist asks me several questions, including if I have ever had breast concerns. I mentioned the benign lump I had, and ask if I should worry. She said no, that fibrocystic breast changes are common.

A mammogram is less uncomfortable than other screenings I’ve had.

After the medical history, you’ll be asked to disrobe from the waist up and to wear a hospital gown half-shirt. And then you’ll be asked into the screening room.

The radiologic technologist ensures that you’re as comfortable as possible and distracts you while you’re “exposed.” And, honestly, you’re not that exposed. Only one breast is exposed at a time. My tech was so good at keeping the small talk going that I barely noticed when she was maneuvering my breast tissue to get the perfect images.

I received a letter about a week after my screening, but this timeline can vary. The letter will say something along the lines of, “Hooray! Things are normal. Come see us in a year.”

Overall, my first mammogram was a pleasant experience and something I’m glad I didn’t delay. Screenings simply give you peace of mind. Now that clinics are back to a new normal, this is the time to schedule that mammogram.

Don’t deny yourself of something that could save your life. n

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