The Importance of Getting a Mammogram

Mammogram
“It’s important to keep up with your routine health screenings.”

When I was married to the doctor, my healthcare was absolutely top shelf. Specialists who depend on referrals for their patient load may go above and beyond for a physician’s family. A referral pattern is a terrible thing to waste. I never had to wait for appointments. My doctors always answered my calls. Testing, including my mammogram, was done quickly. And, they accepted whatever insurance paid and never charged me a dime. Professional courtesy, it’s called. I have to admit, I was pretty spoiled. My doctors in Colorado were the same ones who took care of me when I was married to the doctor so my level of care pretty much continued even after the divorce. That changed when I moved to West Virginia.

My insurance changed when I moved here and I could not find anyone who took my insurance AND took new patients. I could find one or the other…not both. So I didn’t have a primary physician until Mr. FixIt and I started dating. His doctor was kind enough to take me on. I really like him. He’s thorough and gives the same quality of care I came to expect in Colorado. I have not always heard good things about the level of care here. I didn’t have a good experience with my mom’s healthcare and that was my frame of reference. I have no complaints here.

The problem with not having a primary care doctor is not keeping up with routine health screenings. The current issue is a mammogram. I had a routine mammogram in September. I received a call a few days later saying they needed compression films and an ultrasound. They found something “suspicious.” I do not have a family history of breast cancer and this mass had every hallmark of being a fibroadenoma which is the most common benign breast tumor. My doctor and I discussed it and decided to repeat the tests in six months.

I had the repeat tests done the first part of May. This time the suspicious area was bigger. I was scheduled for an Ultrasound Guided Core Needle Biopsy, which I had done on Tuesday. If you have never had one and you need one, they really aren’t bad. The doctor numbs the area then makes a tiny nick in the skin. Then, guided by the ultrasound, a needle is placed in different areas of the lesion and small bits of tissue are removed and sent to the lab. A little bandaid over the boo-boo and off you go. Tylenol every four hours for a day and you’re left with something that feels akin to the breast tenderness you feel at the beginning of your period. Since it’s been 25 years since I’ve had one of those, I had kind of forgotten what that felt like. But, really…it wasn’t bad at all.

I went back to the surgeon yesterday for follow up. Because of the place where this mass is, getting a really good sample was difficult. The radiologist who did the biopsy told me he wasn’t sure he got a good specimen. The surgeon came in and said the good news was, there was no cancer found. But the bad news was, he wasn’t sure the specimen was the tissue he wanted to see because it didn’t quite correlate. He suggested removing the mass surgically and we scheduled that to be done on 6/21.

I know this is probably TMI, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to stay on top of your self care. Here I am, turning 65 next week, and having this done. It’s easy to blow it off, procrastinate, ignore. It’s just as easy to wait too long and miss something. My surgeon is still quite sure this is benign, but it’s something that cannot be ignored and we need to get it taken care of. Then they can do a proper test on the tissue and I can stop worrying about it. Get your mammogram, girls. It’s important. ❤

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

15 thoughts on “The Importance of Getting a Mammogram

  1. 7 years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a small tumor and it was encapsulated. It was removed and radiation treatments were done. Due to the fact of it being a “estrogen feed” tumor, I did not receive chemotherapy but have been on an “estrogen blocking” medication ever since. The reason for stating all of this is….there is light at the end of the tunnel. This was not an easy nor painless process but, compared to some of my friends who have undergone cancer treatment, I was very fortunate. God remained by my side through the entire process. He gave me peace and strength. Give it to God…He will sustain you.
    Secondly, find a breast cancer care center. I was fortunate to have a friend who had battled breast cancer a few years earlier who suggested a good breast care surgeon. He was a Godsend. I am never in agreement when a doctor says “Let’s just wait and see.”
    My prayers and well wishes go out to you. I have been in your place and know how scary it is beginning this process. #breastcancersurvivor

  2. Praying for this to be benign. I have two sweet friends going through breast cancer right now. One did the chemo and still had to have her breast removed and is facing radiation therapy. She is in her early 40’s. The other one is in her 70’s and has had all her chemo so we’re praying hers is gone. I have my mammograms yearly and have been called back twice for ultrasounds because I have dense tissue and it’s hard to get a clear reading. That can be scary. Prayers for you and my friends.

  3. I just flunked last Monday’s mammogram and got the call to do the ultrasound, possibly a 3-D something ($50, my insurance won’t cover it), and something else. It’s not the first time I’ve had to have follow-up testing, but it’s always scary for me with a family history, including my then 26 year old daughter, who was successfully treated. Prayers for you, Ginny, and others going through uncertainty and treatment. ❤️

  4. We are praying for you. Yes, ladies get those mammograms done yearly. I’ve worked in the medical field, no excuse is good enough. Just do it. Mammograms are cheaper than chemo or radiation. I had to go back twice this year, in a 3 week period. It turned out just to be a muscle folded over another. Thank you Lord.

  5. Ginny, thanks so much for this frank (NOT TMI IMO) chat about self care. Health issues are so personal, so thank you for sharing and spreading the word.

    Can anyone address alternative methods of breast screening? I have dense breasts as well as extreme facia system sensitivity akin to fibro, so compression films are incredibly painful. I’d like to hear from anyone who has avoided compression but had good results from alternative screenings.

  6. Ginny, I’m so happy that your test showed it to be benign. God knows we all need you around and I’ll be praying for you that 6/21 will prove to be just another glitch along the way. I think the word BENIGN is one of the best words ever. C’mon all Prayer Warriors, Ginny needs our prayers.
    ????

  7. I had the same thing maybe 10 yrs ago. Same procedures and mine was benign. You got this girl!

  8. Ginny, I just saw this. I’ll be praying for it to be benign and as painless as possible! I know God will have uw walk through this with you, for His glory. Not TMI, just sharing your going through so we can uplift you, and you can show us where God is in the little and the big things! As I prayed, I kept hearing, “Rest in Me!”. Hugs!

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