To have found my first mammogram really upsetting?

When I went for the first time the "Receptionist" was absolutely lovely. She explained everything and was really helpful, happy to answer questions etc However, the person doing the scan was very abrupt and never smiled or said hello or anything. She did tell me where to stand and told me that she was going to move me into position etc before she touched me. The only saving grace was that it was over in a few minutes. It was late in the day on a Friday and I just assumed she'd had a hard week and was ready to go home.

When I went the lady explained everything before I started and told me what she would do as she went along. It was still not a nice experience but the best it could be with someone who was kind and helpful.
Its such a shame you didn't get someone like that.

Yeah, i received another cervical smear appt invite the other day and my husband spotted the envelope and is nagging me to ring up and organise it, but i must admit i am loathe to do so, despite all the horror stories of cancer you hear about. I havent chucked the letter out, just building up mentally to booking it.

My sister is currently receiving treatment for cervical cancer and it's brutal with horrendous side effects. So please continue with your smear tests.

And honestly, it's not the OP that puts me off. I find it reassuring that I'm not the only one who struggles. It's all the people insisting that the OP should suck it up and that it's fine to be treated like that, some of whom have admitted they're medical professionals. That attitude terrifies me.

I'm not bothered about pain. I've got quite a high pain threshold, really. It's being treated like I'm not a human being that makes me freeze up.

Unfortunately, other medical professionals have already caused me so much trauma that I find it beyond challenging to engage with this kind of thing. Anything where I feel like I might be treated badly or lose my dignity causes me so much anxiety that I genuinely can't bring myself to go through with it. It's not logical - I already know X or Y would be worse. I still can't make myself go through it. It's like trying to step out onto a ledge at a great height. My brain can't cope with the threat of danger.

Honestly, even talking about this is making my heart rate go up. I'll just have to take the risk that avoiding this stuff won't work out badly for me.

Sorry you had such an uncommunicative/insensitive Radiographer on your first ever mammogram, I would imagine she would have known it was your first one from any notes she had, so should have shown a bit more care.

Personally, I've only had 1 mammogram about 10 years ago and didn't bother with the 2nd one offered to me as i found the first one so uncomfortable and unpleasant, though I didnt have any complaint about the manner of the Radiographer, just didnt enjoy my boobs being clamped into a vice. I know i should get over it really, but I just couldn't be bothered with the whole thing. The same applies to smear tests - had my fill of those too! Can't help thinking if men had to undergo such unpleasant/painful procedures they would manage to invent a better system for these tests 😣 I don't recommend other women follow my lead though, i think i am just particularly sensitive to being prodded and poked.

Scans are not compulsory. You can just go through the rest of your life worrying if you've got cancer. It's your decision. I've had several and they caused minor discomfort, but as an adult I accepted it was worth it.

The problem is that if you do get breast cancer, you're going to have to undergo far more breast handling.

I've had multiple mammograms, and, though I know different women feel different levels of pain, I can honestly say that none were painful. Uncomfortable yes, but not painful.

When yours is due, I suggest that you contact the service and explain your very real anxiety about it. They might well take steps to help you manage it.

I'd hate to think that this thread might lead to women getting advanced breast cancer through avoidance of the screening.

A mastectomy- as one doctor pointed out to me- would be more barbaric and cause even more anxiety.

I have had many mammos thanks to dense breasts, in this country and others, and no matter how nice the radiologist has been, I still feel like a cow at milking. Will take that over the alternative though.

I don't think I could cope with it either. It sounds barbaric. I don't care if people think I'm being precious either. I just can't put myself through something that I know will haunt me afterwards.

I've got anxiety just thinking about it.

He's the machine does the scan but your breasts need to be in exactly the right position first. I'm amazed that anyone in this day and age could be surprised that a medical professional would need to manipulate you into the right position.

But how on earth do you think a mammogram can be carried out without touching the women's breasts?

I thought a machine did the mammography scan. The thought of standing topless and placing my breasts against a machine to be squished was quite bad enough - but the reality explained here sounds utterly unbearable.
A stranger who may or may not be brusque to me, and might not even warn me before grabbing my bare breasts, will feed them into the machine and then hold parts of them and push other parts of my body out of the way abruptly - that’s impossible for me.

Hi. I know what you mean and can sympathise. I have had breast cancer so lots of mammos. Generally the radiographers were lovely. One, however, has ver py abrupt and quite shitty with me when I could only get my arm so high due to a frozen shoulder and doing that was agony. Likewise, this time last year I had to have an abdominal scan - scanner was lovely and then an internal scan and the woman was really abrupt with me and very brisk in a frankly uncomfortable situation. She must have realised because then she was much nicer when she told me she'd seen a cyst. It did make me feel yuck though.

🙄

Surely by attending the appointment and entering the room you were giving consent?

It not nice, but im sure they have a very strict timetable and only have minutes to complete each test. That's why the offer appointments for more assistance.

I’ve not had one as too young, but they’ve asked permission or at least said I’m just going to do this, it will feel a bit uncomfortable etc at every smear. In fact every single treatment.

I was in hospital when pregnant with DD2 and the consultant asked my permission for his trainees to examine me. No problem. Trainee one started examining my bump without asking. He got a bollocking from the consultant about consent in front of the other trainee (and the whole ward heard.)

I had no idea mammograms involve the woman’s breasts being touched and manipulated by the radiographer, let alone painfully so. As a victim of SA, there’s no way I will be able to handle this from a stranger.

@Generallyfound 💐
This thread is definitely teaching me that it’s important to do my research before going in for any medical procedure. I have to admit that I didn’t bother Googling anything before my first mammogram so I had no idea what to expect. I’m supposed to be scheduling a colonoscopy this year (I’m procrastinating) and I will do my research beforehand.

But how on earth do you think a mammogram can be carried out without touching the women's breasts?

I had no idea mammograms involve the woman’s breasts being touched and manipulated by the radiographer, let alone painfully so. As a victim of SA, there’s no way I will be able to handle this from a stranger.

I’ve only once managed a smear - when I got to know one of the nurses at my GP surgery really well because of another health condition. She talked me into giving it another try, and had me put the speculum in myself, which made it bearable. Unfortunately she’s now retired and I can’t bear to open up about it all again to someone new.

OP if what happened to you had happened to me, I’d have gone into shock, not been able to say anything, and then started screaming, which happened at my first attempt at a smear (though I was spoken to reasonably kindly, and told what was going to happen, but I reacted to seeing the speculum. Hadn’t realised that it looks like an instrument of torture.) Please complain, if you feel up to it.

And all those of you who claim that turning up to an appointment means giving consent are very fucking lucky you’ve lived such trauma free lives. A medical professional should always explain what they’re about to do, at the start of the procedure, to ensure the patient understands (and can therefore withdraw consent if necessary).

Quite. I've worked in health care for many years and worked as a trainer for several more. I'm disgusted at some of the replies OP is getting. If anyone should be scolded for not using their words, it's the radiographer!

I have had many a conversation with a deceased patient. It's quite a privilege, and it's the sort of unfaltering respect that should be given by all HCP's all of the time. Some of them shouldn't be allowed in customer facing rolls, let alone be allowed to deal with people when they are at their most vulnerable

It is part of the training.... a very basic part. Any HCP/AHP would fail their practical exams if they did not talk to and explain things to their patients when doing anything to them.
Some nurses even talk to their patients when carrying out last offices (laying them out after death).

You're not being unreasonable in the slightest. Even if they were busy. It doesn't add any time to the procedure to treat you with dignity and try and make you feel at ease - in fact I'd bet my house on the fact that it's how they are trained to treat patients. If you knew what to expect or not - you should never be treat that way or leave feeling as you did. Utter bollocks in some of the replies you're getting. Use your words? Vile.

Well, good for you.
Someone who has suffered trauma, is ND (as in OP's case), is their first time (also in OP's case), or is just plain anxious.... explaining things is vital.
It costs nothing, and takes no time at all.

Absolutely.

And this is exactly what’s supposed to happen.

It’s such a bizarre thread, there were a couple of posters who are actually training staff how to do it, and they confirmed as much yet some posters won’t rest.