To have found my first mammogram really upsetting?

This sounds exactly like my own experience. Just horrible. I've never been back since.

@Americano75 I had three tumours and a mastectomy too. I don't think it's an awful thing to say at all.

Usually the woman radiographer is pleasant and polite. Pushing bits of you comes with the territory, I am afraid.

I had DCIS. I've had a fucking mastectomy.

It is an awful thing to say.

I don't see why that's a terrible thing to say at all. Maybe having gone through breast cancer gives you a slightly different perspective on things like mammograms and people prodding your breasts.

That's a terrible thing to say. How awful.

Finding out you have breast cancer is a whole lot worse trust me!
They must grab your breasts into the machine so you are in the correct position.
stop being a baby.

Mammograms are uncomfortable and I wouldn't exactly call it manhandling as the clinician has to make sure that they capture everything and to do that they have to move you into the correct position.

I think when you have your next one you should let them know about your autism and that you'd appreciate a little forewarning of when they need to be hands on

@YompingJo I’m sorry that you weren’t treated in a sensitive way at your mammogram.

At my first one I was also shocked at just how much I was pulled around and handled. I forgot to tell the radiographer that I had a small painless spot/cyst in one of my armpits and it unexpectedly came off and squished into the plate of the machine! When it happened I thought it was quite funny, but the radiographer was definitely not amused

There are so many people here who lack the empathy to realise that, for many women, going for intimate examinations requires literally ALL their courage. To be told to do something they didn't realise they would have to do, it's too much. Their well has already run dry just from getting to the appointment and removing their clothes - it makes you feel you are intensely vulnerable situation.

Why is this so very hard to understand just because it doesn't bother you?

Whilst I agree that we are fortunate in the Uk, that doesn't excuse the behaviour of the mammographer doing the examination. I've worked in breast screening and had mammograms myself, none of that is ok.

OP, write to PALS and tell them how unprofessional the mammographer was, and how upsetting you found it.

The staff have to make sure all of your breast is fully x-rayed, it's not fun but very necessary.

it may well be a better experience next time but it’s never going to be pleasant. It may however save your life.

Have you had a mammogram. How the hell do you expect the procedure to take place? I for one can't make my breasts move through the power of thought alone. If you can that is some superpower you have.

I've just had my first one and was very nervous beforehand.
I watched a load of YouTube videos so I knew exactly what to expect and the procedure was identical
The nurse was very reassuring and told me what was happening every step of the way, but it definitely helped me to be aware of what was going to happen before I arrived.
I'm sorry your experience wasn't a positive one.

I'm sorry you feel you weren't treated respectfully but to be fair it is an uncomfortable but necessary procedure we just have to endure.
Yes it's a small room and a huge machine, and yes our boobs have to be manhandled, repositioned and squished between the plates. So all of this is completely normal.
You do come across very intelligent so I'm a little confused as to why you didn't research what to expect as this is what most people would do when going for any kind of hospital appointment or procedure they hadn't had before.
It could've prevented a negative experience for you and a complaint from you.

They should have talked you through what was going to happen, and checked you were OK with everything. The radiographer I had was brilliant, I was surprised she explained so much. Both members of staff were also warm and friendly. I think you just got unlucky, OP.

You can always assess your risk and refuse to go. ( I expect this will cause a bit of a fuss) If you take that step, you will need to be very careful to examine yourself properly and regularly. Liz O'Riordan has an excellent video demonstrating how to do it, which is as a surgeon does it. Liz is a surgeon who had breast cancer herself and she knows a thing or two.

Makd sure also you know what symptoms to look for. There's lots of good information on nhs websites.

Don't forget either that if you have worries, you can refer yourself to the service at any time.

When I go for a mammogram I'm not expecting cookies. I do expect the person performing that mammogram to treat me with the basic amount of pleasantness while I'm standing there wondering if this is the year my left breast decides to have a go at killing me. And the consultant who phoned me regarding my feedback agreed with me 100%.

But this is exactly the point - you cannot, when you conduct a medical procedure on someone, assume that they know the ins and outs of the procedure (and are therefore giving their informed consent) without actually checking that.

You can send them leaflets in advance (as some, but not all, NHS trusts do), or links to websites. But you cannot assume that they know what will happen without checking. "Have you read the leaflets? Are you aware I will need to physically move your breast into position? I'm just going to lift your breast up so we get a good image, is that okay?"

"Thanks for coming for your smear test. I'll need you to take off your trousers and then I will use a speculum so that I can swab your cervix. Is that okay or would you like someone to chaperone you?"

"You're down for a gall bladder removal. I'm going to talk you through the risks, the potential outcomes etc." Then for those we actually get in writing that they gave consent.

I don’t know why you’re responding in reference to minor discomfort. I can suck up even quite extreme physical pain. It’s having my bare breast groped that is impossible for me, due to flashbacks of severe SA, as I explained previously. This being done by a stranger who was terse and didn’t even communicate what she was about to do is actually making me upset to just imagine. So it’s not a “decision” for me - additional worry about breast cancer/not catching it early if I develop it will be yet another impact of my abuse. I suspect many survivors are impacted similarly, just as we often are with smears, giving birth and other intimate medical situations.

OP I looked up the NHS guidance on mammograms as I am clearly previously uninformed. One of the things stated is:

”Breast screening is often uncomfortable and sometimes painful for some people.
You can talk to the mammographer, who is trained to help you feel more comfortable and give you support. You can also ask to stop at any time.”

“Before starting, the mammographer will check your details with you and ask if you have had any breast problems.
They will also explain what will happen during the screening and answer any questions you have.”

So all those stating that mammographers don’t need to take the time to explain what they’ll be doing are demonstrably wrong. As are those who claim that women should put up and shut up once they’re there - questions are encouraged and we can say no at any time. (But I understand that communicating a no, or asking a question would potentially be harder for OP who is autistic.)

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/breast-screening-mammogram/what-happens-at-your-breast-screening-appointment/

Treated like dogs? Treated as less than human?

It's patients like this that ruin it for everyone else. How is anyone supposed to take anything you say seriously, when you say things like this?

From reading most of the posts on this thread, it appears the majority would prefer to be told about the procedure and what was going to happen and when, and there are a few who don't need that.

I have yet to have my first mammogram as I had an operation the week I was booked in, but I have had many smears and internal examinations over the years. During all but one I was spoken to about what they needed to do before I half stripped off, given a cover whilst I was on the bed, and then again when lying on the examination table.

The one where I wasn't spoken to or not even offered a sheet to cover me whilst I lay there waiting for her to gather the equipment is the one that has stuck on my mind the most and nearly stopped me from having one again. It was partly that experience plus her inability to refer me to gynae that resulted in me putting in a complaint to the practise manager. The GP is no longer there, and I suspect she was like that to everyone. How you treat your patients really does impact on how their treatment goes.

Going back to the mammogram, I have tried to look up what actually happens, but have only found things where it says it's uncomfortable due to the area they need to get a good picture of. I thought it was a flat, upright plate that you had your boob squished against.

My dh had a mammogram several years ago due to some lumps he had. Turned out to be nothing sinister, but he said he was told about everything that was going to happen during the scans.

Are you the poster who had pain for months afterwards. I remember it from another thread.

Its the Church of the NHS Its to be worshipped