Mammogram emrarassement

[GizmoIsSoFluffy]

Turned 50 this week and wham, had my first mammogram. I was SO embarrassed by it all I cried the whole way through as I hated standing there with a naked top half. I've always hated my body and teenie boobage, but with breast cancer in my family I thought it best to get checked out.

Anything hapoened to anyone else during this procedure which can make me feel better about this...

The last time I went for a mammogram, I forgot that I wasn't supposed to put deodorant on before so I had to do a full upper body wash at the sink in the room before! 😂It was my third one so I was well past caring at that point. It gets so much easier, I promise x

There is no need to feel embarrassed. They will have seen all shapes, sizes, ages. Frequently. You will be one of many during their day.
The only thing I would feel awkward about if it was a male nurse. But only ever had female nurses.
It is a bit uncomfortable but doesn't take very long.

Not really-I was making the point that they are the same.Time is a factor-on a screening van, you have 5 minutes to get the mammogram done. You really don’t have time to chat about holidays-not if you want to get the best image you can. And NHS screening equipment has to meet stringent quality controls. Actually, one of the things that surprised me when I worked in the private hospitals was how old the diagnostic equipment was. It seems a lot of money is spent on the ‘patient experience’ but not so much on the things they don’t see.

I’m 55, I’ve had 2. Both painless, and not at all embarrasing. DS’s best friend’s mum died of breast cancer& brain tumour when the boys were 8 (8 years ago). She was a good friend to me too. The family was broken by her death, any early warning that might reduce the suffering another family has got to be a good thing.

Thank you Puffin, and yes, I could see at the prep appointment that the nurses were not impressed with him. He asked if I really needed HRT after I had had to jump through hoops to get referred to him and I said no, I was there for a fun outing. One of the nurses turned away but I could see her shoulder shaking.

Its funny, because I have used the phrase 'my fanny would clamp shut' before but never really experienced it in real time!

I doubt very much the jerk I saw will ever get picked up on his awful behaviour. Make you wonder why men like that go into that specialty.

Not the most pleasant Im 52. Found it quite sore. A bit cringey yes but important.

Interesting because my experience is rhat more sh1t is chatted in the vans than elsewhere, notwithstanding the fact that those waiting can hear the derails of my personal information. I havee not felt comfortable.

You go into a cubicle and take off all your upper clothing (plus any necklace or chain) and put on a gown (provided). You then go into a special room which contains the mammogram machine. The person doing the mammogram positions your standing body and then one breast is compressed between two rectangular plates (which are cold). They then go behind a screen and take the images. The procedure is then repeated on the other breast. It's not comfortable, but to help just say a poem or ditty in your head, or talk a load of rubbish to the radiographer. It only takes a few minutes. You then get dressed and leave.

Thank you for explaining
I’m not due to go yet but will soon.. it helps to know what’s in store.. thank you

Haha I've had two. The first one specifically mentioned I had 'small breasts' which somehow stung and has stayed in my head since. It's not untrue but somehow the second time round they managed to not say those words and I was grateful!

I'm sure that telling people not to be so 'stuffy', implying that their feelings are silly, will really help reassure them and make them feel better about a vulnerable situation where they feel exposed.

You also don't take into account the fact that many women may have sexual trauma around having private parts of their body being manhandled and pain caused, which may not be rational but is still valid.

I know I myself am dreading having a mammogram (many years in the future) due to past trauma, even though I'm fine with my lovely GP examining me (as I have a rapport with her).

I reckon it'd tend to help if you remind yourself that everyone feels the same way, and there's an endless possibility of how we/they do.

The examiner is essentially a non-sentient measuring device in these situations, and they aren't deriving any sort of pleasure from it.

It'll all be over very quickly, it wouldn't be happening if it didn't need to. You'll be glad you had it done when it's finished.

Best wishes, hope it helps 👍

Sometimes they do but it may be that n9w they don't have scary matrons it probably happens less frequently. In which case maybe we have to speak up and complain formally more often. Which is easier said than done.

Didn’t bother reading your longer rant - you lost me at the passive aggressive “that’s kind”.

I am well and truly over being told to “be kind” by people who don’t care about defending single sex services for those who want them.

Agree
It’s imperative we use our right to single sex care and single sex spaces.
Always

If some don’t care either way it’s irrelevant, they can do what they like, it doesn't impact women’s rights

Aw jeez, You're making me feel nervous now. I'm going for my first mammogram on Tuesday.
I wasn't that nervous about it but now? I mean, is it that big a deal? You take off your top and you stand in a room with I assume one maybe two medical technicians, and they place your boobs on a cold panini sandwich press like machine, and squish your boobs and take medical photographs to check to make sure that everything's okay and there's no cancer right?
That's what I understood it was supposed to be like.
And then you go home and you wait for the results which hopefully say that nothing is wrong. Is there something more this that I should be aware of?
Now you've got me concerned....

I can tell you that a few years ago I had to go for a vaginal ultrasound to check out some cervical cysts and uterine fibroids, and you think taking your top off is embarrassing? Try having to drink a liter of water and holding it for an hour, you already have reduced capacity cuz something's not quite right down there, and you can't hold it that long, but you have to hold it cuz you have to have a full bladder, and you're already squirming trying not to pee yourself, you got to strip down your bottoms, lay on a table, and there's two technicians that stick a condom on some kind of a ultrasound probe, inserting it inside you, up down left right all around, oh my God! I mean it would be horrible enough of an experience if you weren't afraid that at any moment you were going to start gushing because you've been holding your urine for so long..
It was hard to tell what was worse. The incredible surrealistic embarrassment of this weird situation or thinking "just do anything you want to me but hurry it up so I can go pee"
...
So, that's a procedure that I'm not looking forward to doing again that I'm going to have to do in another 4 months.
I'm thinking that a mammogram's perhaps not as bad?

I'm also thinking back to last year when I was at the gynecologist, first time going to this one, I've always had the family doctor do the regular pap tests, and this was a man which I wasn't too thrilled about, but okay fine. Let's just attach ourselves and let this guy do what he needs to do cuz after all he's supposed to be a medical professional right?

And he says that he'd like to do a biopsy and well we could do that right here in the office or we can schedule you into the hospital and he's making it sound super complicated and I said well, are you allowed to do this in the office like, is it dangerous and he said no it just feels like a little pinch but most women want to go to the hospital. And I said well I just want to get this over with can we do it today and he said yeah, take off your pants and lay on that bed.
So I did, tried to relax, I don't know exactly what went on down there but you can imagine if they're taking a biopsy basically they're spreading you open and cutting a piece out of you, and, I'm not sure it was the worst pain I've ever had in my life but it was right up there, I almost passed out, I started sweating and shaking and bit down on my tongue for I wouldn't scream, and when he was done he said Well put your pants on and leave...
And here I am bleeding copiously down my legs, I had no idea I should have carried a pad with me to a gynecological consultation, I didn't know he was going to be literally using a scalpel to cut chunks out of me Right then and there...
And for God's sakes, what kind of a going to colleges does an in-office biopsy and doesn't even offer a sanitary pad for you can get back to your car without bleeding down your legs. For god sakes.
So, again, compared to my last two medical experiences, I think the mammogram is going to be a lot better.

I’ve never had a problem with them and always very pleasant staff doing the procedure

I have scars from breast reduction and a weird flat glob under my right arm from the surgery. No one's ever batted an eye.

Being only 5' 2" I have to stand on tipy toes to get in the right position & once was offered a huge thick medical book to stand on so I was at a height that didn't require me to stretch my boobs to fit on to the plates. Add to this I had a rotator cuff injury last time I went & the technician had to pretty much lift my arm over the machine as I couldn't lift my shoulder at the angle necessary to 'hug' the scanner the way they like you to. It did give us a laugh even if the procedure was painful on my shoulder. It's very much like going for a smear test. You feel very vulnerable but know it's for the best so try to grin & bare it (excuse the pun).

It's ridiculous that you had to stand on something to make you tall enough. 5'2" is a very common height for a woman.
They must be using the medical book for about 1/4 of the women who come in.
I'd at least expect them to have a proper stool to stand on.

What about women who are unable to stand?

I had it done this afternoon.
It was at a hospital and was 100% professional, courteous and dignified. The technician was excellent and rhe ambience was better than in a van. Well worth the 18 mile round trip.
On a scale of 1 to 10, discomfort was 1.5.
Fingers crossed for an "all clear" result.

The technicians can cope with all breasts. I’ve had a lot of them, they’ve never hurt (although uncomfortable) and the technicians have all been lovely.

Well worth doing, and much less hassle than a smear.

You shouldn’t have to go on tiptoes. My guess is the Mammographer had the equipment a bit too high. I have no idea why she used a book-the equipment will go low enough for a wheelchair! It should be feet flat in the floor and lean in.

I embarrassed myself by passing out while my boob was squashed in the machine I did tell the lady I was feeling hot n dizzy 😵 came round lying on the floor topless with 3 nurses over me .
It's on my records now so they do keep an eye on me.
Don't worry about the crying , just think it's 5 mins of your time that could possibly save your life. Xx