To think if men had to have mammograms...

[YourSpleenIsDamp]

... somebody would have invented a better way to do it? Still bruised three days later - chest and boobs - and holding poses while they get the right angle has set my arthritic shoulder off. I feel bad complaining about it, because obviously I'm grateful for the screening, but my god the soreness. It's brutal. Currently on yearly screening, looking forward to only needing it every three years when I turn 50. Maybe it's less awful without F cups? But my mum is an A cup and she finds it horrendous too! Any advice for making it more bearable?

Yes, I remember the mammogram after I was diagnosed! It was one of the most undignified procedures I've ever had to go through, but I kept being told off because I couldn't stop laughing at the bizarre position yoh have to be in.

You do know that there are some breast cancers which you would never find yourself because they don’t present as lumps ? Without mammogram you wouldn’t know you had these types of breast cancer until it was likely too late to do anything about it. Most breast cancers are very treatable and curable if caught at an early stage. I really don’t understand why you wouldn’t have the mammogram when you consider what you would go through otherwise.

I lost my DF to breast cancer. He was never expected to tolerate a mammogram.

I recently asked this at my mammogram and the radiographer said they get 5 mins per patient and this was the quickest and cheapest way to service the large numbers of people they have to check.
it is very uncomfortable / border painful but the gain is worth the pain I think. It’s so worthwhile.

I totally agree op.
I would say I have a high pain threshold, one of my DC's was born without pain relief, have had mirena coils put in and taken out but was totally shocked how sore my first mammogram was.
I went waltzing in, expecting it to be a bit uncomfortable but was in actual shock when I walked out, I was in a daze and even now can remember the pain vividly.
It won't stop me getting them but having spoke to my friends about them each one of us were shocked by the pain

That doesn’t sound fun at all, mine was about 20 minutes I think. I wonder what causes the time variation, I have another soon and am curious!

It's rare you hear the 'it was fine, didn't feel anything, the weirdest bit was having somebody else lift and shift my breasts around' because people don't really feel like starting discussions about stuff that didn't really bother them.

If I were to say that, just as with any thread about smear tests, coil insertion or hysteroscopy that starts from the position of it being intolerable, the response of those for whom it was not simple, painless or just momentarily uncomfortable would drown out my 'it's fine, just a bit weird'. I don't think they intend to put others off from having tests, but their experiences significantly differ.

@Rosscameasdoody similar to you with the MRI. Yes, mammograms are uncomfortable, but they are quick and you do not need to tape cod liver oil tablets to your nipples and suspected tumour site, then lay with boobs dangling underneath the table while two radiographers furtle around to get the best position. I looked around for candid camera, while waving goodbye to any dignity I had left. Still, probably saved my life (the first time). If anyone's wondering about the tablets, it's to make nipples more obvious on the scan. I did ask if someone looking at my scan couldn't find my nipples, perhaps someone else could review the scan while reviewer #1 had some further training...

@Growlybear83 Breast cancer treatment truly is a postcode lottery, I remember at the time the contrast between my treatment and those at big city hospitals. I will pursue it next year though probably have to travel some distance.

Mammogram v MRI. Give me a mammogram any day. The MRI is face down in a machine for what felt like hours. Very unpleasant.

I find smears incredibly painful. Mammogram zero discomfort.

I think it depends on the type of cancer. Mine is lobular and doesn’t present as a lump - the tumour is flat and just under the skin. The scary part was that I wouldn’t have known it was there without the mammogram and very lucky it was picked up at all because a lot of lobular cancers don’t show up until they’re very large and more difficult to treat. Mine was estimated between 8-10 centimetres at diagnosis with mammogram but needed MRI to confirm because it was too diffuse in the tissues to image any other way.

The whole scan took about an hour and a half and confirmed the size and shape. I’ve been on Letrozole since April and am going for another MRI on 1st October because at the last exam a week ago, the surgeon was fairly sure there has been significant reduction due to the drug, so wants another dreaded MRI to confirm. Hopefully this will mean that after another couple of months on the drug, the tumour will have shrunk enough to have a lumpectomy instead of the radical mastectomy I’m facing at the moment.

My original post may have seemed harsh, but as your’e clearly in a similar situation you’ll appreciate why. I simply don’t understand why some women don’t realise that the few minutes discomfort of a mammogram could potentially save their lives. But I guess that feeling of ‘it’ll never happen to me’ prevails. Until it doesn’t.

No, I’m suggesting that when people make little digs at women for ‘not inventing things’, they acknowledge the whole context. We have no idea if a woman was involved in the invention of the first machine, nor do we know (although could possibly find out) how many have been involved in making improvements.

And no, it would not be particularly sexist when you look at the funding and research that has been put into mens health over the years, compared to womens health. There have been many studies into womens pain being ignored and minimised.

I've said what @YourSpleenIsDamp said for years. I have a deep crease type thing in one breast (I had a lumpectomy but then the scar adhered to my chest wall, so although the scar is small less than an inch, the crease in my breast is about three inches) so they have to pull my breast apart, slam it quickly between the plates, before it springs back, before they can do my mammogram.

It hurts. I always tell them that I know it's going to hurt, so don't get freaked out about that, just get it done.

The bit that always makes me smile is when you've got your boob squashed between these plates and your stood in the most uncomfortable position and they say "relax you shoulders". Relax??? Ok😂

I'm expecting to be invited to attend mammogram screening soon, but have very limited movement in my shoulders. Is this going to cause me problems?

Thank you for sharing that, I don’t think you were harsh. That makes a lot of sense in the difference. Mine are just precautionary for high risk at the moment whereas I can see yours are far more specific. I really hope the reduction continues and you get good news for your October scan 🤞🏻 I will be thinking of you.

Got my first one next week. Absolutely dreading it after reading this.

Had my smear recently and it was excruciating for the first time ever.

Menopause has made me physically ill since December. It

What a fun year this is turning out to be.

Generally just uncomfortable but I had one where the radiographer manhandled me so aggressively that I ended up with an injury and time off work.

Mine told me to put my shoulder where I could and she'd work around it - and she was super fast so I didn't have to hold it there for more than a couple of seconds for her to run behind the screen and take the shot.

my experience of mamogram has always been good, handled with care and discretion although yes there are moments of pressure. I have a frozen shoulder and my radiographer worked with me throughout testing to make sure I was comfy as possible.

all through my cancer treatment I have been treated gently and with compassion. I have been appropriately dosed with anaesthesia etc for every procedure- even biopsy was painless. Obviously it’s not easy but without the screening I’d have been facing even more surgery and a worse outlook.

just my view and I wish the same decent experience to all having to go through this.

Sorry for your loss@StopGo . How long ago was this? My DH had his mastectomy in 2020 and had annual mammograms thereafter until he died this summer (secondary breast cancer).

I have a question for @Eggseggslegs , if you don't mind....how do women with breast implants fare at mammograms? Is it easier or more painful for them? Do you find it more challenging to read their x-rays? Sorry, that's two questions 😁

I’m in a wheelchair and they did mine sitting down. Limited movement in your shoulders could be difficult because you have to lean right over the machine for some of the scans, but it might be easier for you sitting.

I always found them incredibly uncomfortable until my last which was a couple of years ago and a vast improvement. I’m actually not dreading the next one now.

Thank you. I wish you well with too. I was high risk - mum was from a big family and she, my gran and two of mums’ sisters had breast cancer so I’ve had more regular screening too. In my case it paid off. Onwards and upwards !

You clearly haven't managed to understand my point at all. I didn't realise it was so complicated, apologies. I personally think sitting around crying that men haven't made us a better mammogram yet - and that they would if it were own comfort they were worried about - is particularly enlightened. My opinion. Now, if you want to wring your hands and weep like a damsel in distress as you plead with men to build you a more comfortable medical device as they can hardly expect a helpless female to do it, feel free - but I'm going to think you're a misogynist and I'm also going to think you're making life worse for women. Don't forget to bat your lashes, little lady.

Surely they should be able to adjust the machine height or give you something to stand on?