Morrisons breast screening

[AnotherWeasel]

Is is unreasonable of me to feel so offended by the idea of breast screening in Morrisons car park?

I'm 52 and just received an appointment that I wasn't consulted about. I just hate the idea of it. This is my local Morrisons, where I shop, where I frequently run into my awful ex-boyfriend, my estranged mother, the work colleague who sexually harrassed me 10 years ago, friends, neighbours, my postie etc, etc. And there I am, waiting beside the enormous van, emblazoned with bright breast screening decals, clearly about to strip off and have my breasts squished and examined. It all seems so undignified and makes me feel vulnerable and powerless.

Obviously, as a mum I've had to have all my bits on display and poked about with, and again I do think we are generally treated like objects or at least like we are supposed to be mature and sensible and absolutely fine with any sort of indignity that is imposed on us in the name of good sense. But at least that was in a hospital.

Yes, I am a grown woman and absolutely can put on my big girl pants and just do it for my own good. But I really feel quite oppositional to doing that. I feel like women are expected to just be ok about decisions others make about our bodies and that our dignity and privacy isn't important. It seems so disprespectful to us. I can't imagine men being invited to a prostate exam in a van in a supermarket carpark. I feel that, out of principal I don't want to do it, because the more women say 'that's ok, I can put up with a little indignity' the more other women feel pressured into a situation they really aren't happy about. Already, I feel that if I refuse this and ask for a more private screening, I would be seen as being difficult, silly even, and asking for special treatment. And I don't want special treatment, I want all women to be treated with due respect and consideration when accessing intimate medical care.

To be fair, I am a very private and anxious person, and I do have a problematic sexual history. So, I guess I may be influenced by this. Certainly, I am quite surprised there doesn't seem to be any women complaining about it. And I wonder, is it because most of us don't give a hoot, or are there many, many women just quietly missing out on screening services rather than make a fuss.

Yab very u

its great advertising for a very good cause

be thankful you're invited for screening

bonus you can get your food shop done as well

This is my local Morrisons, where I shop, where I frequently run into my awful ex-boyfriend, my estranged mother, the work colleague who sexually harrassed me 10 years ago
It I thought I’d bump into even one of those
people doing my food shop if switch supermarkets or get it delivered. Why do you
keep going there OP?

It’s for easy access for all women to attend. The one in my Morrisons car park is accessible by bus so the villagers without a car or the funds for a taxi can still get into town and get screened. It’s a lot more accessible than our hospital. It’s also cheaper because it’s free to park there versus the cost of parking at the hospital. You can go elsewhere but don’t make things less accessible because you bump into your ex in Morrisons.

They don’t just make these services accessible because it’s women. The sainsburys near my mum was offering lung screening for previous smokers. Again, that sainsburys is easily accessible, close to the bus station and train station. Free to park at.

YABU. Mobile X-ray vans make these services far more accessible and they're just like a clinic inside. I had mine done in the Asda car park, which was preferable as free parking and a lot closer than the hospital.

Sorry OP, you are being silly, I'm sure you don't regularly run into all those people while at your local supermarket and so what if you do. They won't care why you're there.

Could you park close to the unit and just wait in your car until it's your appointment time. You can walk straight in then.

I work for the NHS. On a programme where we have a mobile unit for CT scan lung screening. It can pick up cancers before symptoms arise.

We frequently use supermarket and leisure centre car parks for the logistics. They’re big, flat spaces that are easy to accommodate the trucks.

They’re easy access for the public. They’re ideal for volumes of patients.

It takes the strain off hospitals.

If you don’t want to use one, then you don’t have to.

You could have called your local hospital/Trust and explained your anxieties. But no, you complained on social media which really doesn’t solve anything.

Ours comes to Tesco, it's great as I don't need to drive to the hospital over half an hour away. The more accessible the better .

It's a small town and I can easily bump into any of them at any local supermarket, the highstreet or pub. I don't have a problem with the fact that these people exist in my community and I see them around. I guess I just want my private medical business done somewhere less public.

YABVU - this could save your life.

What if you went to a clinic at the hospital and they were there? It could happen anywhere.

Go to a breast care clinic. As I've done as I've survived breast cancer twice.

guess what, there are men there too. most of us know we are going to have our breast examined.

so what? My breast s mean as much to me as my arms and legs. In fact, now I'm v old, my breasts mean less. They serve no function.

what is it you're concerned about? It cannot be because you have breasts cos everyone can see that. It cannot be because, sometimes breasts get cancer. Because just about every organ/ limb we possess can and do get cancer.

so what, exactly is it?

I was called for a lung scan as an ex smoker which took place in an Asda car park. There were men there as well it was completely private inside and at the far end of the car park away from the store. I am so grateful for that opportunity to go as they found a mass in my armpit which has been caused by a malignant melanoma. Waiting for treatment now, without that scan I would have had no idea.

It's so it's more accessible, a lot of people don't live near hospitals where they are often done so a large trek then a hefty parking charge.

It all seems so undignified and makes me feel vulnerable and powerless.

FFS no, it's meant to make breast screening easier to access and more convenient.

I'll tell you what would make you feel more vulnerable and powerless, getting a late stage diagnosis of cancer. Catch a cancer early and you have a much better chance of successful treatment and longer survival.

If you don't want your mammogram there, ring the number on the letter and get the appointment venue changed

It'll be more travelling for you, but it's not complicated to get it changed

I've had breast screening at the hospital.

Sat in a busy waiting room, called into a room to see the first consultant who didn't even acknowledge or look at me for the first few mins...felt so awkward and I was already nervous so this wasn't the welcome I was hoping for.

Had the screening done, that was fine.

Waited in a corridor with one other woman, looking equally as worried as me, for 10 mins then someone came out and said all fine you can go!

That didn't feel overly dignified or respectful.

And as with most hospitals always awkward to find a parking space so I'm happy that mobile places exist making it accessible for more people, I'd happily go to one

I guess one could then argue that all discussion on social media is pointless. And yet, here you are. You could have just not bothered with mumsnet and read a book or done some decluttering. I personally think social media discussion can be a useful tool to express thoughts and feelings and listen to other viewpoints.

You’re overthinking this. It’s a perfectly normal thing. I had a CT scan in a gown in a container in a car park to check if my cancer had spread. No big deal. The man who was coming after me had to wait outside on a plastic chair until I was finished. I’m just bloody grateful for the amazing healthcare I’ve received and how quickly they booked me in (within a week) when I needed to be seen quickly. No indignity involved. You can always say no, but make sure you cancel so that someone who needs it can have that appointment.

I went to one in our town car park. You are in and out in 10 minutes. If you don't want to go rebook it for the hospital but you could bump into these people there or anywhere! Utterly bonkers.

That would be because there isn't routine prostate screening on the NHS. They said on the news today they need to do a repeat large study to see if it would be effective because last time they did a study it wasn't.

You can easily bump into any of those people in your local hospital …

I personally think social media discussion can be a useful tool to express thoughts and feelings and listen to other viewpoints

Are you listening?

I wish I could get an appointment, I'm the same age and still no appointment at Morrisons or elsewhere! Apparently they are running 4 years behind here

No one, absolutely no one is going to notice you. Get over yourself/

There's not much point if you're not going to accept anything anyone says though. 79% so far say YABU.