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YouLookFab Forum » Topic: do you mammogram? https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Tue, 28 Apr 2026 03:01:21 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php christieanne on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1112768 Fri, 13 Dec 2013 06:36:42 +0000 christieanne 1112768@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I totally believe in early detection and mammograms are a good tool for that. My mom had one (after years of skipping) and they caught her in stage 2 cancer. She has been cancer free for five years following a mastectomy and radiation. I have had quite a few (and the ultrasound) and being well endowed, it kinda hurts. But the equipment is much better than it used to be (now it's plexi vs the old metal). Prevention screenings are covered by my insurance (and this may be a good part of new healthcare rules for those not covered before). In the US,  a lot of Planned Parenthood clinics have lower cost mammograms too. texstyle on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1111981 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 16:50:08 +0000 texstyle 1111981@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Coffee also is said to cause or aggravate benign breast cysts in many women and this can lead to unnecessary procedures. I had a friend who had this happening all the time and her doctor told her to give up coffee, cola drinks and chocolate (except on occasion). The cyst condition went away within a year. If I remember correctly, it's not just the caffeine but I think there are other chemicals and amino acids in coffee and some of these other related items that can aggravate one's system. Kim on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1111946 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 16:06:07 +0000 Kim 1111946@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Whatcha mean, no coffee, RunCarla???  I've never been told that...That could make me rethink the whole going every year thing! LOL Carla on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1111514 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 03:31:10 +0000 Carla 1111514@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ What lyn* said. I talked to my doc in my 40's and with no family history, and pretty good about self exams, he suggested I wait for my 50's since until then most women's breasts are dense and don't give good mamos ( false positives, etc.). Had my first mamo 2 years ago, and I'm overdue...thanks for the reminder. Going without coffee for the days before the exam were harder than the exam itself, though it isn't a comfortable thing. A good tech can makes it less distressing. Anonymous on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1111407 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:51:18 +0000 Anonymous 1111407@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I haven't had one, but I have just finished two years of ultrasounds every six months to monitor a lump I found when I was breastfeeding my son. So now since there has been no change I can forget about it until I am 40 and start having mammograms (assuming self exams/doctor exams don't turn up anything in the interim). lyn* on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1111356 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:23:12 +0000 lyn* 1111356@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ It's important to consider if you do the mammogram too early, younger women have breast tissue that is "denser" and if there is suspicion, a biopsy + ultrasound is usually the way they go, because the mammogram doesn't give them additional information. As for self-examination, by all means talk to your docs, but we don't teach them to patients anymore. The rate of detection, false-positive, resulting treatment etc. was found not to change outcomes. Echo on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1111162 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 21:02:30 +0000 Echo 1111162@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm in the US, and my health insurance will cover what my dr. recommends. My dr. is willing to schedule one anytime I wish, although she doesn't suggest them until age 50 unless there is a family history. I had one this year, just to get a baseline and to be sure. Things went fine (I am 43) and I won't have another until 50. ironkurtin on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1111159 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 20:58:32 +0000 ironkurtin 1111159@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I do as many preventative procedures as I can. Generally I opt for insurance policies that cover them, and pay for them when my plan does not. Von on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1111131 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 20:03:16 +0000 Von 1111131@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Not yet, but I tell you...I've been counting down since my early twenties to the age where insurance pays for yearly mamograms (35).  I need to know what's in there, and I'm not reassured by the feely test during the yearly exam. So, I finally make it to 35, and guess what -- they pushed back the age to 40 something and say "not every year".  Sooo the wait continues.  I have no family history, no markers or anything besides the curiosity to see that everything is OK in there. I really wish doctors would do a baseline mammo either late 20s or early 30s to have on file and for peace of mind for those not required to have one for another 15-20 years.  Nebraskim on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1111100 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 19:41:01 +0000 Nebraskim 1111100@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Friend who went in for a mammogram this year (she had a DCIS a couple years ago and opted for a mastectomy on that side, so she is a little more diligent) was laughing about a new thing here where they stick a metal marker on your nipple now so the radiologist can better judge what she/he is looking at. It was like a metal bandaid pastie and it had like a ball bearing at the center. I guess this is the new thing here. And yes, I fret a bit more about cancers that are harder to detect, such as ovarian and pancreatic, and have few treatment options. kkards on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1111000 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 18:12:17 +0000 kkards 1111000@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ just turned 50 and i will have my 1st one this year. i am of the opinion that there is to much practice and not enough science in a lot of medicine, and frankly, i don't want to be the one they practice on. the current recommendation in the US is to start at 50, so that i what i am doing. i should add that i have a younger sister who has been getting them every year since she turned 40 and has been getting call backs every year becuase of her breast density, but in between the call and the retests, its stress stress stress....which, of course, is a factor in developing many diseases (including cancer). as janet mentioned, for people with a history, they should be able to do this test togehter, but that's not how it works. my mom had breast cancer last year (at age 77), and was tested for the known BC gene, which she does not have. Janet on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110968 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 17:46:20 +0000 Janet 1110968@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Mo, I had one last year that hurt! This year I had the best tech ever -- she needs to give lessons to everyone who administers mammograms. Especially those side views, like Kim mentions. I think I'm a little tricky to place correctly because I have a smallish ribcage but largish breasts, and if they don't get the position right the first time, it is a total PITA to reposition again and again, resmashing my breast every time.  Don't let that scare you away. It's uncomfortable but it doesn't last long.  Kim on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110951 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 17:29:46 +0000 Kim 1110951@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Mo, I'm small chested too, and it doesn't hurt me, but it can make me pretty uncomfortable (the side view especially, and the recall ones that zero in on a specific area make me want to hold my breath...)  The technician I had yesterday said that some women's breasts are just more sensitive than others and the mammo hurts them more than mine did me.  (What else you gonna talk about to the woman who has your boob locked in a vice?? LOL) So mine are small, and dense and tough...Somewhat like me! LOL Mo on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110935 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 17:06:07 +0000 Mo 1110935@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I got one at 38, and have not had one since.  I use public health since I'm unemployed/underemployed most the time.  I had a rx for one last year and admit to not going.  Here in FL the nurse practitioner admitted she thinks they should skip mammograms all together and go straight to the ultrasound xrays.  That's always the next step from a suspicious mammogram anyway.  And I don't know about you well endowed girls, but for my small chest - it Hurts!  And not minor discomfort.  Pain.  I've had cervical biopsies that didn't hurt as bad with the whole hole punch gizmo thingy.  Seriously. Janet on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110907 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 16:18:13 +0000 Janet 1110907@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Nebraskim, I hear you about that last bit. I lost both parents to heart disease, even though my mom was vigilant about eating right. I also worry about lesser-publicized but more deadly cancers like ovarian and cervical cancer. I think those are often overlooked in the US because breast cancer has been so highly publicized in recent years. They're so hard to detect until they are advanced, and there is little screening for ovarian cancer that I know of.  Nebraskim on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110856 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 15:50:58 +0000 Nebraskim 1110856@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I had my first at 35 (I'm now 58) because my mother had BC at age 41 in 1971. For a while, I had a yearly mammogram, but I got lazy and kind of slacked off to every other year, and now I've not had one for three years. But I've also not visited a doctor in three years because I am not sick. In my state, a law requires insurance to pay for screening mammograms. In my mother's case, in 1971 she underwent the at-the-time standard treatment of a full-radical mastectomy, meaning not only breast tissue, but also all the nodes and underlying muscles. It was terrible for her. But she did not need any other treatment. Three years ago, at age 80, a routine mammogram found two spots in her other breast. One was DCIS that was excised during the biopsy, the other was a very small nearby invasive. She opted to have that breast removed as well. This surgery was much less intense and radical. She also did not have to do any adjuvant treatment like chemo or radiation as the oncologist said the science for treating such small cancers in older women was not supportive of more aggressive  treatment. She is doing well now. The upshot of course is that I should be more diligent, but in reality, I'm not. I guess I figure if I got past 41, I was kind of home free. Yeah, I know that is wrong, but I do think there is evidence of over-aggressive treatment. I worry far more about heart disease than cancer. Kim on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110835 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 15:31:45 +0000 Kim 1110835@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Funny, I just finished a re-call on a mammogram yesterday! LOL  I have had mammograms done yearly or bi yearly (depending on how lazy I am about it) since I was 40, I"m 52 now.   I'm in Canada, with no family history, but my doctor wanted a baseline mammo for future reference, so that's what I've done.  It's fully covered by our health system.  That includes the recall I just did which was another bunch of pics on one breast, and an ultrasound because they saw "something" on my mammogram from 2 weeks ago.   Like Janet I have dense and fibrous tissue and am prone to cysts in the breast.  That's what it was and all is well now, but even after doing a few re-calls, (I think this is my 3rd) it still gives you pause when you get the call to come back in... So, as I told my hubby, they may be small, but they are tricksy!  milehighstyle (Linda) on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110833 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 15:31:32 +0000 milehighstyle (Linda) 1110833@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm 46, in the US, and have been having them annually since age 40.  No family history, but preventative screenings are free with my employer's insurance plan.  Good timing for this post - my reminder to make an appointment is on my desk.  cinnamon fern on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110783 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 14:57:25 +0000 cinnamon fern 1110783@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm 41 and have had four mammograms (I do have a family history and started before 40 on my doctor's recommendation).  One was normal, three led to re-screening, two of those led to biopsies.  All OK in the end - in each case I was told I have really dense breast tissue and to come back in six months. I do wonder if this is unreasonably aggressive. Anonymous on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110751 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 14:35:50 +0000 Anonymous 1110751@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I started getting annual mammograms at age 40, even though I have no family history of breast cancer. Suz on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110721 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 14:00:55 +0000 Suz 1110721@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I do have a family history so I began mine early, before the age of 50, and I get one every two years, plus some re-takes for checking. Luckily, in Canada this is covered by our health insurance, but I would do it regardless. Especially because I am not assiduous about self-examination.  Anonymous on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110717 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 13:55:01 +0000 Anonymous 1110717@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm 48.  I've been having them yearly since the age of 40.  I have no family history.  I've researched all the pros and cons and discussed it with my doctor, and this is the right choice for me. Janet on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110696 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 13:20:33 +0000 Janet 1110696@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In the US, doctors typically recommend yearly mammograms after age 40, but I know there has been talk to raising that age or making the screenings less frequent. I had my first at 41, prompted by the fact that I had become close with several women who were quite young but breast cancer survivors. Unfortunately, I get called back every year for a follow-up ultrasound -- I have dense tissue and am prone to cysts. Stresses me out every year. One year I actually got my ob/gyn to order both types of screening from the start, but insurance may balk at paying for it that way. My insurance covers yearly screenings and followups, and I believe most insurance plans here cover at least biannual screenings. My mom never had a manmogram until she was 70! There is no history in my family that I'm aware of, but I know too many people who have had breast cancer to take it lightly. Deborah on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110628 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 09:55:01 +0000 Deborah 1110628@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In Australia, mammograms and ultrasounds are free for women 50 and over. I am booked in for my first next Tuesday and because I am under 50 it will cost me $235 (AUD) but I will receive 155 back from our Medicare system. I have no family history but our doctors seem to be very aware, and the general feeling that it is better to do this and find nothing than leave it. Given the number of women being diagnosed with breast cancer much younger than 50, I do question why it is not made available at no cost for all women. We have so e very prominent media campaigns here also designed to raise awareness. To answer your question, just before Christmas isn't the best time financially to have this done, but I would rather skimp on other things than health care. We do also have private health insurance. We try to ensure that we are on a position where finance is not part of our decision making process with things like this. DizzyLizzy on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110616 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 08:37:02 +0000 DizzyLizzy 1110616@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In New Zealand women aged 45-69 are eligible for free mammograms every 2 years. With a very strong history of cancer in my family spanning 3 generations I never miss my appointment. Two friends have recently been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer as a direct result of their bi-annual mammogram. Although devastating news, thankfully it was caught in the early stages for both if them before it spread to the lymph nodes. I personally would still have them every two years even if it wasn't publicly funded. I would rather spend money on my health and wellbeing now than on healthcare later. lyn* on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110573 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 05:37:29 +0000 lyn* 1110573@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In Canada, for people who do not have family history, it's every two years past the age of 50 - 70. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.cancer.ca/en/prevention-and-screening/early-detection-and-screening/screening/screening-for-breast-cancer/?region=bc">http://www.cancer.ca/en/preven.....creening-f</a> minimalist on "do you mammogram?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/do-you-mammogram#post-1110572 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 05:33:43 +0000 minimalist 1110572@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ If so, starting at what age and how often? I did, years ago, but haven't since. Zero history on either side of my biological family, and it was a hassle to convince the doctor to order it. So I hadn't thought about another round. Saw my (adoptive) mother die of breast cancer, so you'd think I'd be more concerned about myself in this area. I'm open to being educated. How is mammogram funding handled in countries (or U.S. states) with public health care? And how does that influence your own choices?