In 1993 I was being trained in the field of Mammography, by
the U.S. Air Force. I really did not want to do
Mammography. I was young and silly, I thought it
would be very odd to handle other women's breasts, even
though it was a medical test. I became
increasingly aware of the importance of getting a Mammogram.
I happened to think about it while having a conversation
with my 67 year old Grandmother.
I asked if she had ever had a Mammogram, her reply was,
"NO, nothing hurts so why bother?" I told
her that not all cancer hurts, and not all medical
conditions have symptoms such as pain. She agreed to
get a Mammogram. Two weeks after her test, she had a
double mastectomy. The Doctor told her that had she
waited another six months they would not have been able to
do anything for her.
My grandmother was very lucky. She is 76 years old
now and is doing great. She had a hard time adjusting
to the scars and the fact of not having breasts, as she was
well endowed, but she's glad she's alive and escaped with
only losing the breasts. She gets regular checkups and
will probably outlive us all, she's got grit!
I tell women all the time about Mammography testing.
It's amazing that so many women out there are worried about
the discomfort of the test and therefore don't get the test
done. A few minutes of discomfort is a lot better than
losing your breast to cancer, and possibly having metastases
to other parts of the body.
I thank God that I was put in a position to do Mammography,
otherwise my Grandma would not be here now. I feel
someone was looking out for us when given that opportunity.
I am much wiser now and don't think a thing about performing
the test on patients. I had gotten on a first name
basis with many of the women and they come back every year.
When I was separating from the Military, many of
those patients told me how sad they would be. It was
very touching, and I miss the interaction I had with them.
I am currently a Cat Scan Technician, but hope to soon be
able to do both positions. I urge all women to do
self breast exams monthly, and get yearly checkups and
Mammograms.
Thanks
for sending your story. Someone was definitely looking
out for your grandmother. I am a firm believer that
everything in life happens for a reason. Six
years ago, at age 32, I had a tender area on my left breast.
I was too young for routine mammograms and I didn't do
regular breast self-exams, but when this tenderness
persisted for a couple of months, I examined myself and
found a lump. It turned out to be invasive ductal
carcinoma. Thank God my breast cancer was painful, or
who knows when I would have found it! I had a left
mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and
reconstruction and all has been clear.
