Breast Exams and Mammograms

[Jennie]

Hi everyone, I was just wanting to get your experience with this subject.  How long after starting HRT should I start breast exams and when should I think of mammograms, have any of you had them before, how long were you on HRT before you had a mammogram.
Thanks for any information and aloha.

Jennie

[AbraCadabra]

Do self examinations regularly! - AND STAY AWAY FROM X-RAY MAMMAOGRAMS!

Unless you want to find out all about "false positives" - and "false negatives"... and have your breasts quashed for some "just in case" medical money making.

You want to ask about PAP-smears also? Same as above – most is STILL inconclusive to this day and age - acc. to my understanding.

Stay away!

Axélle

[kelly_aus]

Do self examinations regularly! - AND STAY AWAY FROM X-RAY MAMMAOGRAMS!

Unless you want to find out all about "false positives" - and "false negatives"... and have your breasts quashed for some "just in case" medical money making.

You want to ask about PAP-smears also? Same as above – most is STILL inconclusive to this day and age - acc. to my understanding.

Stay away!

Axélle

Wow, way to go with the doctor-bashing.. Both tests catch far more than they miss..

Back OT, my gyno suggested that I start doing self-exams on my breasts as soon as I noticed any growth, I do it about once a month..

[Beyond]

Hi everyone, I was just wanting to get your experience with this subject.  How long after starting HRT should I start breast exams and when should I think of mammograms, have any of you had them before, how long were you on HRT before you had a mammogram.

Different people say different things.  For our population my belief is you should go by how long you've been on hormones, not by age.  Unlike other women we have not had  elevated levels of estrogen since puberty.  They sometimes have decades more exposure than we do.  Thus I waited until I had been on estrogen 8 years (age 50) before I got my first mammogram last week.  I wanted to be sure I got as much growth done before exposing my breasts to x-ray.  I was nervous, but the technologist was great, she talked me through the whole process.  Besides being my first time I was worried about how difficult it would be because of my implants (not as bad as I feared) and because she knew my history (we work for the same hospital).  But like I said it all went very well.

As Kelly said you should do regular self-checks regularly.

[Steffi]

I'm in the UK.
As I'm on my Dr's books as female and am over 50, I get sent a scan appointment every 2 years automatically.
.....and yes, it's the breast-squeezer gadget.

[Shantel]

Do self examinations regularly! - AND STAY AWAY FROM X-RAY MAMMAOGRAMS!
Unless you want to find out all about "false positives" - and "false negatives"... and have your breasts quashed for some "just in case" medical money making.
You want to ask about PAP-smears also? Same as above – most is STILL inconclusive to this day and age - acc. to my understanding.
Stay away!

Axélle

Wow, the voice of common sense! My GG spouse will agree 100%. She became tired of the ho-hum attitudes of technicians as they crushed her very lovely boobs into pancakes and then X-rayed them time and again. She concluded that if anyone was going to get cancer and or a great set of "Cooper's Droopers" it would surely be a result of the smashing and irradiating. Her view is that breast cancer has become big business just like tonsillectomies once was, only there's a lot more money in boobs due to follow-up reconstruction. She has her money on the thought that a lot of radical mastectomies were unnecessary in the first place. I think she may be right!

[Joelene9]

  I was told by my Dr. to do the monthly self exams from then on. 
  Joelene.   

[Re: Joyce]

My Gynecologist told me to get one and I did.   She told me to do regular self examinations and I do.

      It wasn't all that bad, anyway.   The technician was great, the squeezing wasn't that hard and it was not terribly uncomfortable after all.

      So, my Gynecologist told me a year later to get another one and I did.

      I love my Dr.   She is extremely good and she has my best interest at heart. 

      I love myself, I take great care of myself and I do the things that promote my health.

      I can't imagine doing anything else....