I never had a mammogram but I am thinking about it because since spring I had this pain in the left breast and it's just very annoying. Some days it would be throbbing; would get worse if I had bad thoughts, some days when I wasn't even stressed out (I would meditate to make sure I was in peace) but it would literally last the entire day. The specific location of pain is right under the breast if I were to lift it. I am so disgusted to even touch it so that's why I was looking for what to expect in mammography and I couldn't even watch the Youtube video...because I know in my situation I would be humiliated! I wish it was like an xray with a gown on. And I did have a chest xray but it showed normal.
I don't know what other procedures there are to determine the cause of the pain.


By the way, I still don't know when I will ever have top surgery and with whom for that matter but from those who had them done, did you guys have to do other tests prior the surgery like  specific blood tests to make sure you were healthy? 

How old are you? Your age would affect what test to get done. Mammograms are good for people over 35. They are still useable for us young folk but because of the way our tissue is, sonograms are usually more effective. I was having pain issues a couple years ago and got a mammogram. Because of my age, they are did a sonogram too. Interestingly, the mammo showed 3 "spots" while the ultrasound only showed 2. I had two removed and that pretty much ended the pain. If I remember correctly, they were just little cysts. Common stuff.

Thank you for your reply. So the sonograms are like ultrasound?  I just know that something is in there.

Did you have to undress yourself completely or could you still have a gown on during the sonogram?

Sonogram is the medical term for ultrasound.

You keep your pants on but are given a gown that opens in the front. They will only expose as much as is needed.

I get an occasional throbbing that is above the nipple. It is still there post op so now I believe it has always been in the muscle and not the tissue. Pathology came back negative. Might not be the case for you but your not alone in the throbbing, it's annoying.

I went to Garramone.  He required blood work and "medical clearance", which meant my PCP listening to my lungs, essentially.

I had to get a mammogram because I was over 35.  Otherwise, he doesn't require it.  It was my first and my last!

I was reading about lumps and breast pain. It said that if you have a lump, but no pain, then be concerned. If you have a lump and have pain, then it is usually not serious, as a cyst, etc. My doctor ordered a mammogram for me around a year or so ago and it turned out fine. Easy procedure, nipples were covered with "shields."

I had to get a mammogram before top surgery because my surgeon requested it. But I was in my mid-forties, so my GP had been pressing me to get one anyway. (Little pun there.)

It was kind of horrible, but I was greatly relieved when it was over because I knew I would never have to go through it again.

Or so I thought. And then I received the results: I had some suspicious findings on one side, so I had to have a screening mammogram and an ultrasound. As far as I know, these and a clinical breast exam are the main diagnostic tools unless you actually have a lump or cyst or something else that is obviously suspicious. But I'm not a doctor; your best bet is to discuss your concerns with a physician you trust.

The practitioners expose you as little as possible, but they do touch you there. If you have to have such procedures and don't think you can get through them gracefully, ask about a sedative.

I also had a presurgical physical exam that involved heart, lungs, urinalysis, blood work, and so forth. I had to be partly exposed while he used the stethoscope, and he did briefly make contact there, but I dealt with it. He knew what the surgery was for, so maybe he was extra careful not to freak me out. I did not need a GYN visit to get top surgery.

I only had an ultrasound, not a mammogram, so I don't know what to say about it and what to expect.  But my pre-op requirements were breast ultrasounds and blood work (CBC, liver function, coag, etc.).

The ultrasound wasn't pleasant, and it found a lot of suspicious tissue (probably fibroadenomas).  My understanding is that mammograms are better in looking for cancerous tissue by highlighting the vascularity of potential tumors.

Quote from: makipu on December 28, 2014, 02:35:52 PM
I never had a mammogram but I am thinking about it because since spring I had this pain in the left breast and it's just very annoying. Some days it would be throbbing; would get worse if I had bad thoughts, some days when I wasn't even stressed out (I would meditate to make sure I was in peace) but it would literally last the entire day. The specific location of pain is right under the breast if I were to lift it. I am so disgusted to even touch it so that's why I was looking for what to expect in mammography and I couldn't even watch the Youtube video...because I know in my situation I would be humiliated! I wish it was like an xray with a gown on. And I did have a chest xray but it showed normal.
I don't know what other procedures there are to determine the cause of the pain.


By the way, I still don't know when I will ever have top surgery and with whom for that matter but from those who had them done, did you guys have to do other tests prior the surgery like  specific blood tests to make sure you were healthy?

I just thought of something you didn't mention.  Did your doctor recommend the mammogram, or is this something you are just wondering about?

No, the doc didn't mention a mammogram. I was just thinking of procedures that can be done but I didn't think of an ultrasound. The doc still thinks that it could could either be from stress, fibromyalgia, heartburn but I know that something is up because it happens without a pattern. I always take notes with my body suffering. When she checked them by touching them months ago she didn't feel anything abnormal but I think I am going to go with ultrasound.

It's always hard for me to figure out how to describe (or understand other's descriptions of their own) pains... so if I completely misread your description, I apologize!  But the location of the pain made me think it may be similar to what I am experiencing.  The pain, for me, is caused by binding.  Basically, the binding is causing one of my ribs to shift, causing the pain.  It is the rib a few ribs north of where the binder strap (standard bra-length) tightens.  Between visits to the chiropractor, it can bother me all day.  Sadly, I will continue to aggravate it until top surgery, so all I can do is manage the pain and get massages and chiropractic adjustments to keep it in check.

When I first noticed this particular pain, I also thought it was from binding but I don't think this is the case unless my ribs got triggered just now after all the years of binding because I didn't do anything different.
I have the Underworks 997 model and I actually tested this by NOT binding (with mostly staying in my room as a shutin) for about 1-2 weeks and it still did happened at random times. It's really frustrating. I still get confused whether it's even the breast or the chest! Is there a way to tell this to make sure?

Quote from: makipu on December 30, 2014, 10:14:29 AM
No, the doc didn't mention a mammogram. I was just thinking of procedures that can be done but I didn't think of an ultrasound. The doc still thinks that it could could either be from stress, fibromyalgia, heartburn but I know that something is up because it happens without a pattern. I always take notes with my body suffering. When she checked them by touching them months ago she didn't feel anything abnormal but I think I am going to go with ultrasound.

Hey, makipu.  I admit I asked because you seem to do a lot of self diagnosis and don't seem to trust health professionals all that much.  So, the doc felt nothing, and an x-ray showed nothing?  That is how she came up with the stress/fibro/heartburn diagnosis?  Just wanting to clarify. 

I think that you would have a hard time getting insurance to pay for an ultrasound (or would even be able to get someone to do it), unless your physician orders it.

Sorry you are having to deal with this.  Do you smoke?  I would get weird pain like that when I smoked.