Breast Screening

[Maid In Bedlam]

I have not had one as yet But today i got a letter. I am invited to a Mammogram later in the month. Its standard over here and done every few years.

 

I just wondering does anyone have  expreiance? Ive heard storys about its quite uncomftable even borderline painful.

 

The girls at work dread them. It will be my first since my transition. Im a B cup so there is something to actually test

 

Ive had letters for  my smear before but never for this.

 

Your expreiances if you please.

[VickySGV]

The first response to this may be the worst,. but here goes!!  I had my first Mammogram three months after my GCS when my gender change to female hit the system in my HMO.  The specific machine at my HMO was not really painful as such, and my X-ray  tech was friendly and not bothered by my Trans Status but she had read the caution I needed if I suspected I was  pregnant before it hit her I was too old and did not have uterus, at which  point we both giggled.  The positioning plates I was told did have a sensor to keep them from being too tight and they were only somewhat uncomfortable.  My X-rays went directly to the duty Radiologist that day, and I was told to wait in the changing room while they looked things over.  My X-rays did however show a suspicious mass in my right boob, and I was told to keep my gown on and was escorted to ultra-sound imaging where the picked up a better picture of the mass.  Standing orders at that point were to have a surgeon come in two days later and do  what is called an Ultra Sound Guided Needle Biopsy. 

 

Needless to say, I was pretty scared by it and was thinking I am goint to lose my breast 4 months after my GCS.  It was scary.  The Biopsy was not as bad as the mammogram really.  While I was back in the Ultra Sound room, a local anesthetic was injected near my nipple, a very small incision made the skin, an ultra sound hand piece was placed near the incision and the MD guided the needle which had a device in it that sampled the tissue take three small pieces of the suspicious tissue onto microscope slides for lab review.  They left a small grain of metal at the sample site to mark it for future X-rays, and pulled the needle out and put a band aid on the hole.  They took me over to another X-ray machine to check placement of the chip and told me they would be back to me on the sample results in about 72 hours. No showers for 24 hours but no other precautions on the surgical site.

When they got back to me a little sooner than 72 hours the tissue turned out to be just a benign fibrous tissue that I did not need to worry about.  Yes I had been worried badly,, but what a relief.  Since then I have had two more Mammograms, more nuisance than pain, and they do show my little memento of the first one and all three 'grams show that I have DENSE breast tissue which is about 40% of women in general, and maybe a little higher in Trans women. 
 

What a damned adventure. 

[Charlize]

Thanks for sharing that Vicky.  I've got a script for a mammogram and it's about time i use it.

 

Hugs( gently)

 

Charlize

[Jani]

I've heard there is a new digital technology that doesn't need to squish as much to get a good reading, much less painful.  Hopefully more screening centers will be updated.

 

 

[Maid In Bedlam]

Thanks Vicky for your Explanation and experiance. I am glad your scare turned out to be something less serious.

 

just Uncomftable I think i can handle. Im still a little sensitive at times and still get those growing pains once in a while. I hope when i do have it done it will not be one of those times.

 

I will try to look forwald to my adventure. Hoepfully without any problems

[VickySGV]

18 hours ago, Jani said:

I've heard there is a new digital technology that doesn't need to squish as much to get a good reading, much less painful.

 

The last machine they used on me (time # 3) actually was taking a 3D picture of the tissue using digital technology and I only needed two light squishes per boob.   I will be going back in March of next year for # 4 and as long as the find my marker in the right place, all will be good.

[Carolyn Marie]

My experiences have been much like Vicky's but without the scary false-positive result.  Some techs and/or machines are more uncomfortable than others (I think a lot of it is the technique and caring of the tech) but none of my 3-4 times have been what I would call painful.

 

The overall experience I find to be very interesting.  I was concerned about the medical history at first and outing myself to the tech, so I made up answers about pregnancies and menopause, etc.  But then I figured, what the hell, and just told them i was trans.  That eliminated the lying and none of the techs ever made an issue of it.  I also like asking the tech to let me see the scanned image of my breasts.  I just think that is just so fascinating.  But they won't give you any diagnostic info - that's all for the radiologist, of course.

 

Have "fun!"

 

Carolyn Marie

[VickySGV]

Just now, Carolyn Marie said:

without the scary false-positive result. 

 

It was not a "false positive" really. The intrusive tissue was there, still is there, and as long as it is unchanged for another 5 years when they will quit doing the Biennial "gram because of my age.  If I was younger I could have had it fully removed as an option and I do still have the option but it will not improve my life.*  I had the wonderful experience last year of meeting Dr. Susan Love MD, who published The Breast Book about 25 years ago, but which is readable for lay persons and is used still as a text book in some medical schools.   My pastor is a friend of Susan and her Wife, and Dr. Love was interested in ,my experiences as Trans woman with breast care.  She told me I made a good call on not opting for the removal of the tissue since at my age it might leave a noticeable "dent".  Unexpected, but a wonderful affirmation.  Dr. Love's wife is an RN at the Los Angeles LGBT Center's health care clinic, just for name dropping sake.

 

*Other Trans women I know who are younger, and young cis women I also know did have similar stuff taken out.