Xray machines at airports

jessica13

Hi there-

This isn't related to radiation per se, but had a weird experience at the airport today. It was my first time flying domestic at an airport with a machine where you step in and put your hands up (not the one that blows air but the one that does a view of your body). I was sent over to a woman TSA agent who patted down only my breast area and asked me what I have inside. 

I was caught off guard but traveling with lymphedema garments on so I assumed she meant the bulge from my jovipak, but then I later thought they probably saw the clips left inside after surgery to mark the tumor location.

Has anyone else experienced this? It was a bit unnerving and if they will always see the clips I would rather be prepared, as I find it intrusive and humiliating to have to explain what they are, especially since I travel frequently with colleagues who don't know.

Thanks!

AmyQ

These machines do not see inside your body so it wasn't the clips they were looking at.  The machine alerts TSA to any anomaly to the gumby-type image projected on the screen.  It could have been lint, it could have been anything.  Don't fret too much.  PS I hate these damn machines and because I have Pre-check I am able to avoid them and enter the walk-thru-metal detector. 

jessica13

Thanks ladies, I guess at least I can be thankful it didn't pick up the wigband!

Susie123

Hi Jessica, 

I'm 4 years out now and have flown several times. I always set the thing off, be it the full body scan at the larger airports or just the walk through metal detectors at the smaller airports. They always wand me, and then pat down the area that sets off the handheld wand, which is always the right breast area. I had a BMX with reconstruction, but cancer only in the right breast so something must have been placed in there during surgery. 

As soon as they start to wand me I always quietly say to them, breast cancer, mastectomy and reconstruction. You'll find it in my right breast area, must be a clip in there. The machine goes off where I've told them, they pat the area with the back of their hands and we're done. Only female TSA agents will pat you down, if you start with a male he will call for a female. 

If you don't want your colleagues to know, you might want to meet them at the gate as this happens to me every time at every airport. 

Edited to add that I never have lymphedema garments of any kind.

exbrnxgrl

I have had a bmx and recon and have a port. Regardless of where I'm flying from, including airports outside the US, I have never been stopped to be wanded or patted down. I think the jovipak might have been what created the need for a closer look.

Susie123

I don't even know what a jovipak is, so that's def not my issue, and I always set it off. Tiny airports like Jackson Hole and Hawaii or large ones like Atlanta or LAX. It is something inside my breast area for sure because the wand always alarms there. Did they wand you first or just pat you down? If they wanded you first, and the wand alarmed it's probably something inside you. If they skipped the hand wand and went directly to pat down, it was the bulge. I'm getting ready to fly again soon and have just accepted the airport feel up as part of the post bc me. But the post bc me also has occasion to go through airport security a lot more often now due to bc, taking all those "someday" trips. 

Avrenim156513

Has anyone used the Micro-Bead Lightweight Breast Form sold by TLC?  It is not supposed to set off airport security alarms.  I wondered if anyone in the forums have actually used it.  I am traveling this week for the first time after a mastectomy and I bought it expecting to avoid problems.  Thanks.

AKJ

I've had biopsy clips for years before my mastectomy, flown a lot, and never set off any alarms in any airport. I was told that the clips don't do that.

ej01

I had a similar experience a couple of years ago,  2 weeks after my lumpectomy.  I don't think it is the markers....I think it is something about the way I was healing from the surgery.  The machine saw something at the exact spot as my surgery.  I told my surgeon and she said she could drain it, but i did not think it was necessary.  It has not happened since so I doubt it was the clips that caused it.  It will be interesting to see if I get stopped again this weekend...i just had an excisional biopsy Monday.  (I have also been stopped by that machine because my jeans were damp one time...it was raining outside that day...it sounds like the machines are just a bit too sensitive)

dahlberg5

I traveled from Las Vegas to Denver today. I went through the body scan and was taken aside for a pat down of my breasts. I explained I had bilateral lumpectomies three weeks ago and had a number of clips. They still patted down. Just doing their job but it was somewhat humiliating

Moderators

Oh, Dahlberg, we're so sorry you had to experience that. Yes, it's their job, but it's still not something anyone should have to endure. We hope your travel was otherwise uneventful!

The Mods

Meow13

Yes I had to be patted down too. Feels ridiculous everyone watching.

ksusan

You have the option to ask for a more private pat-down.

Some aspect of my left abdomen, where I've never had an injury or surgery, is what sets off the alarms.

Meow13

ksusan, if it is not offered I'm sure I would be perceived as a "problem".

Anonymous

I've had to be patted down a few times. With the compression sleeve, I've had the fun of being tested for residue and showing where the sleeve starts. I've learned to wear a tank top with a sweater.

Perhaps I just look suspicious in general. I remember getting patted down before cancer. The agent pressed a little bulge on my jeans asking what it was. I pressed the spot and told her it was my hip bone. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

ksusan

Meow, I'm not sure what you mean. I've asked for private pat downs because one of my underarms is still very sensitive. I haven't notice this being treated as a problem--I say, "Because of surgeries, I have some areas of my body that are vulnerable. Is it possible to have a private pat down?" They've been very respectful and seem to have appreciated me alerting them beforehand.

exbrnxgrl

I have also requested private pat downs with no issue at all. It’s actually a fairly common request, for a multitude of reasons.

Sjacobs146

I highly recommend getting a known traveler number if you fly frequently. Much less hassle. You don't have to remove your shoes, take out your electronics and liquids, and they use metal detector, not body scanner

Anonymous

Sjacobs - That's on the to-do list. Just need to find that list.

Salamandra

SerenitySTAT - ha! I feel like I need a breast cancer+ADHD club. So far, the heightened intensity and adrenaline surrounding everything (just diagnosed in September) seem to have helped me with taking care of cancer related stuff. But the rest... my executive functioning is holding on by a thread, and that's with the ritalin...

I see you are in Montreal! If you travel to the states a lot, NEXUS is great. I had years of going back and forth every couple of months and whether by air or car, it made everything much easier. It's cheaper than the other options, lasts a bit longer, and you can take care of everything at Dorval.

Meow13

ksusan, I said exactly what I mean. They don't offer the options, they are busy trying to move people through. To stop take you some where else is going to distrupt the routine leading to annoyance. If it were simply done then they would offer it asking for it makes you a target as a "problem". Besides I wouldn't want to leave my pocketbook and carry on items behind. Hope this is clear enough for you.

Meow13

sjabobs, you are right, I always have the pre tsa check but even so there are random pull out of lines. This has happened to me twice. I had to step into the body scanner then be pat down. I must say I told one tsa lady I had breast cancer and extensive reconstruction surgery she was very sympathic and nice to me. She did tell me nothing actually set the machine off they randomly pick people out.

ksusan

It was a genuine question.