One year post treatment mammogram...

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Lynette
Lynette Member Posts: 167
edited June 2014 in IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)

I'm going for my one year post treatment mammogram and I'm petrified. As the day draws closer, all of the old feelings of the initial discovery are coming back with a vengeance. I'm always feeling paranoid about every pain and symptom thinking it's spread somehow. I had a lumpectomy, chemo and rads (between June 2008 and April 2009) and am now on Tamoxifen. How do I stay calm and what if I have another lump?

Thank you,

Lynette 

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  • Ainm
    Ainm Member Posts: 781
    edited April 2010

    I know how you feel - I was the same going for my first post tx mammo in January, but everything worked out fine. Try to relax and I wish you all the best.

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  • Leah_S
    Leah_S Member Posts: 8,458
    edited April 2010

    I think everyone goes through something like this, expecially the first post-treatment mammo. I know I was a basket case - I was crying during the mammo, and the tech was so sweet and sympathetic. I don't know how I would have gotten through it with someone with a different personality.

    Best of luck.

    Leah

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  • LeggyJ
    LeggyJ Member Posts: 726
    edited April 2010

    I don't know if it gets any better, either.  I'm going for my second one after treatment.  The first was 6 months after rads. and now it's been a year since that one. The first one I was more worried about the pain, but I got through it OK, then afterwards it was the wait.  Now, I'm a bit more worried about the results than the pain.  I know the first three years are the worst, and I keep feeling lumps and bumps, in my good breast. 

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  • Mouser
    Mouser Member Posts: 245
    edited April 2010

    Hi Lynette --

    When i finished rads, my radiologist warned me that post-rads mammo often have artifacts, both because of surgery and because of changes due to rads. After the 1st one, they'll know they are artifacts, because they won't change -- but on the 1st one, they won't.  So -- don't panic even if you are called for a retake!

    He also recommended that i take ibuprofen (or something like) ahead of time if i'm worried about pain. Not sure if he expected it to be worse than before, but i took his advice anyway, and it wasn't worse than usual.

    It does become something you've gotten through ....

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  • LeggyJ
    LeggyJ Member Posts: 726
    edited April 2010

    Yeah, I took a vicodin before my mammo, and they had the new digital machine.  I have a really high tolerance for pain meds. and low one for pain and didn't want to scream bloody murder.  My bad boob still hurts,  not nearly as bad as it did one year ago, but I'm going to take a pain pill again.

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