mammograms, MRIs, thermography, ultra sound?

The third one was tapazole. (spelling)

IMO, there are pros and cons to EVERY screening method.  None of them are ideal.  Mammograms have radiation, can hurt, and often aren't helpful for women with dense breasts.  MRIs have contrast dye and a high false positive rate, and often aren't covered by insurance.  Ultrasounds usually are only helpful once an area of concern has already been identified, and don't accurately scan the entire breast.  Thermograms are often expensive and not covered by insurance, and there are not enough people who are qualified to interpret them.

That being said, I'm 32 and already had 33 radiation treatments last year, and am scared of being radiated even more... so I requested annual MRIs instead of mammograms, and my awesome surgeon agreed, and got my insurance company to agree to it as well.  I'm not thrilled about the dye, but I think my kidneys are strong enough to handle it.  And as for the risk of false positives, it's a risk I accept - if the MRI finds something, I may have to have a follow-up mammo or u/s or even a biopsy, but to me, this is still better than having annual mammos.

I'm also getting some thermograms at a multidisciplinary, holistic health clinic.  I got a thermogram before radiation, during radiation, and a month after radiation, so we could see the changes... that was fascinating.  (They comped the last 2 thermograms, because this is an educational experience for staff as well).  Then someone there learned that the effects of radiation may last up to a year, so now they want to give me another free thermogram one year from radiation.  I'm glad to be having these thermograms and to be helping the staff learn more about thermography, but I would not use this as my only screening method.

Cameo -- the Bushes' dog Millie was also dx'd with Graves at around the same time.  Co-incidence?

Man, I should not rely on my memory.  It wasn't Olympian Jackie Joyner Kersee but Olympian Yolanda Gail Devers and she almost lost her foot because she wanted to run in 2000 without being banned for the drugs she would have to take.  sheesh.  Sorry Ladies. It's just conversation.

So much for thermograms...

 http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-fda-warns-mercola-20110425,0,5051049,full.story

Two points that jump out at me in the article:

* The American Cancer Society states that "no study has ever shown that it is an effective screening tool for finding breast cancer early. It should not be used as a substitute for mammograms."

* The American Medical Association's position statement on thermography concludes that "the use of thermography for diagnostic purposes cannot be recommended at this time" because of lack of evidence proving its effectiveness. 

Interestingly though, I was just in the hospital for a skin infection and one of the ways the doctor diagnosed it was by noting that the area was hot. Then again... she didn't need a fancy, expensive machine to figure that out, she used her hand!

Forget about the White House and Graves disease.  The Bushes lived in a neighborhood here in DC called Spring Valley, which, during WWI and before it was developed, was where chemical weapons were tested and buried.  The entire neighborhood has been toxic for years but it only came out about 5 to 10 years ago.  The Army Corps of Engineers is supposedly cleaning it up.  the Bushes were in the White House before all these revelations, But when it all came out, that was the understood link.

Thermograms are done at our center and there is no charge for going over the report with the patient.  We are happy to speak with you regarding your report if you have any questions.

Thank you

Integrative Wellness Center

916-784-9355