How can I reduce pre-mammogram checkup fears?

The thing that helps most is the passage of time. But until whatever amount of time it will take for you, just acknowledging that this is going to be a really stressful period and that feeling kind of crazy worried is NORMAL, helps a little. Other things I do: I try to schedule myself so that I am super busy the week or so before so that I don't have as much time to think about it, I make sure I get plenty of exercise, exercise, exercise (which reduces stress and make you physically tired both), AND I take a sleeping pill for a couple of nights before the appointment so that I am knocked out and can't lie awake thinking about it. My other tips are to schedule it first thing in the morning so you don't have to spend the whole day worrying about it, take an aspirin about an hour or so before hand to reduce any pain before it happens, and schedule a fun lunch with friends for afterwards!

well I plan a spa day the day  before... and mentioned it once to the rad techs...they approved it!

I do a mani, pedi, facial, massage and before I retired, I always took the day off before and the day of the test

then after the test....celebrate with a good lunch!

it has gotten me past the bad time the first few years.  Now I am almost 6 years out and retired, will still plan a spa day for myself! 

Glad to know I am not the only one that still worried when mammogram time rolls around. I have my 2nd mammogram scheduled for July and I am already starting to think about it, not all of the time but if I get stressed it pops up. I try hard to keep positive thoughts, exercise and stay busy, but as time gets closer I get really nervous. My plan is to go to my appointment, get my mammogram, met with my BS, and then run like hell until next year. Oh and then treat myself to a Starbucks!

Great discussion. I get the jitters around any screening test (I've had moles removed and endometrial biopsies. All benign and yet...waiting for test results still isn't easy). Here's a few things to add to the list:

--take someone w/ you to the appointment. At this year's mammogram, a friend offered to come with me. She sat in the lobby and was there while I waited for the radiologist to read it (I always ask if I can wait while they read it). When I was done, she took me out for breakfast to celebrate. I made a point to pick the right friend: not anyone who gets the cancer jitters themselves. This friend was also happy to let me kind of babble on about my cancer anxiety before and after the appointment (I'm sure I wasn't really making sense but she smiled and nodded) and during breakfast we transitioned to a normal conversation

--I go Guided Imagery group and have Guided Imagery CDs at home

--I sometimes go a drop-in Breast Cancer Support. I'm welcome even though I'm done with active treatment and I only come when I'm stressed. It's a very small group and the counselor who runs the group is a 14 yr BC survivor. (FWIW, she said this is one of the big life coping skills for every human being: How do we cope in the face of uncertainty? Some people don't face this question until much later in life. In talking to her, I realize my normal path is to reduce uncertainty as much as possible--after BC Dx I did lots of research etc. That's OK, but you can never eliminate all uncertainty so we're back to figuring how to cope. I borrowed a Pema Chodron DVD on dealing with uncertainty but...I'm not certain I want to watch it. ha ha)

--the counselor also let me borrow this book, which helped. unfortunately it's now out of print, but I borrowed it from a cancer support center. Maybe there's one floating around near you?

http://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Limbo-Making-Sense-C...

--"distraction therapy" -- do something fun that gets your mind off it. Being in nature? A good movie? An interesting activity with a friend?

FWIW, my counselor said our reaction is completely normal, so at least we're not alone in feeling this way!  And as Ruth said, it will get easier.

Hi there.  I've been wondering, too, about how to manage the stress and emotions around follow-up appointments.  I'm rather new to the idea; I have my first post-diagnosis mammogram next week.  Scanic attack!  Genetic testing and follow-up with RO are also this month, so I suppose I have a few "opportunities" to cope with the worry.

My goal is to allow myself to feel the stress/worry, but then to corral it--maybe spend a journal entry on it, or confide in a friend (carefully selected!), or think about it intensely during a long walk...and then attempt to close the door on it.  If I just stuff the feelings down and pretend I have no qualms, they will rise up at some point, but I don't want to allow them to seep in everywhere, either.  

I love the idea of planning something nice for afterward.    

Good health and calm minds to all of us!