Keeping your dignity during treatment

Very timely topic for me.  Thanks for raising it.  I just had my follow-up mammogram of the "healthy" breast on Monday.  I was so terrified of even going back into that bldg. that I was sick to my stomach.  I knew my fear was irrational, but I just could not contain it.  Then I became furiously angry about what women with breast cancer have to endure.  At my clinic, we do not get call backs.  Instead, they put us in a cubicle and have us sit there sweating it out, while the radiologist reads the film and decides right there and then if another view is required.  Those 10 - 15 minutes of waiting are horrible.  A call back does NOT mean cancer, but we all know that if there is something suspicious, they need another view.  So you call upon your gods, spirits, good deeds from the past, favours owed you from others, crossed finger, toes, legs, etc. hoping and praying for no call back.  If you are called, they will not indicate what is going on . . . . so the worry begins again.  It is the emotional torture that drives me crazy and I feel is the most degrading and disrespectful part of the whole ordeal.  I am far less concerned about being naked or touched as I have only been treated with dignity (thank goodness).  Mammograms are not dignified procedures, but I cannot attribute that to the technician. 

So this time I arrived mad as hell.  No more apologizing for my sweaty pits.  Actually hoping that I smell as bad as I feel. I will never, ever again apologize for being scared out of my mind.  But out of the blue, the sweetest, most gentle soul appeared and held my hand through the mammogram.  This technician was absolutely amazing and offered me to wait in a dimly lit room, rather than return to the cubicle.  She slipped me the latest People magazine and I spent my time marvelling at Angelina's lovely wedding dress adorned with art work from her children.  Realized that they had been married on my birthday and then suddenly, "you are good to go".  Those were the best words ever.  The tech can make or break the experience and I have her name to send back a card and will beg for her in all my future appts.  Let's start to demand dignity and sensitivity.  I had been so mad going in that this could have gone completely different and I will use that energy at ever future apt that I do not receive this type of respect. 

Women are not only avoiding mammograms, but they are having their breasts removed to avoid the on-going stress that these screenings create.  This is simply NOT acceptable.  Thanks again for raising this topic Kim.  

one of the hardest things for me was the total lack of dignity throughout, no one paid any attention to it at all especially during rads

I felt this today at an appointment with my PS. I put the stupid paper vest on and it barely covered me, not only that I was cold. I saw an actual robe hanging on the door and put that on. I hate sitting there waiting with the paper thing on and then talking to the doctor while wearing it makes it awkward too.

I have felt the loss of dignity through out my tx. I always worried about having BO during rads and just felt like a piece of meat during the whole process.

It matters a lot. My all-time worst was the week before my ovarian cancer surgery. They knew I was going to need paracentesis again before my surgery because I was having five liters of fluid drained out of my belly every few days, so they had told me to go to the ER when I needed to. Two residents got the needle in my belly and hooked me up to the vacuum bottle. I was just covered with a drape. They left & left me alone in the room a long time. The drape slid off in the floor & I couldn't catch it because of the tubing. I laid there completely naked on the table scared and cold and crying with a belly like a nine months pregnancy. I called out over & over before someone finally heard me & came in to cover me up. Of course, I was lying there completely naked to anyone passing in the hall when they opened the door too.

Sorry you're going through this.  My doctors' offices have changed their procedures. At one point, I got one of their follow-up questionnaires, and one of the questions was something like "would you rather wear a gown or your own clothes when you see your doctor." I didn't know I had a choice. Apparently enough people checked off "my own clothes" because now, depending on the appointment, they often don't set out a gown. At my MO appointment last week I was in street clothes until time for the breast exam. I stripped off my top + bra, she did the exam, I dressed again. (we continued talking the whole time). It was nice because during the non-exam part of the appointment I was dressed and normal. Maybe you can suggest that to your doctors office? Maybe you can just rebel and stay dressed?