I don't want my annual follow-up mammogram

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radgal
radgal Member Posts: 100
edited September 2016 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

My breast cancer surgeon called me yesterday. I thought, "wow, they're congratulating me on our one year anniversary!"

I listened to the voicemail--it was a reminder that I'm scheduled for a bilateral mammogram this Monday as part of my one-year follow-up.

I don't want to go. I have only had two mammograms in my life. My second one was last year because I was having lab tests and decided on having the mammogram since I was already there at the doctor's office.

I am forever grateful to be cancer-free; can't we just leave it at that?

I don't ever want a mammogram again.

A huge part of me says, "no mammogram means stay in denial" but the other part of me says "no mammogram and your thinking will constantly torment you until it'll be too late!"

I'm scared. I just have such conflicting feelings about mammograms since last year's diagnosis.

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited August 2016

    "No mammogram” means either that you will not experience the joy and relief that comes from learning you are still cancer-free; or that you will miss a recurrence or new primary tumor that could have been stopped before metastasizing. There is no upside, IMHO, to “no mammogram.” The five minutes “in the wringer” is worth it either way.

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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited August 2016

    radgal, I can understand not wanting a mammogram. If you have it and everything is good you feel like I dont have cancer but if you have dense breast tissue it might be useless. I just had to have biopsy because there was a question on MRI. It was nothing, I felt sick. I dont want to go thru the torture anymore. But again if it was cancer it was tiny and could be removed. I think the treatment is almost worse than the damned disease.

    Like you I just want to be done with it.

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  • Sjacobs146
    Sjacobs146 Member Posts: 770
    edited August 2016

    No one loves the mammogram. They do need to do one to get a new baseline post surgery. Mine is scheduled for September (second one post-treatment). You are Cancer free now, but you may not always be. I'm grateful to have the mammogram to reassure me that I don't have a recurrence.

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  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 7,496
    edited August 2016

    rad....I feel your feelings....and then some! A few weeks ago, I made my mammography appointment along with a few other appointments, so that every physician who is "watching" some body part of mine will have their chance to inform me of how good or bad those body parts are doing.... I am sick and tired of going to so many doctors. However, I have come to the realization that, going forward, this repertoire has become my life and I need to grow some balls and just deal with it! It is not much different with the DH. I sometimes feel like we are the walking wounded! The upside? We are still both here and our lives, during the rest of the time that we aren't seeing physicians, are filled with joy!


    Hang in there and I wish you well!

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  • BrooksideVT
    BrooksideVT Member Posts: 2,211
    edited August 2016

    As sjacobs indicated, this particular mammo is important because it takes about a year for all the scar tissue, edema, and whatever else is going on in there to settle down to its permanent-ish status. Yes, that makes this a baseline photo. Please think of it just as something to finalize your treatment status.

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited August 2016

    Hi!

    I'm sorry that you're dealing with such scanxiety. I have a follow-up mammogram this coming Monday, and there are about 100 places I'd rather be than at my Breast Cancer Center. But, I'll go. My feeling is that if I have a local recurrence, I'd rather find out now rather later. I'd rather find out when it is still local and it hasn't had the time to spread elsewhere. Hope your anxiety lessens and that you find some peace soon. ((Hugs))

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  • radgal
    radgal Member Posts: 100
    edited August 2016

    Appointment today. Anxious but going regardless.

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited August 2016

    Me too! Just packing up my laptop so I can go to the Breast Care Center. Good luck to you, radgal!

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  • Wicked
    Wicked Member Posts: 141
    edited August 2016

    Good luck, Elaine and radgal!

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  • pennsygal
    pennsygal Member Posts: 346
    edited August 2016

    Right there with you Elaine and radgal

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited August 2016

    Thanks, ladies! All clear here! Hope you're in the clear, too, radsgal.

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  • radgal
    radgal Member Posts: 100
    edited August 2016

    Bilateral mammogram DONE!! Thank you for giving me the courage to get this done. My favorite technologist did my scan and that was a great comfort as well. I really, really needed to hear from you how this first year post-op mammogram was critical. Thank you so much for helping me get through this

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  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 7,496
    edited August 2016

    ❤❤❤❤❤❤👍👍👍👍👍

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  • radgal
    radgal Member Posts: 100
    edited September 2016

    Dear everyone,

    Thank you sooo much for giving me the courage to get this first-year post-op mammogram done.

    Just got the results -- negative. So grateful for you helping me get through this. Thank you!

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  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 7,496
    edited September 2016

    💑👍👍👍

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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited September 2016

    Good news, hard to get thru the dreaded scan it never gets easier.

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