How to stop reading the technicians?

Well for all you know, they're thinking about the fight they had that morning with their kid/partner/boss or the fact that the dog/cat puked or pooped inappropriately or that they're hungry or need to go for a run but don't have time and on and on and on.

How do you stop? Think of what edj3wrote. Face reading is simply not a way to ascertain anything and generally just serves to create more anxiety. There are many things about bc that we can’t control but with practice you can learn to control anxiety provoking thoughts that create more stress. Consider finding a therapist who deals with cancer patients. They can give you some tools to help you cope with perseverating on things . Many of us have found this to be very helpful ! Take care

So glad to find this thread. I just got home my MRI and have been obsessing because the medical assistant asked me on my way out if I had a follow up appointment scheduled. My anxious brain says this obviously means they saw something they know will require follow up. Even though I’m almost positive medical assistant training doesn’t include MRI reading. It’s always reassuring to know I’m not alone

I've actually found almost all my imaging techs to be warm and respectful. However, I strongly agree with the advice to NOT read into their words or expressions! They know a lot, but they aren't the radiologists or pathologists, and they also can have any number of other things going on in their lives.

This is an interesting subject, what I have found is, that when I was diagnosed first time by mammogram the tech said in a very stage voice I just want to do some more images of R breast I didn't think anything of it at the time.

When 7 years later I had the bone scan that showed MBC it was the same thing the tech doing the positioning came over and said we just want to take another look at the hip area and moved me around a bit, as I was leaving the tech behind the glass looking at the slides from the scan turned around and looked at me, at the time I didn't think anything about it much.

I would say the tec's know what the results show just because of years of experience looking at the slides but there are strict rules about not saying anything which is only correct and proper.

That was only with those two scans, most scans the tec's are very bland and say the results ready in a few days.

Boy can I relate to this topic. I learned the hard way not to try and read their reactions. I had to go back in to have additional testing done after my mammogram showed one breast bigger than the other. I think I already knew what the result would be but I was still hopeful.

Anyway after the testing was done the tech said you can get dressed you are done when it walks the radiologist and says you won't like what I'm going to tell you - you have breast cancer. Imagine my shock. That was in 2011.

Since then I have tried hard not to focus on the techs but it's unnerving to say the least. The techs are great and while not saying anything that would scare me unnecessarily they haven't had to redo anything either. I just think I will never get over the fear even 10 years later. I remind myself they aren't the doctors but I still find myself watching their expressions.