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Let’s Talk About Dense Breasts For A Moment And Why Mammograms Are Always Scary

I just turned 40, but this wasn’t my first mammogram. I was thrown for a loop during my 6-week check up after having Caleb. My OBGYN would not let me leave the building until the imaging center squeezed me in for a rush appointment. She had found a lump and was very concerned about it. It was a day I will never forget. That’s why when I turned 40 and was handed another script, I wasn’t too excited about the appointment. I associate mammograms with nothing positive.

Naturally, this visit had a few hiccups as well. Due to the fact that I have dense breasts, I’m always forced to get a sonogram after my mammograms. My initial scans always come up not clear. I asked the technician why I even HAVE to HAVE mammos to begin with if I always have to follow them up with a sono and she said that they both do different things. Yeah for me… more tests! 🙂

Unfortunately, my doctor did not write me a prescription for both. So, legally, they couldn’t move forward with more testing. They had to reach her to get approval but her office is HORRIBLE. They never pick up. After two hours of waiting in the office as the front desk tried to get a hold of her, I just left. Half-done with my annual visit. KNOWING that I would have to return to do it all over again.

And so I did – the very next day. I never like these sort of appointments. I have friends that have died. I have friends that have beat it. I have friends that are right in the thick of it all. Cancer is a real thing in my life. It’s not some fake disease that happens only in the movies. So, for me to have to stay unsettled for two days instead of just ripping the band-aid off… well, it wasn’t ok.

Next day, I went back in and got gooed up all over again. A new technician helped me out and everything was fine. Thank GOD. I called my mother to tell her and grabbed a Starbucks to celebrate.  She also has very dense breasts but stopped going to get checked because she was tired of all the poking and prodding and testing. I’ve tried to convince her to get back to the doctor but she never wants to hear it.

Before I settled in for the night, I posted this picture on Instagram as my “outfit of the day” shot to serve as a reminder to all friends.  Breast cancer isn’t a joke. And even though biopsies and squishing hurts, it’s only for a second and it truly gives you peace of mind. Let's Talk About Dense Breasts For A Moment And Why Mammograms Are Always Scary I ALWAYS feel like I have a lump. My husband thinks I am crazy. Every so often, I make him feel something and of course, he never feels what I feel. That’s why I NEED to stay on top of these appointments. I need to be calmed down and reassured. I think you do as well.

Have you made your annual mammogram appointment yet? Please do.

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