First mammogram coming up after 2 lumpectomies and 15 rads.
The first op was almost a year ago. Still in some pain and lumpy, very worried about how it will go and what the results will be. Seems such a long time to wait for results but now it’s nearly here am not sure I want to know! Can any of you ladies share your experiences?
Many thanks
Lorraine x
Hi Lorraine, I’ve just had a letter from hospital yesterday for my first mammogram and I haven’t finished my chemo or even started my rads. I’ve had a mastectomy and don’t know how they check that side? I felt worried when I got my letter lime you, but I’m trying to thing of it as one more part of my treatment. Good luck to you.
BD xxx
Hi Lorraine
Just to say I have my first mammogram today - on the ‘good’ side though, as I had mx. Rather nervous too as I always have swollen lymph nodes, and sometimes they turn out to be fine and sometimes not!
Good luck with yours, let us know how it goes.
xx Jane
HI lasses, I had my first mammo back in February after a year of treatment including MX. They don’t check that side btw Blue dragonfly - they leave that to your Drs to check in your clinic appointments. I have to say I was totally freaked about having the mammo - just going back for the same proceedure that I got diagnosed from in the first place, and the wait for results felt so long. But in the end the women on the mamogram centre that day were totally lovely, I was able to change in the room where the equipment was, so no wandering about in gowns one breasted, and the results came a lot quicker than they said they would. Do hope it goes well for you all, thinking of you, Nicola
Hi girls, bumping this up for anyone to post their experience of their first mammogram post lumpectomy/rads please.
My appointment is Wednesday and i’m dreading it as it is still soooo uncomfortable and lumpy, not sure how i’m going to cope with the pain, apart from taking painkillers before I go! I have also got to have some cysts aspirated afterwards and then an app. has been made for me to see Consultant in clinic afterwards so I hope to get some kind of answers as it’s been a very long year! At least I haven’t got to wait the 2 weeks some posters are mentioning, count myself very lucky.
If there is anyone out there who can tell me their story so I have a rough idea of what to expect.
Many thanks everyone, this forum is a life-saver 
Lorraine xxx
Hi All
I had my first mammogram since dx, mastopexy & rads last week, and all looks normal - yippee! I took ibuprofen an hour before, thanks to warnings on this site, but it still hurt quite a bit on the BC side, so much so that I emerged from the X-ray room in tears and my OH initially thought I’d had bad news! I rapidly reassured him that they were tears due to pain not bad news.
I’d been really worried about this 1st annual check-up, although I had no specific reason to worry. Hopefully I’ll worry less as the years go by.
Sarah x
Thanks for the warning CheshireCheese, at least I know what to expect now, I was going along alone and wasn’t sure but I will definitely go on my own now, don’t want anyone that I know seeing me cry, lol!
I am more worried about the 1st mammogram than the actual results, doesn’t make sense but I guess once the mammogram and ultrasounds/aspirations are over my attention will turn to Consultant and impending results, large coffee and chocolate whilst I wait me thinks …
Curlylol xxx
I had my first one three weeks ago.
Wish I’d have asked to do what Nicola did as I felt very umfortable sitting in the waiting room in a gown one breasted, won’t be doing that again! Put the plastic bag they give on my knee, got my book out and propped it up on the bag - in front of my mx side. Not nice and then you have to get up and walk across the room! Fortunately there was only one other person there.
Might even mention this to my bcn so she can take it forward perhaps.
I got my results back within a few days as I rang my bcn and told her I’d had it done so that she would keep an eye out on the system for me, but it does depend on how fast/busy the radiographers are at writing the reports up.
Good luck!
I have my first mamo post treatment on friday our hospital is running a month behind - so have been fretting alot waiting for it, thinking I have been forgotten, one call to bcn and it was sorted.
I am going with my younger sister (I’m 48, she is 43) as she is on yearly mamograms and has the appointment after me (couldn’t have planned it myself any better) so no need for OH thank goodness - no need for brave face while waiting as she understands exactly how I feel - I only got checked myself last year after she had some lumps investigated - her’s were fine, mine not - but am still here to tell the tale that is the important thing.
Dee, how awful to sit there in waiting room in a gown, our hospital lets you get changed in the room where the machine is thank goodness.
I will make a point of taking painkillers before I go - thank you CheshireCheese.
Hope all goes well on wednesday Curlylol.
Tracey xxx
my clinic was running 6 weeks late when I had the first one post treatment. As I was diagnosed in October, it coincides with breast cancer month as they are seeing all the ladies who were picked up via the screening programme. I was so concerned I rang my breast care nurse and she told me when this happens the surgeons and oncologists went through all the mammo patients at the weekly meeting they have. She said any patients they thought may have problems were given priority and I wasn’t one of them. It made me feel a bit reassured.
hello lorraine… i had my first mammo on the 9th june, i also had 2 lumpectomys and 17 rads. well firstly … dont worry … my boob was also still painfull and achey. but the mammo was ok … not nearly as bad as i thought it would be , uncomfortable but not painfull. it was the sight of the machines that made my stomach turn over , brings it all flooding back … i was weepy when it was over, but i was quickly reminded that the machine i feared so much actually saved my life…so try not to worry… easy said i know… it really is not so bad … and i got my results last week … im all clear just a lot of scar tissue but nothing else …so good luck and dont worry it really is ok angie xx
Hi Angie,
Thank you so much for your post with your experience, very positive and is very similar to mine.
Hospital 9.30 a.m., and can’t sleep so thought I would check the forums and was so pleased to read your post. So good to hear it went well for you and I hope tomorrow will be okay for me too. Weirdly it is a year tomorrow that I was in the same room having the mammogram for the wire to be inserted before the first lumpectomy so I think it will be a bit unsettling but they are all so nice, it is the pain I am more worried about. My GP recommended Voltarol an hour before my appointment so I hope that helps. Ultrasound afterwards as I have cysts to be aspirated and then they have arranged for me to see one of the Consultants an hour afterwards, not sure if it’s for results or general chat, but will see what they have to say. I have learnt to take things as they come.
I am so pleased to have read your post and feel more positive.
Do you mind me asking - are you on tamoxifen? It hasn’t been mentioned to me.
Many thanks again
Lorraine xxx
Hi Angie
Guess what, I got all clear too, yipeeeeeeeeeeeeee
thanks for your post, it was just as you said and I got my results in clinic an hour later - very impressive and they were all so lovely, I owe them a huge box of chocolates - ooops, i’ve eaten them already, ha ha! I did have to have 2 cysts aspirated as well but they did those before the mammogram otherwise it would have been a lot more painful, ouch!
Thanks to everyone posting, will dip in and out from time to time, I do feel a bit strange, like I should be cock-a-hoop but i’m not?!
Anyone else feel the same or is just me expecting too much?
Lorraine xxx
Hi, Just had my 1st mammogram (its nearly 1 year to the day of my lumpectomy). It did hurt a bit but not much. Now for the waiting bit…I did ask if I could have the results sooner but she said if anything is wrong they would send letter within one week, but normally it will be 3/4 weeks. Very helpful (not)…dont like waiting for results…x
GOOD NEWS!!! I had my mammograms just over a week ago (1 year check up) and I had a letter today to say that it was “ALL CLEAR” no cancer detected at all. I am so HAPPY!!! Now for a celebration, going out to get that all important bottle of wine…lots of love chris xxxxxxxxx
Hello,
I live in the United States. I have finnished radiation 35 treatments ,in last December. My radiation doctor tried to schedule me for a mammorgram in March! Thats only three months! I said NO! I will do it in October. The scheduler on the phone was shock. She said “but your doctor ordered this” . I said well " I am my best advocate. This is too much radiation. I was only stage one. Had lumpectomy ,radiation and taking Letrozole . No chemo as my onco scrore wqs only a 20. This too was my choice. I sometimes wish I lived in the UK ,seems more advanced medicne . GEEZ!
Hi Lorraine
Had a lumpectomy last June, so am due first mammogram this June. Dreading it as I am still very sore and tender and also very lumpy along the scar line. Mentioned it to oncologist, but he seemed to think I will be fine in a few months. I am not so sure. Jan x
I had lumpectomy and mammoplasty last April followed by 15 RT sessions and went for my first mammogram earlier this month. I was very anxious because of having surgery both sides but followed advice in other threads of the forum and took paracetamol about an hour before my appointment. I also made it very clear as soon as I got in the room that it was my first mammogram post surgery and to be gentle with me! They set the machine at the lowest pressure (didn’t know they could do that). Also there was no sitting around in gowns, just removing top half once in the room. It wasn’t as bad I had anticipated - in fact some pre-BC mammograms had proved more uncomfortable. With regards getting the dreaded letter, I was rather concerned when it arrived so quickly - within 5 days - but fantastic news that it was clear! Good luck everyone having their one-year mammograms!!
I had my 1 year mammogram on Thursday. They said the scar has changed a lot in the last year which is normal, but just to be sure I had to have an ultrasound and a biopsey, the doctor took 3 samples. My surgeon and the biopsey doctor both said they are 99% sure they will find nothing and I believe them but there is a voice in the back of my mind keeping me very unsettled until I get the results next week.
It all came flooding back during the biopsey, all the horror of multiple surgerys, chemo and radio therapy. Hopefully that will to be nothing more than deja vous.
Butterfly i cant let myself go back to that place again, i spent so many weeks in utter dispair last year and it changes nothing, of course im praying for a clear result but im trying to be practical and prepare for a recall, heard nothing yet and had mine on Monday, wishing you all the very best Xx Jo