Today I had my first mammogram after surgery. I’m freaking out.
My surgery was in May last year WLE, 6mm, clear margins, followed by radiotherapy x5 in September.
The reason I’m panicking… after she’d taken the 4 images, she said “I’m just going to the other room to check on the bigger screen that they’re not blurry”. I don’t remember them doing that last time.
Is this normal?
Am I panicking unnecessarily?
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Hi @pj_5930 welcome to the forum 
It sounds like they were just double checking the imaging was clear.
Although easier said than done, please try not to worry- after surgery, breast tissue can look different on scans. Radiotherapy can affect things too.
I’ve found that after a cancer diagnosis, they tend to over analyse our scans as they don’t want to miss anything. Hopefully your team will let you know what’s happening as soon as possible and others on here will share their experience too. I hope it all goes well 
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Thank you for your reply x
Yes, one half of me is telling myself just to stop fretting and wait for the result, the other is climbing the walls 
What you’ve said definitely sounds sensible, my left breast is very different since surgery and radiotherapy, much ‘harder’ if that makes sense. So maybe it looks ‘weird’ on the mammogram too.
Thank you 
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They couldn’t get a clear image on mine at first , scar tissue and radiotherapy damage makes it hard .
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Of course! I was just there myself a month ago after my routine MRI “showed something”. I had a biopsy and it was just hardened tissue. The panic does set in after everything you’ve been through though and we automatically go to worst case scenario, but remember there will also be a best case scenario too! Lean on your family and friends if you can and be easy on yourself, use the breast cancer now phoneline too if you need to speak to someone 
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It’s normal - if they find out it is blurry afterwards they might have to call you back this happened to me this year and I did freak out but the fact they checked means they are just being careful so that doesn’t happen it is a technical
thing try not to worry
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Hi pj_5930
First of all welcome to our little community 
I had exactly the same happen to me. I had bilateral surgery in 2023 and then I had to return for further surgery on my left breast two months later. So May and jul of that year!
Last year the radiographer was faffing about with my left breast and kept repositioning. She called another lady in eventually as the image kept blurring.
I had my two year XL mammogram two days ago and this time the breast tissue folded over so she had to retake.The process for me is always rather painful due to lots of scar tissue and the fact that I have tiny boobs,BUT it was straightforward.
So try not to worry, it’s their job to ensure that they get the best images so you don’t have to be recalled for another session.
Hope alls ok 
Take care
Lynn
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Try not to worry. On my first mammogram after surgery the radiograhers said they wanted more images but did explain that they want to check scar tissue which is more difficult to see and all was good. Recently had my 2nd year screening which was much quicker and again all good
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Try not to worry. Often those doing the mammograms don’t actually interpret the results and just need to know it’s a good image. I once got called back as there was a hair on my mammogram image and my mind went into overdrive thinking it was something worse
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Thank you all x
I’ve calmed down now I think. Just going to wait for the result.
It’s weird, I think I’m probably always going to be slightly fearful of recurrence, I just hadn’t realised until the first annual mammogram became due. I thought I was back to how I was before, probably never going to be.
Thank you again.
Hi pj_5930
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I just had my first mammogram after surgery, too. It hurt like hell. My breast was really swollen and I got the results a week before seeing my surgeon. They found a large seroma and suggested I might need further testing. I freaked out, too.
When I saw my surgeon he calmed me down and said there were no microcalcifications. No evidence of cancer. He drained my boob and got 45 cc of fluid. The needle was tiny and I felt so much better afterwards.
I think we just have to accept that we’ll always be hyper-aware of everything related to our bodies. That’s not such a bad thing if we can learn not to overthink everything. I’m getting there. You will, too.
Hi pj_5930
Thanks for your post. It’s understandable that you’re worried about the results of the first mammogram following your breast cancer treatment. We hear from many people who feel anxious about the experience.
As @Yasmeink and @klf say, it sounds as if the radiographer was checking that the images were clear. Sometimes, as @susanmanchester suggested, you may be recalled if the images were blurred or if they have seen something they’re unsure about.
Talking to someone who has had a similar experience can often be helpful. Our Someone Like Me service can match you with a trained volunteer who’s had a similar experience to you. You can be in touch with your volunteer by phone or email and they can share their personal experiences to answer your questions, offer support or simply listen to how you are feeling.
You can ring the Someone Like Me team on 0800 138 6551 or email them at someone.likeme@breastcancernow.org, so they can then match you to your volunteer.
Many people are surprised at how emotional they feel when their treatment finishes.
Adapting to life after treatment can be difficult and often the need for information and support continues. Coping with the shock of a diagnosis, treatment and side effects, and worries about recurrence can make it difficult to readjust to everyday life again.
You may be interested in our Moving Forward resources that are for people who have had a diagnosis of primary breast cancer and have come to the end of their main hospital treatment within the last 2 years. They include our Moving Forward booklet and Moving Forward courses.
You can attend Moving Forward either at our face-to-face course or take part by joining online. Find a course near you or register for an online course via the links above or call us on 03457 077 1893.
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For more details about all of these services, please see the information on the link.
As this is having a big emotional impact on you, we would suggest you discuss your concerns with your treatment team. It’s important that they know how you are feeling. Your breast care nurse or GP may be able to help you find cancer support locally or you may wish to ask the Macmillan Information and Support Centre at your local hospital for advice, if that’s available. There are some useful resources on NHS Talking Therapies, which may be of interest to you.
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