Next-generation Mammogram

[Skittles]

it's about freaking time they came up with something better than squashing our boobs between metal.

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Health/story?id=327011&page=1

[Longhorn]

1. Your post prompted me to FINALLY make an appointment

for what is supposed to be an annual mammogram -- but I'm a year overdue. Thanks!

[Skittles]

2. lord knows I am overdue

I HATE THOSE THINGS but you are correct, we must get them.

[latebloomer]

3. I don't trust mammograms

I don't like the idea of irradiating my breasts.

I have been having breast thermography, which uses heat to detect tumors years before they're detectable by other means. Unfortunately, it's not available in most areas-- I have to travel over 2 hours to get my scans! But it's well worth it.

[FloridaPat]

4. Xrays cause breast cancer. This is why I've never had one of these.

And all the stories about having them done over again because they don't know what they're doing. The xray machines give out more xrays that a chest xray, even though all the medical people say it's less.

The big thing that has me worried is that when I was a kid we use to play with the xray machines in shoe stores while our mom shopped for shoes. You can imagine how much xray we got. No one wants to address this. Not one wants to take about how much radiation we women are getting for all these modern conviences.

[serryjw]

5. Never had one?

How old are you? Please go do it.......Mamagrams are still far better and less risk than Breast Cancer.Do you at least do 'self-examination'?

[FloridaPat]

6. Yes! Another person who knows this! I have the same fears with

those xray machines in shoe stores. No one will talk about it. There is a lot of breast cancer, but no one is wondering if getting zapped for long periods of time as a child has anything to do with any current cancer.

[Southsideirish]

8. Like all the thyroid cases that sprang (sp?) up after the 1950's zapping

of thyroids to "check" them.

I think its all the grams that are causing problems. I began having them back in the early 80's when they were high dosage and the nurse would smash my chest with a balloon - before they had the machines.

Then I had about 12 more after that over the years in many more configurations. One weird one was a huge cone from the ceiling came down on you while you were lying on a table! God knows how much damage I did to myself! Now I watch myself carefully and know just how to do it and all the danger signs. So far so good.

[Southsideirish]

7. Good for you. My friend has never had one either or a Pap test . She is

60 and the healthiest person I know - not even one grey hair.

[babylonsister]

9. Excuse my ignorance, but

whate were X-ray machines doing in shoe stores? :shrug: I'm 49 and don't recall them. I did, however, get breast cancer when I was 27, so perhaps I'm blanking something out on purpose? I grew up on Long Island which supposedly has a very high occurrence of cancer compared to other areas.

[Longhorn]

10. Believe it or not, they apparently used them to measure people's feet!

I'm your age and this was apparently before my time, too, but when I was pregnant in the late 70s, early 80s, my OB didn't do ultrasound and he used those X-ray machines as an example -- he said he didn't want to use something that could turn out later to be helpful.

This explains why I gave birth to full-term, undiagnosed identical twins in 1981! ;)

[babylonsister]

11. What a shocker for you and your husband!

Ironically, I too am a twin, though fraternal. Sadly, Mom is no longer with us to ask about x-rays, etc., though she did know she was having twins. We have pix of her sitting on a low stool with her belly touching the floor.
BTW, if I remember correctly, today is your anniversary? Many more! :hi:

[Longhorn]

12. Thank you!

Yes, it's number 29. We're off to dinner and the movies in a little while. Thanks for thinking of me! :D