like i need more to worry about

[Anonymous]

i had my yearly mammogram several weeks back. got a letter last week telling me i need to come in for some more pictures. i had to do this once before, only it was the other breast last time. it all turned out ok. i’m hoping this one turns out ok, also.

my oldest sister died of breast cancer, so i started getting mammograms at 30 years old. i also have a breast exam by the doc every 6 months instead of once a year. i can’t bring myself to do self-exams regularly because i am so lumpy i know i would just make myself nervous with every lump i felt. i know i am a coward. my sister got cancer at 37 and died at 46 after it had metastisized to her liver. i’m 46 years old now.

i used to be afraid to almost say the word cancer—as if somehow talking about it would make it happen. i am not as afraid of breast cancer as i used to be—but i sure hope it never happens to me.

my neighbor across the street is the same age as me and has breast cancer. they are doing chemo first to shrink the tumor–then they will do surgery. they are very optimistic about her condition.

life can be so unpredictable!!!

wish me luck with the diagnostic mamogram tomorrow morning!

[Anonymous]

Best of luck Christine! I will be praying for you. I’ve had 3 benign lumpectomies and also have constant lumps. I can’t do self exams either, because every time I find lumps- they’re always there. I don’t think that makes you a coward. I would be at the docs weekly. Our doc says that I’m too young to have mammograms- I’m 36- because the dense tissue wouldn’t show anything. I go for yearly ultrasounds. You may want to talk to your doc about adding that in to your annual routine. For people with lumpy breasts, they can show things better than mammograms do. I’ll be praying for you. Please keep us posted.

[Anonymous]

i was told back when i had my first mammogram that i had dense breast tissue–but i was alot younger.

at my mammogram this year, the gal commented that i have dense breast tissue—-which is not as common for someone my age—i’m 46, almost 47 now. i know it makes the mammograms harder to read. i could also see alot of calcium deposits in the mamogram picture.

i have had a lump in my right breast for 16 years, but it doesn’t seem to be a problem. that is the same breast that i had to have follow up pictures taken of two years ago. this time it is the left breast. they got me in really quick since it is the end of the year. i go for my mammogram in an hour and 20 minutes—-then a little later i will have my follow up appt. with the surgeon from my scope last week.

i’d really like to stop having so many medical bills…….i picked up 4 prescriptions last night that cost over $180 dollars. one of them is the anti-depressant that is working for me. i can’t afford it, but i don’t want to quit taking it either. i wish they had help for people that are covered by insurance, but the insurance is not very good. if i didn’t have any insurance, i could probably get some help.

i will be so glad when kevin is able to go back to work and get a regular income instead of workman’s comp!!!! hopefully the insurance is better—–at least they will pay the insurance premium, which is a lot of help.

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