Mammograms - DO IT!

[Cairycat]

34. Mammograms aren't perfect but

they're readily available. Ultrasound is good for some things and not others. Don't know about thermography.

But my sister's life was saved by a mammogram. She had a tumor beneath the nipple, close to the chest. It would have killed her had she waited til it was palpable.

On the other hand, I found my tumor myself six weeks after having a mammogram where "everything was fine". My lump was near the surface.

Our mother died of breast cancer, and my sister's bout was nearly 10 years before mine. My insurance wouldn't pay for the BRCA test because I "didn't have enough first degree relatives who had breast cancer". Somehow I think enough to an insurance company is one more than you have.

I've never found mammograms particularly painful. It helps to have largish breasts and also not to have the mammogram in the week or so before your period.

My sister is a 12 year survivor and it has been three years for me. We're awfully glad to have each other around!