Mammo-Mia

Getting My First Mammogram

Natali Muñoz-Moore (second from right) celebrates her 40th birthday with family.

My mom stuffs her bra. She’s been doing it since 2005, when a surgeon removed a cancerous tumor and her entire right breast. She was 55.

Cancer was a shock. My mom had no family history of it. She exercised, ate healthy and never touched a cigarette or alcohol.

Her journey was tough, though I doubt anyone has an easy go with cancer. She underwent two rounds of chemotherapy and one round of radiation. Her hair fell out, and she lost weight. The treatment left her weak, nauseous and in pain. One night, my dad and I awoke to find her crawling from their bedroom to the kitchen, where she kept her Vicodin.

That’s a reason why my sisters and I keep cancer top of mind. Adding to that is the fact that 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. We follow the screening guidelines and check for signs of breast cancer — lumps, irritation or dimpling on the skin, and nipple discharge. This year, I turned 40. That meant it was time for my first mammogram.

Guided With Care

I didn’t know what to expect. Thankfully, the caregivers at Enloe Health Breast Imaging guided me from start to finish.

They started by calling. My primary care provider ordered a mammogram, but I took my time making an appointment. Then a caregiver from Breast Imaging called me. I thought I would visit the location in a few weeks. I was there in six days.

When I arrived at Breast Imaging, I checked in, filled out forms and waited briefly. Then I was taken to a dressing room area. The caregiver asked me to change into a gown and asked if I was wearing deodorant. It turns out, deodorant interferes with the test, so I had to remove it. She handed me a wipe to do so and gave me a second deodorizing wipe to freshen up later.

I changed and was guided into the room where my test would take place. The technologist introduced herself, asked me a few questions and explained she would be taking several images using the mammogram machine.

“The worst part is the pinching,” she said, reassuring me it wouldn’t hurt. Then she asked me to stand in front of the machine and she positioned my breasts, one at a time, between two imaging plates. She moved the plates close to apply pressure, asked me to hold my breath and took the first X-ray image. We repeated the process a few times, and I was done.

Later that day, I got a call with the results. The images showed an abnormal area in my left breast and my provider wanted additional imaging. The following week, I was back for a breast ultrasound.

Again, I checked in, waited briefly and was taken back to the ultrasound room. After meeting the technologist, she explained what was going to happen, then stepped out so I could change into a gown. When she returned, she asked me to lie on my side and began taking images of the area using a handheld device. Before I knew it, she was done.

“I’m going to go get the doctor, so you’ll know your results right away,” she said.

“What a relief,” I thought. Almost immediately, the doctor was in. She let me know the images allowed her to get a closer look at the suspicious area and that it was nothing to worry about. I thanked her, got dressed and left.

As I was leaving, the caregiver who had escorted me approached. “All good?” she asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

“Give me some!” she said, smiling and extending her hand for a fist pump. I gladly complied.

Enloe Health Breast Imaging, I’ll see you next year.

Is it Time for Your Screening?

Talk to your provider about when you should get a mammogram. Women who are at a higher risk for this disease may need a mammogram before age 40. Ask your provider if a referral is right for you if:

• Someone in your family had breast cancer, especially at an early age.
• You had radiation in the past to your chest.
• You have an Ashkenazi Jewish heritage.

Learn more at www.enloe.org/mammogram.