Once again, my annual mammogram and ultra sound check have rolled around.
This time I have moved from the ABC clinic in Takapuna to Mercy Clinic in Epsom.
This is your reminder that, if a health provider is no longer working for you, or you don't like the feel or vibe anymore - it's ok to change. Medical issues are often difficult enough without adding provider issues to the problem.
It's almost the first of the month, which means it's time for EVERYONE to check their boobs again - men get breast cancer too, remember.
A mammogram appointment is straight forward. You arrive, change into a gown, and often wait in a lovely 'holding area' complete with drinks, magazines and sometimes chocolate until you are called.
Mercy, has green gowns. Pro tip - always wear bottoms and tops to appointments rather than dresses, it just makes things a little bit less confronting when you have to ditch the robe for the actual scan.
Some people find mammograms painful, personally I haven't had any pain during the scans. I have noticed it's more comfortable for me when I had bigger boobs. Usually I find mammograms awkward, as you squish yourself into the machine, and some discomfort - to my neck as I am squished against the perspex panel, and usually 20 seconds of a tight feeling to my chest, not my actual boob.
Above is the red mark that I was left with post mammogram this time - there is less to squish with small boobs!
The beautiful thing about all Mercy clinics - is the patient portal where you can log in and see your scans. Below are my scans from my appointment on Friday.
The image on the left and the one in the centre are clear scans of my right boob - you can even see my portacath in the middle image.
The radiologist said, it's a nice fatty tissued boob, all clear.
The image on the right is the ultrasound on my left boob - you don't have mammograms on your implant side - nothing to see but a big black void. But we ultra sound to check the chest wall and lymph nodes - which are also all clear.
Something I learnt during the ultrasound is, if the cancer ever came back on my implant side, I would feel it before it would show up on a mammogram - interesting, right? Checking saves lives, so please check yourself.
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