OK Girls, Can we talk?

[Ashley]

Maybe someday, but not right now. Besides, being my new doc does all that stuff as well as covering what I am going to her for, she isnt gonna let me get away with it forever

 

[bonloubri]

I highly reccomend mammograms. Yes, sometimes they come back suspicious and it turns out to be nothing. Been there done that. However, if it does turn out to be cancer, you have a better chance of catching it early, treating it and have a full recovery. Starting the mammograms yearly gives the doctor something to compare with and check for any changes. I was detected earlier and am now a three year cancer survivor.

 

[sfmini]

Ashley, please. Suck it up and just do it. It is not pleasant but it sure beats dying a very horrid death. Besides, I guarantee come the day you decide you need some birth control, your doc will hold you hostage until you do it anyway.

My lady's appointment is next friday and I just hope I can assume the position thanks to my knee which is swollen and sore still. This will be the first time with my new doc (female like the last one) so it will be wierd. My last doc had a heated place for the instruments so it was humane for me. Hope this one does too. Being female I have high hopes as she can empathize.

Overdue for that mam mashing. A friend and I shamed each other into going a few years ago for our first and they found something in hers. She had to have a lumpectomy and all has been just fine since then. I too have dumb ****s and the doc strongly suggested mam mashing since lumps would be hard to find.

I hope that you have as good an outcome as my friend, or better.

 

[mininik]

"Besides, I guarantee come the day you decide you need some birth control, your doc will hold you hostage until you do it anyway."

Not all doctors will. Mine didn't care. I'm no longer on birth control but still wish I'd just done a stupid pap a couple years ago. It was never explained to me how important it was and now I have to wait (finances).

I did get a sonogram once after finding a couple big lumps and it was scary. I was lucky and nothing came of it and I'll be hoping for the same outcome for you, bcody.

 

[bcody]

Marty,

I was thinking of a padded room for that boy. Today he was out and running, climbing, not missing a beat. Guess I felt it worse then he did. My daughter is getting old enough to think she can follow him, I cann't handle two dare devils! He has also discovered football, he will be 5 in Feb. He think that looks like great fun! He has a great arm, but I sure don't want him playing football.

 

[runamuk]

Ashley if it is covered by your insurance just get it over with.......

I should have gone back in for a bunch of stuff BUT they decided my back surgery was more important at the time...so now I realize it has been 3 yr.s since I had 3 consecutive bad/suspicious paps..oh well no insurance so not going in anytime soon......and my husbands issues are way ahead on the list of need to do :no: :no: just love having to choose between needed medical care and oh say a roof over our heads

:

so ash if you have insurance use it

 

[~LadyBug~]

[SIZE=14pt]Can someone explain some more about the paps and why they are so important? I actually just switched to a regular doctor from the pediatrician (Yes im 17 lol, but you know how things get put off) and I have been in and out of the dr.s office for some other issues, and my doctor was pushing me very hard to get one done....hmm[/SIZE]

 

[journey]

I have to start having Mammo's done this year. My grandmother had breast cancer. After my baby was born in October, I found what I thought was a lump in my breast. It was very sore and tender. When I went in for my post-op appointment from having my tubes tied, my doctor checked it out and said it was possibly a milk gland swollen. She told me if it was still sore and I could still feel a lump in two weeks to call her back and make an appointment. It went away. I go in April for my Pap, so I guess I will schedule my ****ie squish on the same day, since they do it at the office anyways. I have to get a Pap every 6 months because they found pre cancer cells on my cervix and they are keeping an eye on it. Every one of the females on my mothers side has had to have a hysterectomy, including my sister at 28, who wanted more children and only had 2. I am just waiting for my turn.

I plead for every woman to go and have her yearly visit. I know with the Uterine and Cervical cancer that runs rampid in my family, I go because I want to see my kids grow up. One of my cousins refused to go and have a pap done and at 24 she had to have a complete hysterectomy because she had uterine cancer. She never even had a chance to have a child. It is really sad.

 

[Ashley]

You are supposed to start getting paps at 16.

Its not a matter of just sucking it up. Theres alot you guys dont know. Thank god I wont "need" birth control.

 

[journey]

You are supposed to start getting paps at 16.

Or when you become sexually active, whichever comes first.

Not you Ashley, I was just adding to your comment.

 

[bcody]

It does not matter if you are sexually active, or not.Nor does it matter what sexual preferance someone has. If you are a female, you need to get a pap, even if you never have sex of any kind. PLEASE girls get it done.

Also, most insurances pay for a yearly mammo after a certain age, with some you do not need your primary doctors referal. So if your doctor will not approve of having one done, check with your insurance, you may be able to just schedule it yourself.

 

[Pepipony]

I am a big ol pain wuss, can handle it if its a daily thing ( and it is) but to go lokoing for it, fahgetaboutit. I have very dense, fibrous breasts, so dxing would be difficult. Add to that the fact that I have swollen lymph nodes, head to toe LOL that will freak Drs out. They have been biopsied (sp?) , I have had decades of Lyme which has swollen them up, pretty much permanently. But I gotta admit, I do enjoy the utter look sof horror on Drs faces when they see them :new_shocked: :lol:

 

[Dee]

I am only 22 and yup I have had to be through the whole thing about 2 months ago. I found a lump in the shower and went to the doctor. The doctor did find it a bit odd and I had to wait 3 weeks and in and get all the works done....and I tell you in the one little visit I had more people see my ****s then I will ever have in my life time!!!

:

:

Turns out that it was all OK and the lump actually went away about 2 weeks ago.

Now i'm no doctor, but if they were really worried they would have you in getting that mam in no time at all.

I wish you all the luck!

Dee

 

[Sonya]

How scarey Barb, I'll be praying for you. That is terrible you have to wait a whole month.

Ashley - as everyone else said - you need to go have that pap. I too have had cancer cells removed from my cervix - a few times - through cyrosurgery as well as laser surgery when it changed to stage I - had only been 6 months in between paps when I had the stage I. I also had my best friend die at the age of 32 from cervical cancer - it had only been a couple years that she went without a pap, you need to do it ASAP.

I thought they normally start mamograms around 40. I am 36 and never had one. I think 50 is too long to wait. My mother has never had breast cancer, but she has had begign tumors removed from her breast, do you think this would make me a canidate to have one done sooner than 40?

Don't forget to do your monthly breast exams too! I have to admit I do not always do them. Not sure I could feel anything in there anyhow!

Sending positive thoughts and prays for you Barb!

 

[Sunny]

I don't know if my doctor suggests 50 for everyone for their first mammogram, but that's what she told me. There has been no history of cancer in our family, other than my mother dying of lung cancer four years ago. However, at about age 25 and again at about age 33, they found precancerous cells in my pap test. The first time, they did a cone biopsy (where they cut out the piece of cervix with the abnormal cells and some of the surrounding area), and the second time, they did another cone plus a D&C. Thank God there's been nothing abnormal now for about 15 years.

I too am a great advocate of the annual pap test. Please, ladies, don't any of you put it off. It's just too important!

 

[bonloubri]

Pap tests are very important. As for mammograms, please get them. I have always heard they should be started at about forty. Don't just depend on your at home breast exams. After I was diagnosed with breast cancer I still couldn't feel anything.

 

[Sonya]

Thank god I wont "need" birth control.

That really doesn't matter - if you have a cervix and overies, etc...you need a pap! Wether you are sexually active or not, wether you can concieve or not, it doesn't matter. If you have female parts, it needs to be done...I know it is a crappy exam, but really not much worse than the dentist. :bgrin

Mamograms do not always show problems too, just like self monthly breast exams. But doing both will greatly improve any chances of finding anything. My sis found hers through monthly exam - mamagram did not show it - then she had MRI done and biopsy - thankfully it was nothing.

Still sending prayers for you Barb - thanks for posting this, it is a reminder to everyone how important it is to go to the doctors for preventive healthcare. It is very important!

 

[bcody]

Well, I must say, never thought I would be talking about my breast on a public forum! I strongly believe in regular check ups, and highly recomend all woman, and men for that matter, get their yearly check ups. (Men should get their PSA levels check regularly after a certain age). It is not fun, but it is much better then getting something and not finding out until it is to late. Their has been no breast cancer in my family, and I never have, and still don't feel anything myself, but I will always do my monthly breast exam! Five minutes of unpleasantness yearly ( OK maybe a little more if you do pap and mammo) is much better then the other issues that could go unnotticed.

Please everyone, take care of yourselfs. You can not take care of your family and your animals if you do not take care of yourself!