If you’ve been to Northwest Hospital after dark the last few weeks, you may have noticed a rosy glow cast over the main entrance. That’s because pink lights have been installed to mark October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
It sounds simple, but adding pink lights to the front of our main building and lobby makes a statement and creates awareness about this common cancer. Awareness is the first step in finding a cure, and awareness and education lead to early detection – the best cure we have right now.
When breast cancer is caught early, it is over 98 percent curable. However, early detection is only possible when a woman is getting her regular screenings. If you are a woman age 40 or older, a recent study indicates that yearly mammograms are recommended. (Depending on your personal risk factors for breast cancer, your doctor may want you to be screened at a younger age or more frequently.) Ask your doctor or nurse how to do a breast self exam. Then use this knowledge to examine your breasts every month.
Northwest Hospital is home to the Herman & Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center, where patients can get their mammograms in an inviting, spa-like atmosphere. We are the only mammogram provider in the area to offer our patients MammoPad® – a soft, warm pad that dramatically reduces the discomfort some women feel while getting a mammogram.
Meanwhile, Sinai Hospital's Employee Activities Committee is also showing its support for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month by holding a Think Pink Departmental Decorating Contest. If you are a Sinai employee, help decorate your office or unit with PINK in mind. All employees are encouraged to wear a pink ribbon, pink t-shirt or breast cancer awareness t-shirt on Friday.
If you’d like to schedule a mammogram with us, call the Herman & Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center at 410-601-WELL (9355).
Showing posts with label mammograms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mammograms. Show all posts
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
My First Mammogram, Part Two
Yesterday, a LifeBridge Health patient shared about her background and why she needed a diagnostic mammogram. In Part Two, she talks about her experience of getting a mammogram for the first time. To read Part One, click here.
While getting insurance coverage was easy for me, what was not so carefree was dealing my inherent fear of mammograms. I remember when my mom got her first mammogram at age 40 and the horror with which she relayed the experience to my dad. (She used the word “pancakes.”) Even my doctor told me to take two Tylenol beforehand, as getting a mammogram would be “excruciating.” On the other hand, two other women told me that mammograms did not hurt them. So along with my fear, I was also very curious about a procedure that could be described in such different terms.
I spent much of my time in the waiting room worried. Not worried about my lump, mind you; I was worried about the mammogram. I couldn’t even focus my mind well enough to read. All I could do is look at pictures in a fashion magazine.
Therefore it came as a shock when I had a very comfortable mammogram. Easy peasy. I think there were several reasons for this. For one, I chose the Herman & Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center at Northwest Hospital, where they have MammoPad® -- a warm, foam cushion that prevents one’s breast from being pressed against cold, hard metal during the x-rays. They use a new pad for each woman, so it’s completely sanitary. The pad doesn’t interfere with the images produced, so it’s also cleared by the FDA. (Having never had a mammogram with a MammoPad, my mom told me that she wishes she could get one, as she thinks it would make the mammogram a lot more comfortable.)
I also scheduled my mammogram for a time during the month shortly after my period, when my breasts would be less fibrous and not as tender. To prepare for the mammogram, I avoided caffeine (I postponed my daily cup of coffee until afterward), and I took two Tylenol as my doctor had advised.
The mammography tech was extremely nice, and she put me at ease as she was positioning me for the mammogram. The machine also didn’t compress my breasts as tightly as I expected it to. The process went so smoothly that I now know that my fears about mammograms were unfounded. While I think it definitely helps for pre-menopausal women to schedule their mammograms at the ideal part of their cycle, next time I will consider forgoing the Tylenol.
My mammogram didn’t find anything urgent, and because I’m very young, the breast ultrasound gave the radiologist better information about my particular situation. However, I no longer fear the test that may one day save my life.
If you’ve had a mammogram, what was your first one like? Have you used the MammoPad before? Sound off in the comments below.
While getting insurance coverage was easy for me, what was not so carefree was dealing my inherent fear of mammograms. I remember when my mom got her first mammogram at age 40 and the horror with which she relayed the experience to my dad. (She used the word “pancakes.”) Even my doctor told me to take two Tylenol beforehand, as getting a mammogram would be “excruciating.” On the other hand, two other women told me that mammograms did not hurt them. So along with my fear, I was also very curious about a procedure that could be described in such different terms.
I spent much of my time in the waiting room worried. Not worried about my lump, mind you; I was worried about the mammogram. I couldn’t even focus my mind well enough to read. All I could do is look at pictures in a fashion magazine.
Therefore it came as a shock when I had a very comfortable mammogram. Easy peasy. I think there were several reasons for this. For one, I chose the Herman & Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center at Northwest Hospital, where they have MammoPad® -- a warm, foam cushion that prevents one’s breast from being pressed against cold, hard metal during the x-rays. They use a new pad for each woman, so it’s completely sanitary. The pad doesn’t interfere with the images produced, so it’s also cleared by the FDA. (Having never had a mammogram with a MammoPad, my mom told me that she wishes she could get one, as she thinks it would make the mammogram a lot more comfortable.)
I also scheduled my mammogram for a time during the month shortly after my period, when my breasts would be less fibrous and not as tender. To prepare for the mammogram, I avoided caffeine (I postponed my daily cup of coffee until afterward), and I took two Tylenol as my doctor had advised.
The mammography tech was extremely nice, and she put me at ease as she was positioning me for the mammogram. The machine also didn’t compress my breasts as tightly as I expected it to. The process went so smoothly that I now know that my fears about mammograms were unfounded. While I think it definitely helps for pre-menopausal women to schedule their mammograms at the ideal part of their cycle, next time I will consider forgoing the Tylenol.
My mammogram didn’t find anything urgent, and because I’m very young, the breast ultrasound gave the radiologist better information about my particular situation. However, I no longer fear the test that may one day save my life.
If you’ve had a mammogram, what was your first one like? Have you used the MammoPad before? Sound off in the comments below.
Labels:
breast cancer,
mammograms
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