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Post by Lexica on Aug 30, 2022 21:18:01 GMT
I have had numerous mammograms over the years and every single one of them hurt so much! It felt as if they were going to pop my boob by pressing it so flat. I don't know, maybe technology has improved to where that isn't necessary anymore, but I just had mine this morning and it did not hurt at all.
Well, the fact that the technician kept trying to get me to look at the ceiling despite me explaining to her numerous times that my neck is fused and there is a titanium plate in there. I cannot look at the ceiling even if I wanted to. I wasn't being intentionally difficult. She kept trying to bend my head back and that part hurt. But she did not squish my boobs down to 1/2 inch like I have always had them do. Is this the new norm now? If so, I won't stress over getting it done anymore. It was completely pain free. I mean, there was pressure, sure, but not to the point that it used to be done.
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Post by katlady on Aug 30, 2022 21:25:19 GMT
I had mine done at the beginning of the year, and the amount of pressure (and pain) felt the same. She still gave that extra little twist of the knob at the end that makes you wince.  Glad yours was easier and sorry about that technician messing with your neck! |
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Post by gar on Aug 30, 2022 21:26:32 GMT
Yes I can relate to feeling that of thinking they might pop and it's not the most fun but you just get on with it don't you. I haven't had one for a year or so, so I don't know if anything has changed here anyway.
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luckyjune
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,685 
Location: In the rainy, rainy WA
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Post by luckyjune on Aug 30, 2022 21:31:11 GMT
Just got mine a week ago. I don't remember the pressure being different than any other time. Sometimes I feel like my skin gets caught or stretched in a weird way and that is what hurts more than the pressure. I've never had to look up at the ceiling...not sure what that is about.
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Post by Merge on Aug 30, 2022 21:41:04 GMT
I had to go back for additional imaging last week (it was all fine) and they used a special plate that was smaller, I guess? But squishes part of the boob more. That was very uncomfortable.
Still better than a Pap smear, which I am glad never to need again!
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Post by papersilly on Aug 30, 2022 21:41:38 GMT
it's a necessary evil i endure once a year. i swear those plates can flatten you like a pancake.
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Post by fkawitchypea on Aug 30, 2022 21:43:59 GMT
I believe that one of the only benefits that being well endowed is that mammograms don't hurt as much. They are uncomfortable but it doesn't take much to get the boob on the plate.
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Post by Lexica on Aug 30, 2022 21:49:18 GMT
When I was walking out of the hospital where it was done, I felt as if they were not going to get a true reading because the technician didn't crank the plates down very tightly. I hope they don't call me and make me have another one done. Yeah, she kept moving me and my boobs all over the place, jerking my shoulder, pushing my feet with her foot, and trying to tilt my head back. I told her just guide me with words, I'm happy to do as you ask with the exception of looking up which I cannot do. She just continued to put her hands on me and twist me and push me until she got me where she wanted me, in a position that I swear I had already been in. Oh well. If the pictures are not clear enough, I'm sure they will let me know.
I've had my blood work done, retinas checked, my feet checked (because of that blood sugar number in December) the flu shot and the shingles shot, and now the mammogram. Other than a pap smear, I'm set for several months. I also just did the at-home colon cancer check. I absolutely HATE getting a pap. My cervix is in some strange position where they cannot find the opening and the last two times that I went, they called me and said they didn't get any cervical cells to look at. I suggested doing an ultrasound to see where the opening is and they said they would do that next time. I had the poor girl up to her elbow (it felt like) digging around trying to find my cervical opening. I told her that I thought it faced downward because a doctor mentioned that I must have gotten pregnant really easily due to where the opening was located. She gave up and told me to book the appointment with a doctor instead. I did that and she couldn't find the opening either. I know I have had an opening since I had a child!
They also had trouble checking me during my son's birth, trying to find the opening to measure how dilated I was. I ended up having a C-section so it didn't matter in the end, but they were quite upset that they could not find it. Imagine how I felt, nurses! They even sent for a specific nurse who had very long fingers.
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Post by quinlove on Aug 30, 2022 22:03:41 GMT
I had mine done at the beginning of the year, and the amount of pressure (and pain) felt the same. She still gave that extra little twist of the knob at the end that makes you wince. Glad yours was easier and sorry about that technician messing with your neck! As if it doesn’t hurt enough, that extra little twist of the knob does it every time. Uncomfortable, but necessary. Good luck. 😊 |
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Post by workingclassdog on Aug 30, 2022 22:23:00 GMT
Nope, it's uncomfortable but doesn't really hurt.. I guess it kinda hurts, but I would say more uncomfortable than anything. I would rather do 10,000 mammograms than one pap. I HATE those. And lately with my problem they have to go in.. I hate it so much.
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Post by littlemama on Aug 30, 2022 22:25:09 GMT
I have to have the 3D one and yes, it is extremely uncomfortable. Also, hot tip- if you have long, unruly hair, clip it back. When a curl sneaks into an image, they WILL redo that image.
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tracylynn
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,884
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Post by tracylynn on Aug 30, 2022 22:35:11 GMT
I think I'm big enough that the squishing isn't overly painful. Uncomfortable, but not painful. What gets me is the "stretching" from underneath. Sometimes they can grab some of that skin in such a way that it pulls. Damn, that hurts.
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Post by littlemama on Aug 30, 2022 22:36:56 GMT
I think I'm big enough that the squishing isn't overly painful. Uncomfortable, but not painful. What gets me is the "stretching" from underneath. Sometimes they can grab some of that skin in such a way that it pulls. Damn, that hurts. For me, it's the pulling on top that is bothersome |
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maryannscraps
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Posts: 4,742
Aug 28, 2017 12:51:28 GMT
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Post by maryannscraps on Aug 30, 2022 22:38:43 GMT
Only when they catch that extra little piece of skin under my armpit. The it hurst like heck.
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styxgirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,882
Jun 27, 2014 4:51:44 GMT
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Post by styxgirl on Aug 30, 2022 22:47:52 GMT
I think I'm big enough that the squishing isn't overly painful. Uncomfortable, but not painful. What gets me is the "stretching" from underneath. Sometimes they can grab some of that skin in such a way that it pulls. Damn, that hurts. This is me too. LOL! |
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Post by SockMonkey on Aug 30, 2022 22:50:25 GMT
Mine never seem to hurt, interestingly. I have not-very-dangly and very dense breasts, but even still, not much pain. I also get the 3D kind - My GYN said "that's standard now." 🤷🏼♀️
I just had mine Saturday AM, and then, because I'd already showered right before going, went home, did almost nothing, took a nap, and realized at about 6PM that I still had the stupid nipple marker stickers on!!!! 🤣 This is the second time I did that! (The first time I realized in the car and ripped them off while driving. LOL)
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Post by SockMonkey on Aug 30, 2022 22:51:21 GMT
TBH, I think the worst part is the "STOP BREATHING..... BREATHE..... HOLD YOUR BREATH." lol - I'm always panicked that I'm gonna fuck it up!
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paget
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,829
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:39 GMT
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Post by paget on Aug 30, 2022 23:09:30 GMT
I believe that one of the only benefits that being well endowed is that mammograms don't hurt as much. They are uncomfortable but it doesn't take much to get the boob on the plate. Oh, is this why they don’t hurt me? I always wonder why many people talk about how awful they are. I’d do mammograms all day long over Pap smears and anything at the dentist. Or with my eyes. I guess I’m lucky mamagrams don’t bother me at all. |
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RosieKat
Drama Llama
PeaJect #12
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Post by RosieKat on Aug 30, 2022 23:09:46 GMT
I'm with Merge, it's when they pull out that little plate (maybe about 2"x2"?) and focus in on one area. That hurts like the beejeebies! Other than that, it's mostly just the skin pinching and sometimes trying to scrape something in that you swear can't be scraped in. The smooshing is not pleasant but I can't recall it ever truly hurting. I mean, it kind of hurts but like a 2 or 3 out of 10, tops. |
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Post by katlady on Aug 30, 2022 23:10:49 GMT
Mine never seem to hurt, interestingly. I have not-very-dangly and very dense breasts, but even still, not much pain. I also get the 3D kind - My GYN said "that's standard now." 🤷🏼♀️ I just had mine Saturday AM, and then, because I'd already showered right before going, went home, did almost nothing, took a nap, and realized at about 6PM that I still had the stupid nipple marker stickers on!!!! 🤣 This is the second time I did that! (The first time I realized in the car and ripped them off while driving. LOL) Ok, wait, what is this nipple sticker? I’ve never gotten a sticker. I want a sticker for my journal. 😂 |
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peabay
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,676
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Aug 30, 2022 23:16:12 GMT
I believe that one of the only benefits that being well endowed is that mammograms don't hurt as much. They are uncomfortable but it doesn't take much to get the boob on the plate. Same. They just don't hurt me that much, if at all. I'm sorry for those of you who do. |
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Post by Alexxussss on Aug 30, 2022 23:38:28 GMT
Feels like I’m in a waffle press!  I swear there would be an easier, less painful way if all men had to have it done. |
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garcia5050
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,739
Location: So. Calif.
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Post by garcia5050 on Aug 30, 2022 23:50:56 GMT
Yep - hurts every single time. Once, the last little crank/twist caused the skin underneath to tear. I had burn-like cuts under my breasts. The next time I came in, the tech said it shouldn't hurt that much, and if I'm in terrible pain, they're doing it wrong. She added some kind of lotion to prevent the skin from pulling on the underneath, and it helped, but it still hurts like hell.
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Post by quinmm14 on Aug 30, 2022 23:54:33 GMT
Yes. My last one was just this month and it was the 3D one.
I'm small chested and it always hurts. I usually bruise but I didn't this last time.
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Post by SockMonkey on Aug 30, 2022 23:55:30 GMT
Mine never seem to hurt, interestingly. I have not-very-dangly and very dense breasts, but even still, not much pain. I also get the 3D kind - My GYN said "that's standard now." 🤷🏼♀️ I just had mine Saturday AM, and then, because I'd already showered right before going, went home, did almost nothing, took a nap, and realized at about 6PM that I still had the stupid nipple marker stickers on!!!! 🤣 This is the second time I did that! (The first time I realized in the car and ripped them off while driving. LOL) Ok, wait, what is this nipple sticker? I’ve never gotten a sticker. I want a sticker for my journal. 😂 I always get a little sticker with a little like...bead? on it to mark the nipple on the imaging!  |
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Post by katieanna on Aug 30, 2022 23:56:52 GMT
For me, mammograms became so painful and uncomfortable that, for years, I refused to get one. Then I broke down this year and went. I can't really explain what was different or why I did (except that my Dr kept reminding me of it). Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised when I went this year. The tech was a young lady, very professional, very easy to work with. While the experience was a bit uncomfortable, it didn't hurt (honestly, years ago, it felt that each piece of the machine was framed in something sharp!), and it went quickly and smoothly - and the results came out well, too. At the time, I thought that maybe the machines had been improved over the years. Now I'm wondering if I wasn't just lucky!
ETA - Yep, I got the stickers - but they were flesh-colored and NO beads.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 29, 2024 14:14:56 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2022 0:03:47 GMT
This thread is very interesting!! I never minded my PAP smears, ever, but I always had my ob/gyn doing them. Never hurt, never took long. As far as mammos go, I've had tiny (barely a B) breasts & a DDD for some time, and they all felt uncomfortable. I hate the tugging. I'm used to holding my breath, etc., as you do with most radiological tests. I DID note that this year my mammo was quicker and had less tugging. My thought is always, "Did she get enough??" I worry. I have dense breasts. Lexica Good luck with the outcome. Sounds like you got a lot all taken care of this year! Kudos to you! xo |
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Post by supersoda on Aug 31, 2022 0:08:11 GMT
It hurts like hell. I'd rather have a pap than a mammogram because it hurts so much.
And I've never had any fancy boobie stickers!
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 31, 2022 0:15:41 GMT
I had my baseline mammogram when I still got my period and that one hurt. Probably close to my period. Then there was a mystery shadow in a an image a few years ago and they brought out the tiny paddle for a really squishy experience that was more painful. Now with the 3D ones, they are uncomfortable, but not horrible.
I prefer the mammogram to the pap.
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Post by cmpeter on Aug 31, 2022 0:18:48 GMT
No nipple stickers here either. I’d say mine are uncomfortable but not super painful. I hate trying to time my breath to their counts. I also feel like I’ve exhaled at the wrong time.
Last mammogram they forgot to mark a mole. I had to go back in for additional screening and it took two rounds before she finally noticed the mole, put a sticker on it (not a cute one) and I was given the all clear.
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Glad yours was easier and sorry about that technician messing with your neck!
