Were you anxious before your first post-surgery mammogram?

Oh my word, so much anxiety❣️ I had to learn how to kind of blow it out with a forceful breath and then try and focus on something else for a while, repeat about every 10 minutes at times 😂. Looking back, I do find this has lessened over time. Try to be gentle with yourself now.
I like to distract myself whenever possible during times of anxiety. Hobbies and work have helped me through many scans.
When is your mammogram scheduled? Will they give you a thumbs up right away or do you have to wait for the mail?

Yes, I'm anxious on a scale of 1-10 I'm about a 7 and rising! So it's Monday the 30th and yes I get the results right then and there, thank goodness. I have a lovely breakfast planned after my appointment at 9AM , hopefully to celebrate! Today I am giving my house a good cleaning and going to a Birthday party tonight so that will help.
Thanks for the input I will give the breathing stuff a try, it might be quite helpful 🙂

@frogjumper
Scanxiety is the worst. The minute we do any kind of scan/imaging, the anxiety starts building until we receive the results. It's hard not to fear the worst. Anticipation is usually worse than reality. Then it's such a relief when they tell you it looks good. Fortunately, these days results come back really fast. A lot of breast centers give you mammogram results immediately after the test. Even with the CT scans I had the other day, the report on the first one posted to my portal by the time I came home from the appointment. That was a new record for a CT report! It had a lot to say, but nothing new. Phew!

If I have to wait for an appointment to discuss scan results, I always ask my doctors to post the reports to my portal the day they receive them so I can review and have any questions ready for my appointment. Prayers that you receive a clean bill of health! Your anxiety is perfectly normal.

I was very anxious at my 6 month mammogram. I think I was more worried that it would hurt (it didn’t). I’m going to have my one year scan in 3 days. They’ve scheduled an MRI which I initially found very concerning. I was worried they had escalated it to an MRI because they suspected something. The radiologist said no to that, she said they switched to an MRI because of our discussion about how there was very little calcifications on my first diagnostic mammogram and with my dense breasts it’s hard to see a cancerous spot.
There was so little calcification on that mammogram, they thought it was an inflamed lymph node, and I was told to wait 6 months and return for another mammogram- but after questioning that, they decided to do a biopsy and the DCIS was diagnosed. My surgery and current radiologist are with a different hospital system than where I had that first mammogram.
So I’m nervous, but not too nervous about the upcoming scan. I know there is nothing I can do to change the results at this point, so I choose to set the worry aside as much as possible beforehand. I know I’m currently getting the best of care. So if there is something there, it will be caught early.

Talk about anxiety. I am 4 years post lumpectomy and rad. Found out breast cancer spread to the bones. Getting treatment. In all of this, my annual mammogram was due. I have never felt so anxious. Thinking I had a new lesion in my breast causing the met. Mammogram was normal! Now I just concentrate on getting my treatments. I feel great and facing my journey with strength,

I am really glad others are coming in and adding their voices to this conversation. It is something almost all of us go through. I do think the trend for getting results at the center for mammograms before you get dressed and leave is super helpful. I used to travel 175 miles for mine, to get this benefit, because I live in a rural area.
Are you finding ways to distract yourself while you wait?

@auntieoakley post surgery mammograms are stressful. I traveled that far too, living rural. One time I had my mammogram, the next day they called and said could I come back that the mammogram showed some suspicious spot. Of course I could come back the next day! Made the drive & (thank God) it was just a fold/pinch of my skin they thought after doing another mammogram. From that day on , I always made my appointment, when the radiologist doctor was there to take a quick look. That worked for me and the anxiety of waiting was lessened significantly.

I agree, I would have gone back too❣️. I did this to go to a womens imaging center that would have you wait in your robe until they looked at them. It was a serious reduction in wait time anxiety. Locally, they still send out a letter in 7 to 10 days, ugh.
It is a stronger person than I, that can avoid anxiety from scans after breast cancer treatments, or even in current treatments.
Do you still travel for breast imaging? How about anyone else here? When do you get results?

@auntieoakley i had the Mammo done at a Women’s clinic.
The first facility that I used to get Mammos, it was a caring serene facility just for breast imaging. Then they built a huge med clinic and threw everyone into that building. The. You lined up with everyone to check in for everything from illness to broken arms to breast cancer etc. I was devastated by this change. My feeling is here is a person that is going through a high anxiety medical condition and you have to Wait 10+ minutes to check in. Jus5 another case. No way! was this going to stay. I contacted the hospital administrator as well as the top cancer service person and told them my feelings of this way of treating cancer patients. I followed my conversation up with letters, so things were just in one ear and out the other.
They did make the change. They put a desk in the Libby down at one end and cancer patients could check on privately for imaging. It was quicker and more caring one on one.
Then I started going to the 2 hour drive imaging Womens Clinic, as my breast surgeon believed that the Sheila Veloz Womens Breast Imaging Clinic was better. It was worth the drive as I believed they cared and treated their patients with love & respect. They understood what these ladies (and some men) were going though. We need that as we go through this journey no matter what stage or phase or time we are at. A caring understanding person is needed - not a robot thinking person behind a window asking for ID & medical cards that has no understanding or caring for what you are going through.
Sorry about the long post but I feel strongly about how we are treated and will always push to see that improvements can happen.

It is a very hard thing to go through and very understandable that you are anxious. I tell myself I cannot change the results but will deal with it as best as I can (I feel I don't really have a choice-lol).

I've had a double mastectomy.

Recently I had a "diep flap procedure" done. This is where they remove fat tissue and nerves from your abdomen and place them into your breast area. I just had a 6 month MRI. The radiologist called that afternoon and explained that he believed it's benign but several areas look like cancer because it's necrosis (tissue that did not get blood supply and died). Fortunately my Doctors had explained this may occur and the first MRI is a baseline for them to refer to. I go back in 6 months to see if there has been any changes. I wish you all the best!! Stay strong!!!! ❤️