Brave Breast Cancer Survivors: My mother, Ruth Turner and sister, Dee Caldwell.

I Completed My Routine Mammogram Four Months Ago and I Swear My Breasts are Still Sore.

Half naked I stood before my technician becoming a contortionist as she tucked and pulled my right breast between two flat lucite panels. Then she adjusted and brought the two panels together slowly to compress my breast tightly in-place. I held my breath while she took the image. The same for the left breast.

I had my first mammogram in the 1990s. What’s amazing is the mammography machine design has not really changed. Oh, the machine may have new state of the art computerized 3D image screening technology, etc., but for the woman having a mammogram, it is the same old design, big, clumsy and painful.  

My 92 year old mother and my sister are both breast cancer survivors, thank God. So, I know how key regular mammograms are to finding breast cancer at an early stage. I just have difficulty scheduling and keeping my appointment. I hate the process and it surprises me that more women are not outraged about this awkward machine designed by men in the 1980’s. There has to be a better method.  

Breast cancer is serious. It is the second most common cause of death among women.  We all know someone that is no longer in this world due to this disease.  So I urge women, particularly those like me, who have family history of breast cancer to take care to have routine mammograms.  At the same time, I feel that there would not be so much dread if the machine was more bosom friendly.  Perhaps a design, designed by women who are mindful of how sensitive breast tissue is, would be nice.

I guarantee you that if a man had to have his penis or scrotum imaged using mammography someone would swiftly create, develop and manufacture a better solution. And it would be like:  Stand here sir,  drop your pants,  face the camera, and we are done!

October is breast cancer awareness month.  Practice breast care and good overall healthcare every single day. Be bold and bloom, the best you every day in every way no matter what the circumstances are, be your SuperSelf.