mammograms-ugh i am so pissed offfffff!!!- *updated*

 i just saw this video....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/17/giuliana-rancic-breast-cancer_n_1015262.html?1318854664&ncid=webmail3#s414648&title=63rd_Annual_Primetime

my heart breaks for her. but if there's one thing i'm taking away from this its that you don't have to be 40 or have a history of breast cancer in your family to get breast cancer. and with all the breast cancer awareness runs, fundraisers, talk show segments, i finally get it. i'm going to be proactive and get a mammogram. why? because i'm tryingt o get pregnant. and if there's something to find i would rather find it now.

so i call the diagnostic center to set one up because with my insurance i don't need a referral. well after setting up an apt the lady stops and tells me wait you're not getting it for a specific reason? well then you need a prescription from your doctor first. and i said, but i don't need referrals with my insurance. she said it doesn't matter, if its not for a specific reason you need an RX from you doc. and i just know when i go into my doc's office she's gonna be like "why do you want a mammogram? you're only 31. did you find a lump? do you have a history? well then you don't need one. don't worry" and send me on my way. which will infuruate me. jesus christ. everyone on tv is saying go get checked out. don't wait. don't put it off. takey your health into your own hands. be your own advocate. and i won't be able to get one unless the doctor gives me permission? that is straight up BULL****!! why should i be denied a screening that is non invasive that could save my life??? at the very least it would give me peace of mind. 

i'm so outraged right now i'm seething. i wrote an email to my doc to see what she says. she will most likely make me come in and will most likely say just what i told you she would. but i will fight it. i'm telling you. i'm gonna be a huge pain in the ass until i get what i want.


*update* i called my gyno's office and the lady on the phone was very helpful. she asked a few questions (my name, d.o.b, which was my doc, and what do i wanna have done) and she's gonna mail me a piece of paper in the mail. once i get that i should be able to make an apt for a mammogram. i'm glad that went smoothly lets hope the rest does as well. i appreciate that they didn't question my motives. 

my boobs are already as flat as pancakes. i doubt it wil hurt at all. lol

I agree that breast cancer screenings before the age of 40 is truly short changed.

On another note- sometimes people just suck!

My husband told me about Giuliana Rancic's diagnosis this morning. My heart is just breaking for her! Infertility, now this? I hope she is able to overcome the cancer and move on to have a baby. Thank God they caught it early.
Meli - let us know how it works out with your doctor. I am curious and may be interested in having a mamogram too. I have a strong family history on my father's side. Both his mom, and sister had breast cancer. My aunt is still going through treatments actually.

 it just goes to show everything happens for a reason. and now she knows the reason. i know she will beat it and finally have her baby.

but nikki you shouldn't wait! if you have a family history you should go get checked out. it couldn't hurt and it could save your life.  my doc says i need an RX from my gyno. so i'm gonna call tomorrow and see what she says.

Talk with your doctor about your individual risks. Increased risk is typically based on first degree relatives only (mother, father, brother, sister), not on aunts, uncles, or cousins.

OK, this reply may make some people mad, but here goes:

You probably don't need a mammogram.

The reason that mammograms are recommended for asymptomatic women beginning at age 40 is because, statistically, that is when your risk goes up. This doesn't mean that no one under 40 gets breast cancer, but it does mean your risk is much lower.
When deciding at what age and how often to recommend screening tests, a lot of things are taken into consideration. With breast cancer screening, one of the things they take into consideration is the risks associated with a greater overall dosage of radiation from the mamograms versus the risk of breast cancer at a given age.
We all tend to treat mammograms and x-rays as if they are nothing, but these tests do expose you to radiation. When you decide you want top start screening yourself 10 years earlier than what is recommended when you have no family history and no symptoms, you are choosing to increase your exposure to radiation, which can in turn have the unintended consequence of increasing your risk. Especially when you consider that, as WLS patient, many of us end up being exposed to more radiation already as a result of tests we may need.
So, don't rush to get a mammogram out of fear because you heard about or know of someone under 40 who had breast cancer. Talk with your doctor and come up with a plan that feels right for you and doesn't expose you to more radiation than you need.

 well i ended up speaking to my gyno. she didn't say anything about radiation but she thought i shouldn't get it this early because they probably can't find anything and they might do unecessary biopsies. and i had a very traumatic experience with a biopsy so that was enough to scare me away from doing it.

at least i tried. 

Yeah, unnecessary biopsies is another risk.
The best thing you can do is to keep up with all your annual screenings and know your boobs, know what is normal for you so that when something doesn't feel right or look right you can do something about it.