# Mamograms **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 17, 2013, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112 "2013-11-17T10:43:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/1 "2013-11-17T10:43:46Z")
I have been taking prenatal vitamins for about a year. I recently found a very tender spot next to my left nipple-----it hurts when it is touched. I mentioned it to my doctor and I had to have a mammogram. (results were good–no growth of any kind) Now I know why women don’t like mammograms. I blame it on the prenatal vitamins. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/2 "2013-11-17T11:28:14Z")
Yeah, they’re not a lot of fun, but once a year, I’ll grin and bare it (hee!!) for the greater good of my health. And I’ll take it over a colonoscopy any day!! 😃 Glad you’re OK! ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/3 "2013-11-17T12:06:17Z")
Every year at testing time I sing this song to myself—Mama’s Gotta Squeeze Box, Daddy Never Sleeps At Night! (…and Mama would squeeeeeze…) \>accordian\> Glad the results were Good. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/4 "2013-11-17T14:31:29Z")
Mammograms are like going to the dentist - not much fun, but the benefits of catching problems early far outweigh the transitory annoyance. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/5 "2013-11-17T15:23:11Z")
A tech once told me that I let her squeeze me much farther than any other patients. Hey, it’s 30 seconds of my life, no big deal. Let’s get it right the first time. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/6 "2013-11-17T16:47:45Z")
(hijack)I’m… I’m so confused. Why are you taking prenatals?(/hijack) Just had another baseline mammo done (my first baseline 4 years ago at 36 was done in a different state, and I couldn’t get the records). It would’ve been ok if I hadn’t had a terrible rash under my arms from a reaction to amoxicillin; as it was, the tech was greatly apologetic but it was exceptionally painful. Can’t wait to have another one!! Yay. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/7 "2013-11-17T17:03:24Z")
Why are you blaming it on the prenatals? [Men get breast cancer too](http://www.cancercenter.com/breast-cancer/types/tab/male-breast-cancer/?source=GOOGLPPC&channel=paid%20search&c=paid%20search:Google:National%20Cancer%20Types%20%28New%29Broad:breast+cancer+in+men:Broad&OVMTC=Broad&site=&creative=26416046241&OVKEY=breast%20cancer%20in%20men&url_id=188273487&adpos=1t1&device=c&gclid=CLHCkJem7LoCFe9DMgodpEEAFA), as well as gynecomastia and benign tumors. Y’all have everything in there that we do, except the higher level of some hormones that encourage more cancers. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/8 "2013-11-17T17:45:44Z")
I think there is a market for spa day mammograms. You go in for the day. You get a massage, your nails done, a facial, a nice lunch involving chocolate and maybe a glass of wine, and somewhere in there, they squeeze in your mammogram. The hospital I have mine done at has the chocolate, really nice tea, a waiting room with scented candles and all sorts of trashy magazines - they really just need to add the pedicure and massage. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/9 "2013-11-17T17:53:42Z")
Mine mammogram center does the chocolate/coffee/tea/tisane routine, too. They also have a separate dressing room for the men, which surprises people. As noted, men need mammograms, too, sometimes. I wonder if the men’s dressing/waiting room is as masculine as the women’s is feminine? ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/10 "2013-11-17T18:32:37Z")
> [@bobkitty](#): > > (hijack)I’m… I’m so confused. Why are you taking prenatals?(/hijack) > > Just had another baseline mammo done (my first baseline 4 years ago at 36 was done in a different state, and I couldn’t get the records). It would’ve been ok if I hadn’t had a terrible rash under my arms from a reaction to amoxicillin; as it was, the tech was greatly apologetic but it was exceptionally painful. Can’t wait to have another one!! Yay. I’m taking prenatal vitamins because my latest blood work showed that my folic acid was low. Prenatal vitamins contain folic acid; other multivitamins don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/11 "2013-11-18T00:14:40Z")
Yup, they suck (and they hurt like a SOB, in my opinion)! Glad to hear everything’s OK. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/12 "2013-11-18T00:54:48Z")
I had my baseline mammogram done a few months ago, and I really didn’t think it was that bad. Maybe I just got lucky? I’d rather do that than have the “other” yearly test done any day. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/13 "2013-11-18T01:04:00Z")
If it’s done on a man is it a manogram? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/14 "2013-11-18T01:15:05Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Yup, they suck (and they hurt like a SOB, in my opinion)! Glad to hear everything’s OK. > [@Dr.Girlfriend](#): > > I had my baseline mammogram done a few months ago, and I really didn’t think it was that bad. Maybe I just got lucky? The ouch factor varies from woman to woman. I find them annoying and uncomfortable but I wouldn’t describe what I feel as painful. I’ve spoken to other women who are reduced to tears. Very much an area where YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/15 "2013-11-18T01:26:44Z")
Painful, embarrassing and for me, never accurate. I’ve always had very large breasts, (when I was younger I wore a 32-I bra.) large to the point that the tech calls in a second person to help. Where other women get 2-4 views, I get a minimum of 8. Then they schedule an MRI. I could usually hear the techs’ conversation and laughter. I let them know they were being unprofessional, but, every year new techs, new laughter. Now, my doctor just schedules the MRI. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/16 "2013-11-18T16:21:37Z")
I blame it on the boogie. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/17 "2013-11-19T01:26:20Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > The ouch factor varies from woman to woman. I find them annoying and uncomfortable but I wouldn’t describe what I feel as painful. I’ve spoken to other women who are reduced to tears. Very much an area where YMMV. I find them very painful and really anxiety-provoking. Twice I have had vasovagal syncope during/right after and fainted, once time hitting my head badly enough so that I then needed to go and get that checked out. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/18 "2013-11-19T02:53:17Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > The ouch factor varies from woman to woman. I find them annoying and uncomfortable but I wouldn’t describe what I feel as painful. I’ve spoken to other women who are reduced to tears. Very much an area where YMMV. Yup. And unlike **picunurse** , my problem is not large size, as I’m a B-cup. It could be the density of the tissue in my case, maybe, as they had to do a second one at baseline (oh joy) specifically by a highly-skilled tech as there were areas they had serious trouble imaging. That was not cool since the original tech had to do extra images trying to get certain angles, and meanwhile I’m basically panting/hyperventilating during the tighter part of the clamp-down part because it hurt so much. (And I’m not a pain wuss; I had weekly migraines for years, plus walked away after my Mirena insertion with barely more than some minor discomfort.) But I cope because it’s a good idea to get them, and I can put up with that once a year. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mamograms/674112/19 "2013-11-19T03:58:37Z")
My first mammo was a horrible experience. I had a tech in a bad mood and I am sure her rough handling and the resulting bruises were deliberately done. It made be scared to go back and get my second. Of course I did though, only I went someplace else. And I’ve been going to that someplace else ever since. I’ve never had pain or bruises and only moments of discomfort. My mother eventually died from breast cancer last year, I’m not going to skip my mammo ever!