First Mammogram after chemo

mollyz
mollyz Member Posts: 756 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
I finished chemo January 28.2011 and just had my 1st mammogram today.now most of you know or can read on my "about me page" that i had a mastectomy well when i went to the hospital to have my mammo you have to register like your going to have surgery anyhow the lady registering me calls upstairs and ask the "mammo tech" will i be having a bilateral mammo or unilateral well the mammo tech told her i would be having a bilateral i sat there thinking well before chemo i thought! Bi meant 2 and uni meant 1 well after a while i asked would my insurance only be billed for half she said she didn't know well finally i just asked doesn't bilateral mean 2 she says yes and i said well i only have one she said i don't know how they do that,well to make a long long story short i finally went up stairs and the mammo tech. realized i only had 1 breast and to think i actually had my surgery in this hospital thats one of those shake my head moments.the radiologist came in and said they where going to find out if my insurance would pay for a MRI every year because i have densed breast im wasting my insurance companies money my time and the mammo techs. time cause they can't tell much from my mammograms x-rays.has anyone else had dense breast problems? sorry so long but i had to vent. love you all MOLLYZ

Comments

  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #2
    Yes, Molly, I too have very dense breast tissue
    The reason my cancer was never caught on mammo. I would never trust just a mammo again for me. I will be having yearly MRIs and ultrasounds as well as mammo. My mammo report actually says because of the dense breast tissue and my new history, it would be prudent to supplement mammos with MRIs yearly. I don't think the insurance will have a problem with it. And, if they do, I'll fight like a girl to get it done.

    Good luck to you. And, never be sorry to vent. You're entitled!

    Hugs, Renee
  • mamolady
    mamolady Member Posts: 796 Member
    #3
    discount
    Mollyz,
    First, I don't believe there is a discount for unilateral! Sorry, I asked the same thing when I had my one tube tied. As for the tech, she was probably only looking at your previous films. The clerk pulls priors but only pulls the most recent full set. Once she read your questionnaire she would have realized you have only one.
    As for having or not having a mammo, there are things a mammo will see that an MRI will not. With dense breasts it is also a good idea to have an MRI. If your doctor orders it the insurance should cover it. As far as ultra sound, a lot radiology departments prefer not to do "screening" ultrasounds so you may not get that.
    Definatly push for the MRI though, it is much better for dense breasts especially since you have a history of BC.
    Cindy
  • mollyz
    mollyz Member Posts: 756 Member
    #4
    mamolady said:

    discount
    Mollyz,
    First, I don't believe there is a discount for unilateral! Sorry, I asked the same thing when I had my one tube tied. As for the tech, she was probably only looking at your previous films. The clerk pulls priors but only pulls the most recent full set. Once she read your questionnaire she would have realized you have only one.
    As for having or not having a mammo, there are things a mammo will see that an MRI will not. With dense breasts it is also a good idea to have an MRI. If your doctor orders it the insurance should cover it. As far as ultra sound, a lot radiology departments prefer not to do "screening" ultrasounds so you may not get that.
    Definatly push for the MRI though, it is much better for dense breasts especially since you have a history of BC.
    Cindy

    Thank you Ladies
    This is wonderful information,my hospital actually does not have an MRI machine i live in a rural town but i also live 40 minutes from a major city i just found out yesterday that my hospital will be getting a MRI machine and a breast center in the hospital that is great news. thank you again ladies, MOLLYZ
  • susie09
    susie09 Member Posts: 2,930
    #5
    mollyz said:

    Thank you Ladies
    This is wonderful information,my hospital actually does not have an MRI machine i live in a rural town but i also live 40 minutes from a major city i just found out yesterday that my hospital will be getting a MRI machine and a breast center in the hospital that is great news. thank you again ladies, MOLLYZ

    Great news that your breast
    Great news that your breast center will be getting a MRI machine. I really believe in all of us having one yearly. With a mammo, ultrasound and a yearly MRI, we've certainly covered all of our bases.


    Good luck MollyZ!
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #6
    susie09 said:

    Great news that your breast
    Great news that your breast center will be getting a MRI machine. I really believe in all of us having one yearly. With a mammo, ultrasound and a yearly MRI, we've certainly covered all of our bases.


    Good luck MollyZ!

    I have yearly MRI's plus a
    I have yearly MRI's plus a mammo and ultrasound every 6 months.
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #7
    DianeBC said:

    I have yearly MRI's plus a
    I have yearly MRI's plus a mammo and ultrasound every 6 months.

    Just one bit of advice
    Just one bit of advice MollyZ. Be sure and contact your insurance company to verify that they will cover a MRI. Many will refuse it as it is a very expensive test. Good luck!


    Jan
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #8
    missrenee said:

    Yes, Molly, I too have very dense breast tissue
    The reason my cancer was never caught on mammo. I would never trust just a mammo again for me. I will be having yearly MRIs and ultrasounds as well as mammo. My mammo report actually says because of the dense breast tissue and my new history, it would be prudent to supplement mammos with MRIs yearly. I don't think the insurance will have a problem with it. And, if they do, I'll fight like a girl to get it done.

    Good luck to you. And, never be sorry to vent. You're entitled!

    Hugs, Renee

    Yes, I have dense breast
    Yes, I have dense breast tissue too, so, I have a mammo and ultrasound every six months, and, a MRI yearly.


    Jan

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