i'm kicking my self in the A...

JulieC · August 2004

well folks, after all the encouragement & good advice I was given here, to go ahead & demand a biopsy..I went & threw away my appointment! I'm so mad at myself & I feel like a stupid fool. I was tierd, not feeling all that great & I didnt want to drive out of town to the hospital where my doc is located. excuses, excuses, excuses I know! I always tend to put myself last & play down my need for health care but just let my husband or children try it! aint gonna happen! anyway, I feel like I've really let myself down & it pisses me off! stupid! foolish! careless! selfish! well, I'm going to reschedule & this time I will make myself go no matter what! on another subject.....I've been hearing alot on our local news staitions here about how MRI's are much butter at discovering cancer in the breast than mamograms or sonograms. But insurance companys will usually only cover that expense if your family history shows breast cancer. which mine definately does & that is why I'm so mad at myself. anyway, so I was wondering if anyone else has heard about this MRI vs mamogram thing or perhap had personal experience with this..?..Julie

ksfc · August 2004

Julie, I'm a two year bc survivor and now use breast MRIs. My cancer was very difficult to detect on a mammogram. Then, following cancer, I had another mammogram and that combined with radiation effects and such led to a bout of vasculitis and cellulitis by my lymph node incision. So, the docs didn't want me to do any more mammograms on that side. A lot depends on your age. For pre-menopausal women with denser breasts, MRIs can definitely be an advantage. My doctors say there are advantages to both depending on the circumstances. Now, quit beating yourself up and just resolve to take good care of yourself from here on out. - Diane

KarenKL · August 2004

Yes, I have heard the same thing from my surgeon that MRI's are better at finding cancer than Mammograms. I had a mammo done and it didn't find anything and my tumor was pretty good sized not to find it. The mammo techs. will even tell you they are not that accurate. So if your ins. will pay for a MRI do it, save the time and hassle and have correct info. right away. Good luck.
Karen

seeknpeace · August 2004

Hi Julie...I am told that as I have had a bilateral mastectomy, and can still develop breast cancer, I will be given MRIs now. There are still cancer cells left behind, but, with the tram flap, that is just fat tissue and so you do not do mammos any longer. I am just gearing up for the fight over the cost. I have a 150 deductible and if I were to be having a mammo it would only be 15. So, I am going to try to get the MRI reduced to the mammo co pay. Anyone else had this issue?

seeknpeace · August 2004

seeknpeace said:
Hi Julie...I am told that as I have had a bilateral mastectomy, and can still develop breast cancer, I will be given MRIs now. There are still cancer cells left behind, but, with the tram flap, that is just fat tissue and so you do not do mammos any longer. I am just gearing up for the fight over the cost. I have a 150 deductible and if I were to be having a mammo it would only be 15. So, I am going to try to get the MRI reduced to the mammo co pay. Anyone else had this issue?

oops, I mean breast cells are left behind, not cancer. Sorry.

cruf · August 2004

seeknpeace said:
Hi Julie...I am told that as I have had a bilateral mastectomy, and can still develop breast cancer, I will be given MRIs now. There are still cancer cells left behind, but, with the tram flap, that is just fat tissue and so you do not do mammos any longer. I am just gearing up for the fight over the cost. I have a 150 deductible and if I were to be having a mammo it would only be 15. So, I am going to try to get the MRI reduced to the mammo co pay. Anyone else had this issue?

Hi! I had a single mastectomy and tram flap and I still get mammos to the reconstructed breast. There is no contraindication to doing mammos on a Tram Flap breast. I don't get ultrasound tho on the reconstructed breast.

mom62 · August 2004

Julie,

The mind can play awful games on you when you don't want to believe/or do believe something might be wrong with you. Please make another appointment and go. I kept putting off even calling the doctor to check me out because I thought something might be wrong and didn't want to deal with it. You are stronger than you think, and remember it may be nothing at all. If it does turn out to be cancer you can get through it. I used to look in the mirror 20 times a day to see if there really was a change in my breast. Don't beat yourself up over it, just make an appointment and take someone with you who will make sure you go. I had a mammogram and they saw the cancer, please don't be afraid and go. If you need to talk please feel free to email me.

Terry

Unknown · August 2004

I know you feel like kicking yourself, but most of us go through that. There are times when a person gets so tired of the process it seems like our brain just zones out - been there, done that.
My reconstruction is with a saline implant and so I usually end up having an MRI in addition to the mammogram because they can't see through the implant on a mammo. Also, most of the implant manufacturers don't recommend a mammogram because of the danger of rupture. I have no idea how that works on a tram flap, but the women who have one can tell you.
Hang in there, we're all rooting for you!
Clara

seeknpeace · August 2004

cruf said:
Hi! I had a single mastectomy and tram flap and I still get mammos to the reconstructed breast. There is no contraindication to doing mammos on a Tram Flap breast. I don't get ultrasound tho on the reconstructed breast.

Hmmm...that is interesting. As I am told, the new breast is constructed soley of fat, and that is not where cancer will develop. It will be in the chest wall or in areas that a Mammo cannot see. Not the actual breast. There is no breast tissue there.

i'm kicking my self in the A...

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