Not a whole lot to report - I did get in the pool on Monday night and assess my wonky shoulder. I have some work to do to get it back, but I can do more with it than I thought.

I am frustrated, irritated, and inconvenienced by the whole boob thing and went a few rounds with my doctor's office to get the okay for an ultrasound followup to my thermogram - the knee-jerk reflex was "go for a mammogram" which set me off completely. Anyone with half a brain reviewing my 20 year history can see that I'm one of those "types" that mammograms don't work for, so let's cut to the chase and go to the tests that do. I am more than willing to pay out of pocket for something that would provide an ANSWER - but I'll be damned if I'll put up with being crushed and irradiated to get yet another "dunno".

Deep breaths. My weight is on a good trend, and I've been eating better than usual.

Go to another doctor or clinic, your peace of mind is at stake.

And yet, if anything wonky shows up on a mammogram they'll schedule you for the ultrasound anyway. It doesn't make sense that they can't just send you for the ultrasound. I think I'd be changing doctors, too. BTW, my very first mammo was wonky so I had an ultrasound (that really upset me, but it was all fine). Two years ago, I changed cancer centers for my mammo (wanted it closer to home). Of course the first one there was wonky, too, so I had an ultrasound. All was fine although my doctor was a bit upset at it. I wasn't this time because I knew it was due to going to a new provider (even though they said they got my previous scans from the other center).

Seems our Canadian boobs are as much of a mystery as your American ones. I have yet to go for just one mammogram - always have to go back for a second look. Yet we do not get the ultrasound instead - must ask my doctor at my physical Dec. 1.

Dagmar

Up three pounds from my weight during last week's crisis. As I expected, the loss is temporary and I won't keep it.

Like Alison, I knew from my abs that I'd be up.

More worrisome is some binge behavior. I thought I'd reached a truce with that. It happens with mixed nuts. I'll tell myself I'm just picking out one variety from the mix, and then that rapid hand-to-mouth, hand-to-mouth thing kicks in, and I enter into oblivion. I had an awful time stopping and putting away the can, though I did. I felt myself "permitting" myself to continue instead of stopping it. My low weight must be at the back of my mind: I do it partly because I can.

bargoo, I am thinking seriously about that. My doctor is a thyroid specialist, and he really is outstanding, but his "MD is showing". I don't mean that as any kind of insult - he is very smart, keeps up on latest findings, and was the one who recommended I go with a thermogram because I threw a fit about the crappy results on mammograms (for ME - and I do recognize that they are an invaluable screening tool for the majority of women). If I were in a position to need acute medical care, I would trust him completely. And he's an @$$hole and he makes me laugh. I just want to explore some less damaging and less stressful ways to figure out what's going on, and to try to address this early warning with other measures.

allison, you've perfectly articulated my point! I can tell you the results of that mammogram right now. I have had two benign lumps removed, 20 years apart. Neither was found with a mammogram. Both were perfectly apparent on an ultrasound. The doctor at the thermography center said that there's a pending action to require that women like me (small dense ones that don't xray well) receive literature at every mammogram stating that data indicates this particular test is less reliable for us. Grrrrrrrr.

dagmar, yes, boobs are a mystery. They deserve special treatment and NOT to be lumped (bad pun, I know) into a single category. For some of us, "more" just doesn't work - there was one awful year where I kid you not, they took EIGHT pictures of one side. That was when I drew the line and said never again. 8 pictures, and they still had to confirm with an ultrasound!


Thanks everyone, for letting me rant. If I thought there was even a remote chance that there was a real problem, I'd pony up for an MRI. Which I will do, if the ultrasound shows anything. I'm not stupid - just crazy! I'd just prefer to get accurate information quickly, instead of jumping this hurdle that has proven worthless (for me) repeatedly. I feel like a cow being prodded through a chute!

Ladies. let me tell you a story, over 20 years ago during a self exam I discovered a lump.went to see my Doctor, he looked at it, did not order a mammogram and announced I had fibrocystic disease, I was as happy as could be with that diagnosis and went on my way without question, now I was seeing Dr. Jerk every six months for other reasons, did he look at the lump again ? Noooooo. After 2 1/2 years the lump was still there and growing, by this time I could see, it there was also dimpling present, I had heard this was not a good thing so back to Dr. Jerk I go this time he ordered a mammogram and within a week I was in the hospital having a mastectomy. I asked my surgeon if I had been misdiagnosed , his answer "Probably". Fast forward 20 plus years , I had symptoms that I had no idea were related to breast cancer but after a Bone Scan ,PET Scan and yes a mammo I got the good news that I have Metastisized breast cancer. No one knows why it spread after 20 years but it is my belief that during those 2 1/2 years of doing nothing that the cancer cells were having a party in my body.
If you have any doubt at all about your diagnosis or mammo, get a second opinion.

Bargoo, . Your experience is what makes me keep searching for the right screening tool. Knowledge IS power ... and having time to react to the findings is paramount.

bargoo . I was so fortunate that, even though my kindly elderly doctor told me I just had "lumpy breasts", I followed through and requested a second opinion. My lump was benign but there was some question about the composition of the cells so out it came. I have been fine since then and went happily to a woman doctor for years. Now I again have a male doctor but he seems to be very up to date on things. So if you have a well-meaning but out of touch doctor switch ASAP! Or tell your knowledgeable doctor who wants to do things his way that you want another opinion.

We are very short on GP's here in Ontario so we have to prettty well take whoever will let us in to their practice. I would rather see a woman doctor because she would have an intnimate knowledge of my "parts" - having those same parts herself. I got in to my doctor through 2 of the other dogwalkers recommendations. DH got in because of me. A lot of GP's are not accepting new patients. Ours is a weird system.

Dagmar

Dagmar

Dagmar , I guess what I was trying to say don't just accept what the Doctor tells you, I believed him because I wanted to believe that what he was saying was true.
Many years later I went to my female internist, she sent me to a female neurologist, who told me the truth, she then sent me to a female pathologist, she sent me to a female oncologist/radioligist who sent me to a female surgeon. I now see a male oncologist regularly. PS chemotherapy all staffed by females who see both female and male patients.

Today I went to get the results of my food allergy testing. In addition to gluten, I shouldn't eat eggs, dairy, almonds, kidney beans, beef and several other things. My breakfast this morning consisted of egg whites and Greek yogurt--yikes!

Deprivation has always been one of my binge triggers so I got kind of panicky, but I need to put on my big girl pants and realize avoiding those foods should help other health issues. Anyway, while I was there, I asked my dr. about diabetes risk because my sister was told that she has some issues with that. The first thing my dr. said was, "Well, you're thin. . ." I have no idea what she said after that because I was thinking, what the heck has she been drinking, then that morphed into, okay, the doctor says I'm thin, yippee, go have a candy bar. It's so amazing where my mind went with that one little statement. I'm almost 60 years old and disordered eating and body dysmorphia have followed me all my life. On the bright side, I'm glad I'm 100 lbs. lighter with the same issues rather than 100 lbs. heavier!

Sheila~so cool that your doctor called you thin. Sorry you missed the rest of the message, though! How long have you been having food issues? I had no idea that food allergies would strike someone older, however, my MIL for years could not eat avocados and broccoli saying it caused intestinal chaos. She can eat them again after 20 years without, but only in moderation. That is a strange list of no-no's however. Almonds? What about other nuts? And dairy. A life without cheese would be dreary for me!

Hugs to Sheila and Becky for dealing with their medical issues.

Becky-- I hope you get some answers soon. Bargoo-- thank you for sharing your story. I didn't know you would still have a risk after more than 20 years. I need to relay your story to my best friend. Her mom had stage 4 breast cancer probably about 20 years ago and I'm not sure if she gets regular exams now. Having also had atypical mammograms and ultrasounds (and two biopsies with benign results), I pay close attention to my yearly mammograms but have learned not to panic when I get an atypical result.

Saef-- your nuts are my grapes. I succumbed to buying them again and then I binged on them. I'm mad at myself but moving on.

Sheila53, how/by whom did you have your food allergies tested? I have some foods I can't eat and some that bother me, but I've never been tested.

I'm reading this and remembering my mammograms, ultrasounds & aspirations.
Thoughts that crossed my mind while reading these posts:

Dammit, they're **our** breasts, we should be able to have them imaged by whatever technology we choose.

And that Bargoo is onto something. A small but significant portion of my life's troubles might have been averted if I listened to the little nagging voice that was advocating for my doing something inconvenient or uncomfortable for me, rather than going for what was easier and figuring "it will all work out."