My First Mammogram...

So, I am 35 and my doctor recommended me to go for a baseline mammogram. I was a little intimidated by this whole idea because for as much as I am on top of the kids appointments, I tend to really dread mine. I do go through with it though because ever since having skin cancer, I know that something I had thought to myself was 'nothing' can really be something so everything needs to be checked in order to be proactive in maintaining a healthy life. Who knows what would have happened if I didn't mention that little mark on my ankle that I originally thought was a scar I got while shaving.
So I looked around online to get an idea of what to expect, and even after reading everything I still had a little anxiety so chose not to really think about it, just to go about my day like nothing and go through the motions - go to the appointment without giving any thought as to why I was there, so I couldn't get myself all worked up.
I had a vision in my mind of it being this bright white room, with myself and a machine in the middle and my boob being put in a clamp and squished while doctors watch from a plastic clear window. Silly I guess but that was what I had envisioned.
I arrived at St.Lukes north and was taken right back to the radiology waiting room, I first had an ultra sound (it was a great day as you can tell lol ) then I was brought back to the waiting room, the nurse came and got me and took me back to the changing room. It was there I learned that I should not have worn deodorant, she did not mention it to me but I read on the wall that we needed to use the wipies to remove any deodorant. I took a wipie and tried to scrub it off my armpit because I tend to be a little heavy handed with the deodorant. I think I got it all off. Then I had to put a little mini gown on that just came to my waist and left the open side in the front.
She came back for me pretty quickly, we went into a small room (no big white examining room) that had a pretty large machine taking up the middle of the room. It had clear plates on it that they use to compress your boob. She had me take off one side and she took my boob and put it on the platform of the machine then turning a knob adjusted it to be snug on my breast, which was nice. I thought the machine automatically adjusted itself down on my breast. She took a pic then re adjusted and took another from a slightly slanted angle. In the end it was two shots on both sides, then she went back for 2 more which was one on each side and tried to get as much of my arm pit area inside of it as she could.
It was pretty fast, it was definitely pain free. I think most women avoid this because of the awkwardness of someone situating your boobs like that - but after 3 kids I am not really bothered by it. Other then that I cannot see why people make these out to be so horrible.
I would get this over a pap test any day.
So my results where at my house on the 2nd day after the test, I was given a clean bill of boob health and they recommend one next year, I am assuming because people in my family have had cancer (although not breast cancer) so they want to be on the safe side.
I will discuss this with my doctor next year and if she agrees, I will go again. No big deal.
Easy Breezy - Just don't wear deodorant lol