Breast Cancer - Early Detection Plus Treatment Breakthroughs Equals Fewer Deaths
Breast cancer is no longer the death sentence it used to be since it is being caught early. Many people are living long healthy lives following their treatments - this is what I keep telling myself as the dates for my next mammogram and ultrasound to check for cancer come closer and closer.
You might also be interested in this post:
Just over 5 years ago I was operated on for uterine cancer, and then something was spotted in my breast exam so I have been having to return for mammograms and ultrasounds every six months to ensure that any new changes will detected quickly.
Do you have a breast cancer exam on the horizon? This post has a few tips that might be helpful to you in preparing for your breast exam. If you have been through a breast exam or two, perhaps you have some tips to share that could help others too. Please pop a note in the comments below.
Note: This blog has referral links that help our writers eat when you make purchases through them. Would you like to write on Canadian Senior Savings? Guest Bloggers are welcome. Please drop a note in the comments below.
 |
| Janice Chemo Beenie |
Things to Do Before Your Breast Screening
Men and women need to be doing breast self-examinations once a month. If they discover an unusual lump or discharge, they should contact their doctor immediately. There are three common types of breast screening done in Canada - Cancer Breast Exam or CBE, mammogram and ultrasound.
Preparing for Your CBE
A CBE is a physical exam done by a professional. Most websites do not give many suggestions for preparing for a CBE. However, from my experience, I would recommend the following:
- Pray. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you will know by now that this is my first go-to strategy for most things in life. Why? When you find something that works, you want to share it with everyone! Here is what I would pray for: Pray that the professional doing the exam will be in good health, well-rested and alert. Pray that if Our Creator needs me to go through this experience I will be able to be calm no matter what I am told. Pray that the right words will be put in my mouth and I will not regret anything I say.
- Plan what to wear - a two-piece outfit with a top that is easy to remove is best. Leave any dangling necklaces or other jewelry that might interfere with the exam at home.
- Wash well with scent-free soap - you want the practitioner able to breathe and not be gasping for air because you choose to use a product that could cause them to have an allergic reaction.
- Be prepared for a mammogram and ultrasound- just in case they can book you in for these tests immediately.
Preparing for Your Mammogram
I am very fortunate not to have ever experienced pain during my mammograms, but some people have not been as fortunate. It is said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so I believe it is best to do everything possible to prevent any discomfort or pain during your exam.
- Follow tips 1-3 for the CBE
- Schedule your mammogram at the right time of the month. The Canadian Cancer Society recommends not booking your mammogram within 7 to 10 days before your menstrual cycle as breasts tend to be more tender at this time of the month.
- Stop eating and drinking caffeinated foods such as energy drinks, coffee, tea, and chocolate. 5 to 7 days before your mammogram.
- Ask your doctor about taking a mild pain reliever a few hours before your exam.
- Do not use anything in your armpits before your mammogram. Things like deodorant, powder, or lotions can interfere with the equipment working properly. You might be given a disposable towel to dry yourself before the test. Call me a germaphobe, but I recommend bringing a sanitizing wipe or two from a brand that you have previously used to clean yourself thoroughly after the test.
- Check out the up-to-date advice on the Canadian Cancer Society website as medical advice can sometimes change overnight.
Find Breast Cancer Apparel Here Including Mastectomy Bras, Breast Forms and Prostheses, Post Surgical Camisoles etc.
Preparing for Your Breast Ultrasound
Usually, a breast ultrasound is only done if something is found in a mammogram. I have found breast ultrasounds to be relaxing - but gooey. Yuck! Breast cancer ultrasounds can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. During the exam, you will put on a hospital gown that is opened down the front. Then you need to somehow climb up onto a paper-covered examining table in a darkened room and lay there slightly on your side. (Cue the mission-impossible music.) A technician puts cold goo (transducing gel) on you that allows the scanner to slide more easily across your skin. The technician will sit beside you and run the scanner - called a transducer across your skin pressing it in once in a while to get a better image.
Many websites do not give any specific preparation suggestions for preparing for an ultrasound for diagnosing breast cancer. However, having been through several of these personally, I would suggest the following.
- Follow tips 1-3 for the CBE.
- If you have a disability that makes it difficult or mission impossible to climb up on an examining table inform them in advance that you have a disability.
- Bring your hospital gown!If you are plus size they may or have a gown that will fit. Besides- do you want to put on a hospital gown that has been lying around with everyone coughing and breathing and wheezing on it all day? I picked up hospital gowns at my local Dollarama for fifty cents each. Take it with you sealed in its plastic and ask if you can use it instead of theirs.
- Bring a bag to put your clothes in. I highly doubt you want to risk getting scabies or worse by hanging your clothes where the previous person put theirs. You might want to bring a fresh change of clothes with you too.
- Bring a soft cloth or sanitary wipe or two to clean off the goo after the exam. Either that or you have the joy of getting paper cuts from the rough paper they toss you to take off the goo.
- Be prepared not to have any privacy changing out of your clothes. Last exam I had I was told to get changed in a section that had a picture window on one side. Find clothes you can easily change into without being publicly exposed.
- Since you need to lay still for up to an hour, you may want to take a piece of unsweetened gum or candy to keep you from inadvertently coughing. It can also give you something to occupy your mind.
- Go to the washroom 30 minutes before the exam and 15 minutes later. You do not need or want to have a full bladder for this exam. Especially if you have a nervous bladder.
- Bring a treat with you to reward yourself after you are done or you just might be tempted to blow your budget. Trust me- you do not want to compound any anxiety.
- Practice deep breathing and meditation in advance to help reduce your anxiety. When my father passed away a minister shared this help meditation with me from Psalm 46:10 Be still and know I am G-d. You pray it up and down breathing between each phrase and thinking about each phrase as you gradually add and subtract a word or two at a time like this :
Be still and know I am G-d. (Breathe)
Be still and know I AM. (Breathe)
Be still and know. (Breathe)
Be still. (Breathe)
Be. (Breathe)
Be still. (Breathe)
Be still and know. (Breathe)
Be still and know I AM. (Breathe)
Be still and know I am G-d. (Breathe)
If this post has been helpful to you please pop a quick note in the comments below and let me know.
Thanks! Sharing this post with others is very much appreciated too.
Sources:
About This Author
Sister Su is grateful to God for keeping her alive. She is a Trent/Queen's Concurrent Education graduate with over 20 years of teaching experience. She writes on several blogs, has a YouTube channel and is most easily reached through Twitter @Sister_Su See her link tree for more details:@Sister_Su | Linktree
This post was proofread with the free version of Grammarly
(I will get a commission.)
1 comment:
Good story
Post a Comment