2024 Mammogram Results
At the end of January 2024, I headed back to the breast imaging center for my first screening mammogram since being diagnosed with DCIS in the fall of 2019. I was shocked last year when my surgeon pivoted me back to annual screening mammograms. Part of me was anxious about what would happen over the year if I wasn’t monitored closely, and another part of me was so excited not to have to have two rounds of anxiety-producing imaging each year.
Emotions Before the Appointment
Surprisingly, I didn’t experience too much scanxiety heading into my mammogram. I expected to have several nights of disrupted sleep and mood changes, but that didn’t happen this time.
Perhaps the relaxation from our recent trip to Cancun was paying out in my reduced stress level? Or maybe I have customized my coping strategies to make it possible to ride out the waves of emotion?
Whatever the reasons, it was nice to head into the appointment with a calmer mindset.
Strategic Mammogram Scheduling
This year, I made sure to schedule my mammogram on a Monday. I wanted to give the medical team plenty of time to review my scans during the week. In 2022, my imaging was scheduled late on a Friday, and there was no way to discuss my results with my team over the weekend. This didn’t work well, and I learned my lesson! Schedule scans early in the week.
I also cleared my day of any challenging commitments. I didn’t plan a long writing session or a video recording for that day. While I wasn’t going to do nothing on imaging day, I wanted to create enough space in my day to process and deal with any emotions that came up.
Monday is typically my day to do laundry and grocery shopping. Those tasks don’t take too much cognitive juice, so it felt good to do those things before and after the appointment. The chores gave me a sense of purpose as I awaited the appointment and then did errands afterward.
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Planning for the Results
Since this was a screening mammogram, I knew I wouldn’t get to speak to a radiologist right away about my results. If something came up, I would likely need to make another appointment for diagnostic imaging. This also meant that the quickest way to get my results would be by checking the report in the MyChart app.
It is critical to my mental well-being that I have agency as to when I get my results— especially with my breast imaging and pathology reports. I didn’t want an alert chiming on my watch when I was in the middle of something, so I decided to turn off the notifications for the MyChart app on my phone. I also wasn’t willing to wait until my appointment with my surgeon ten days later to find out my results.
The middle ground was to check the app a couple of times a day to see if the results had arrived. I thought that I would be comfortable with twice a day, but I’ll be honest, it turned into more like three times a day.
But how long would it take for the report to be ready? How long would I be in this in-between state?
When I checked in to my appointment, I asked the staff how long it would take for my imaging report to be completed. To my delight, they said the results usually showed up in a day or two. Knowing how long I might need to wait allowed me to set reasonable expectations regarding when I might see the report.
Post Mammogram Mocha
I don’t like getting mammograms, but I do love mochas. So, after I was all changed, I drove down the road to the nearest Starbucks. I’d planned for a mocha after my mammogram.
As I sat in the sun, enjoying the warmth of the day and sipping on my mocha, I felt myself relaxing. I had no control over the results, and there wasn’t anything I could do to speed things up.
I determined I would make the most out of this space between imaging and results by being kind to myself. Mochas, baths, time in the hot tub, reading fun books, and even playing several extra rounds of Emoji. Oh, and a trip to the local wine store to see if they had any French wines I could try…
Absent Anxiety— And Results
I was expecting more anxiety between imaging and results. But it didn’t show up. I did check the MyChart app more times than I’d planned, but I didn’t have the incessant worry or disrupted sleep.
I didn’t miss it, that’s for sure!
Bing… the results email slid into my inbox. Apparently, those notifications were still on.
Eagerly, I grabbed my phone and scrolled through the report. The radiologist indicated post-surgical changes and benign-appearing masses that were associated with biopsy clips. She noted that my breasts are Heterogeneously dense (Density C), and that was associated with the possibility of obscuring small masses.
And then the line I loved to read: “No suspicious masses, calcifications or other abnormalities are seen in either breast.”
WOOHOO!!!
I kept reading to find out my BiRads score, which was a 2, indicating benign findings.
What a way to start 2024!!!
I still had a week until my follow-up appointment with my surgeon, but I could breathe a huge sigh of relief. This 2024 mammogram was all-clear.
Jennifer Douglas
Jennifer is the author of "A Breast Cancer Journey: Living it One Step at a Time," breast cancer survivor, and patient advocate. Her book, published in 2023 by Bold Story Press, is an encouraging guide for breast cancer patients. It contains first-hand information, organized by topics, to help readers navigate the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery from breast cancer. Her writing emphasizes emotional, mental, and physical well-being along with empowered decision-making.
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