Boobs In A Vice

One of the more challenging aspects of getting older is accepting the changes to your body and the new and wonderful medical procedures that you must endure. When women hit the age of 40, we must begin to undergo mammograms. This sounds simple enough. Obtain a digital image of your breast to look for any abnormalities. Unfortunately, to obtain the image you have to place your breast on an x-ray plate and then have it maneuvered into place and then clamped in a vice.



Not only are they clamped and flattened from top to bottom, but then they do them side to side. Its an uncomfortable procedure. The technician will maneuver your breast into place, clamp it down and then tell you not to breath. ("Honey, I couldn't breath even if I wanted to!") You hear the whirr of the x-ray and then the tech releases your boob and tells you to breath as a huge sigh of relief escapes you. If you are lucky, there is no problem with the image causing them to be re-taken.

I have had the procedure done twice. Both times I have had wonderful, compassionate female technicians who were gentle and explained the procedure in detail.

This being said, even though there is brief discomfort in the procedure, the alternative is much worse. I have several friends who have undergone treatment for breast cancer and I would much rather catch it earlier than endure cancer treatments.