Breast exams and screenings
 

During my annual exam, my doctor feels a "density" in my right breast. So, not surprising, she schedules me for a mammogram and ultrasound. I approach my appointment, not worried (albeit a little nervous), and proceed into the wonderful experience.

The technician conducting the ultrasound is a bit puzzled and calls in the radiologist. A bald-headed man in his ... oh, mid 50's maybe. He begins to discuss what he's doing and what he's seeing.

And it was at that moment, that I slipped into The Twilight Zone!

He's actually referring to "me", as "owner of the twins".... "my twin sisters". "Well, let's take a look at her twin and she what she's like".

Come on, I'm laying in a small, cramped, stuffy room with two female technicians and a very well respected radiologist discussing my twins! This was not the way I wanted to spend my afternoon!

Have any of you other ladies had strange experiences during the exams and screenings that make us all uncomfortable, anyway?? :eek:

I think that sometimes staff try to make light of situations in different ways to take your mind off of it is all. Patients do the same thing for themselves sometimes. You ever notice that during a GYN the doctor will usually make some sort of small talk? I always thought it rather strange as I know when I am laying back with feet in stirrups I just want to get the experience over and done with.

One piece of advice for anyone going through this. Caffeine tends to make breasts a bit more lumpy, those who drink a lot of caffeine will find themselves undergoing diagnostic mammograms, stereotactic biopsies and ultrasounds more frequently. This is even more common in younger patients as their tissues are considerably more dense as it is. The caffeine tends to promote fibrocystic breasts which are fairly common. One of the problems is that those patients go through more trauma and pain due to the extra testing and often give up on mammograms because they assume that they will always have false positives. It is very helpful if you can reduce your caffeine intake for a few days before your physical and for a few days before your mammogram. You will find that not only do the breasts become less cystic but the mammograms will be far more comfortable.

Great tip, Katyanna.

Sounds like an uncomfortable situation, Taja. I hope your tests turned out ok.

I wouldn't want to be treated that way either, Taja.

If it was me, I'd never go back.

I would take it with humor as it was probably meant, or it could be that he was actually referring to your breasts as twin parts (left/right). Either way, I would let it go. If you were uncomfortable you can ask to be seen somewhere else if needed.

Once while on the the table for surgery, just before going under, I felt the whoosh of the sheet and cold air and heard the anesthesiologist say O we have a good one. I remember at the time drifting off goofily thinking Ive still got it, but when I woke and thought about it I was dismayed at the comment. I still am.

I went into an examine room and this women...I swear was touching me in ways i've never been touched before...and she kept looking at me like she was turned on. I've never experienced that before...and not since that day. It was sooo wierd. I felt like she was touching me in a sexual way...it was wierd...lol...just wierd
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There was also this time where the doctor kept saying that I had been "fucked"...and everytime I would talk about this one sexual experience...she would say "you mean you got fucked"...he 'fucked you"..and I was like NOOOOOOOOOOOO. We had sex and it was both our first time...we've known each other for 6 year and I just want advice on what to do kind of thing. But, she insisted on saying the word fuck and it really pissed me off! She made it seem like the guy used me or something...and was trying to relate to me...who was a teenager at the time.