This editorial series, Women’s Health, is brought to you by The Iowa Clinic and Des Moines Mom. The Iowa Clinic’s Women’s Center offers coordinated care so you can schedule all your appointments in a single day. All 5 original articles from the Women’s Health series can be found here.
When you turn 16, you get your driver’s license.
When you turn 18, you’re officially considered an adult and can vote!
When you turn 21, you can buy yourself alcohol.
When you turn 40, you get your first mammogram. It’s sort of like the other rites of
passage, except this is one to see if your body is starting to betray you. Your body, once
pounded into submission, starts getting whiny about the way you treated it in the past.
Your skin does not appreciate all the sun damage you subjected it to in your teens. And
while the other birthday milestones are usually met with celebrations and festivities,
getting older is not for the weak-kneed (literally).
When I turned 40, I dutifully scheduled my first mammogram like all good 40-year-old
women. I had some wisdom and advice from other women and thought that I was well-
prepared for my appointment. I knew to expect some slight discomfort and some
momentary squeezing but that it was quick and that I shouldn’t worry.
What I wasn’t prepared for was a technician who had some issues getting clear images
and had to reposition me multiple times. I certainly wasn’t ready to be told that I had
“dense breast tissue” that required another appointment with ultrasound images. But
even then, I wasn’t worried.
Then, after my mammogram and ultrasound appointments, my doctor still wasn’t happy
with what they were seeing. I’m adopted, and my family medical history is unknown. I
could opt to have routine mammogram appointments every six months, where they
would closely monitor the area of concern for changes, or I could get a definitive answer
with a breast biopsy. Given all these factors, I was strongly encouraged to have a breast
biopsy.
I felt outraged and like my body was playing tricks on me. I just turned 40! Why was my
body doing this? However, I complied and scheduled a breast biopsy. I nonchalantly
started asking some of my older friends if any of them had had a breast biopsy before.
Most of them had not, and again, I felt my body’s betrayal firsthand.
I nervously went into my biopsy appointment. I didn’t know what they would find and if I
would come out hearing the dreaded “C” word (cancer). I had a pretty clear idea of what
would happen and was pleased by my doctor’s patience in answering all my questions
and explaining the process. During the procedure, my doctor gave me his preliminary
thoughts but said the official results would take a couple of days. The pain wasn’t too
bad (topical anesthetic), but I was surprised to learn they would take ANOTHER
mammogram right after the biopsy was completed so they could have images of where
the marker was placed. (It seemed like pouring salt in a wound to have to get a
mammogram right then, but in hindsight, it makes sense).
All in all, it’s good to know that the problem spot in my left breast isn’t cancer. Having a
breast biopsy was not a great 40th birthday present. Having peace of mind, however, is
definitely a gift.
The Iowa Clinic understands that women are busy and going to the doctor isn’t always a priority. That’s why they developed the Women’s Center with coordinated care. Their scheduling staff can coordinate your annual exam, mammogram and other testing to be done in one day at one location.
