A friend of mine whose sister had been diagnosed with breast cancer was going to get a mammogram, we were in our thirties so it hadn’t crossed my mind, but

she said “maybe this is something you should do, too”.

Always willing to support a friend, a believer in preventative care with no knowledge of family history, and shockingly with insurance that allowed me to self refer - I scheduled a scan.

The results must be sent to a doctor, so I wrote down the name of my PCP. 

A few days later I get a call -  “Did you say that I recommended you get a mammogram? Because I did not” 

“No, I wrote your name in the box that said PCP” 

“You’re too young for a mammogram and have no history, the results are a false positive, but since the scan shows something I’m required to recommend you get additional scans, so orders have been placed. Call to schedule”

CLICK  

Hurt, ashamed, shocked - I never followed up. Then five years later my gynecologist asks me a question - “Do you want a mammogram at 40, 45 or 50?” “Forty” (ummm ... obviously?)

“Oh my goodness Elizabeth” she says with a deep sigh of relief a few weeks later “I’m so glad you said forty” 

December 19th 2024 - sitting in a room with three doctors, the words invasive ductal carcinoma rolled around in my brain as I struggled to comprehend what I was about to go through.