Maybe you could start having your check ups in September, before all the 'pink' ads start showing up. Then when they do show up, you can feel glad that you've already done yours, and are all clear. Stay in tune with your body/breast for the lumps, like your doing now.
Leslie

If I were you, I'd just keep reminding myself that the test could save my life.........I and many others here have had the Breast Cancer would whispered in our ears and are thankful for having had those tests.

Seeing those pink ribbons is NOT stressful to me- instead, I see $$$ HELP for breast cancer research & HOPE for cause & cure. (I buy from companies who donate portion of each sale to this.)

Try grammahony's great suggestion...simple logic. I never even thought of it!

Suzi

For some reason, I just don't worry about it, I try to keep a sense of humor about it all and I realize that so many people are going thru things that are so much more serious than anything I've ever had to worry about. It also helps that we call this appt- "going to get yer hat checked" which was started by my mother when she complained that the doctor looks so far up ya that "he can see if your hat's on straight." lol The time she asked me to drive her because the appt day was going to be stormy, and Woody asked her if she was afraid her "hat" was going to get wet, only made us laugh harder.

OK, seriously- I agree that Leslie's suggestion is the perfect solution for you. And I hope your cyst is gone by appt. day and that you sail thru this checkup with no worries! I had cysts removed a few years ago and I honestly never worried much about it, the odds are so in your favor that it's nothing to worry about, but still you have to be careful.

Good luck!

I never worry about it. I make sure I have one every year because I have breast cancer on both sides. My Mom had one removed 22+years ago and one of my father's sisters also had breast cancer. I also get cysts so have to have it redone occasionally. I guess I am not the worrying kind. What I really don't like is annual PAP. Now that is uncomfortable in so many ways! LOL
Clare

I just had my annual mammogram. I look at it as something I must do. I had a biopsy 10 years ago (it was benign) and I will not miss the annual exam. Also, a good friend and my sister both had breast cancer and I have seen what they have gone through. Compared to that, having a mammogram and exam is nothing. Relax, it could save your life.

I know exactly how you feel. Just thinking about my mammogram makes my heart pound. Ever since my Mom died at age 81 from breast cancer (it's even hard to type that) I have an abnormal fear of breast cancer. I don't mind the actual mammogram (doesn't hurt) but when she manually examines me I wish I could be unconscious (I know, it's stupid). But I still go every year and put up with the nervousness, because we all have to take control. I'll think of you when I go for mine and try and relax for both of us. You'll be fine

dex215, I don't get nervous because I figure I'm in God's hands, but it IS painful for me. I have the most tender breasts in the universe I think and I hate, hate, hate it when they put that plate down and squuuueeezzze and squeeze until I think I'm going to pass out. Then she takes her sweet old time getting to the x-ray machine and I think she fiddles around with something back there before she finally comes to release the pressure. Then I get to look forward to the other one....I'll keep going through it though because it COULD save my life.
Lattefairy, just think how good you'll feel once it's over. Reward yourself afterward.

I personally resent all the pink stuff and campaigns against breast cancer. You know you are much more likely to get skin , lung or other cancers. There should be just one campaign against ALL cancers. I lost my Dad to liver cancer and my favorite cousin Jimmy to leukemia. I don't fear getting a mammogram. I get one every January. It's uncomfortable but not terrible. I'm tougher than that.

I don't worry about it. I used to worry about everything. Then I went to a seminar about dealing with stress. The lady who was speaking said worrying about something won't change the outcome. If the worse does happen you are so stressed from worry you aren't as able to cope. Well, that's not exactly how she said it but you get the idea. I just thought that made a lot of sense. If I find myself in "worry" mode I try to remind myself that it doesn't help.

Linda

Lattefairy, I go thru the same thing as you every year as well. I had fibrocystic breasts & every year it was the same thing--they need extra/magnified views, they need an ultrasound, mammograms every 6 months for awhile & at age 34 after a lump was found I had a breast biopsy which turned out OK, but I've never really gotten over the anxiety. Even after 20 years, I still get stressed & I hate it, but I know how important early detection is. I used to go around Easter, & my anxiety got so bad, that I dreaded that whole time of the year, so I changed when I went, so I think grammahony's idea really does help.
But, I am prone to depression & anxiety, so I do take medication now, & that helps me tremendously. I come from a long family of worriers..lol
I recently had to have a 2nd colonoscopy. My first one (at age 49) was good, & on this last one (5 years later) I had 3 precancerous polyps removed. So, as scary as these necessary tests are, they can be life savers as well.
I wish you the best outcome for all your tests.
Blessings ~~ katclaws

Oh, I forgot to add. The next time you make your appointment, see if they can do a "Same Day Read" before you even leave the facility, you will know your results. This helps those stressful call backs which always seem to come on a Friday afternoon, causing an agony-filled weekend/week.

This happened to me on a Good Friday and I had to fly back to Chicago the following week to have the mammogram redone--turns out that it was a flap of my own skin that showed up. Believe me, I was so stressed by that, I was ready to jump out of the airplane on the way there! Whenever I schedule my mammograms now, I always request Same Day Reads & they've always honored my request.

I haven't read all of the replies, but here's my perspective anyway.

People spend literally thousands of hours in worry about things that will never happen. Will my child be snatched from a playground? Will my teenager die in a car wreck? Will I get breast cancer???

Yes, some of these things MAY happen at some point in your life. But if you take reasonable care, i.e. watch your child in the park, regulate your teen's driving, get mammograms, then you seriously need to put these worries out of your daily life. Only worry when there is something to worry about!

Hey, I'm one of the very few who can say my husband had to have a radical mastectomy - it wasn't cancer, but it was invasive (cat-scratch fever), and most of the breast muscle and all of the lymph nodes were removed. He's still here, 26 years later, still with scars. But he's still here!

I don't wish to downplay the risks of cancer by any means. But chances are you don't have it. Get the tests recommended, catch it early if you do have it. But stressing about a simple diagnostic test is counterproductive.

I wish I didn't know exactly how you feel, lattefairy, but I do! :)

I don't worry now, but I did for years and couldn't seem to help it. I'd go through the same thing when I had to visit my dermatologist; I'd be thinking melanoma for sure.

Why don't I worry now, you ask? One word: Zoloft. LOL I wish I could say I learned to deal with stress by meditating or controlling my own emotions, but I never managed to do that. I can't say I miss the undercurrent of anxiety in general that I'd come to think of as normal.

One of the things about menopause I'm really enjoying is that I no longer have such fibrocystic breasts and mammograms aren't painful anymore, thank goodness.

Hang in there, lattefairy! I'd look at the other women in the waiting room who were calmly reading magazines, and I'd feel that I was the only one who was hellishly nervous. Now I know I probably wasn't the only one.

By the way, I love your name.....and welcome to the talkative part of the KT!

Oh honey, can I ever identify with you and katclaws!!! I had my first mamo @32 because I had a huge lump. Then the biopsy, (turned out to be juvenile pappillomatosis[sp?],) then another biopsy a year or two later on the same spot (scar tissue?), then one more a few years later on the other breast. So far, so good (I'm 48 now,) but yes, I still worry sick with the exam and mamo. I think I worried so much during those years that I gave myself severe stomach problems and high blood pressure. Every time my breasts hurt, which was all the time, I was sure I had a new lump and felt like I wanted to vomit. And you're right, the pink ribbons everywhere did not help! My appt. is usually in late spring/early summer and I have noticed over recent years that they seem to have a secondary breast cancer awareness month = the month of May. I did cut out caffeinated coffee and tea which helped A LOT with the pain and lumps. I had a wonderful surgeon who had the best bedside manner possible, and she understood the fear. When they "cut me loose" from her after I had no more problems for some time, I felt a little frightened, but I can still see her if need be. Two years ago I had a water-filled cyst that she aspirated. My gyn is fairly no-nonsense and I always remind her of my fear. I feel she gives a thorough exam which I very much appreciate, because if truth be told, I'm too scared to give myself very good ones. (What's thaaaaattt?????? Lol!) After dealing with this fear for years, I've learned to discuss the what-if's with myself, and I'm pretty religious, in a private way. Though I know that treatments are sooooo much more successful than they used to be, my immediate feeling when I think I might have a lump is a huge kick in the stomach. On the day of the exam or mamo, I'm almost relieved because I feel that it's not in my hands anymore and if there is something that needs to be seen to, now's the time.

Do tell your gyn about your fears and ask her to chat a bit with you while she's doing the exam, if you don't think it will distract her; (are you laughing?) You have all my empathy. I think those of us who worry sick usually had some experience to make that happen, and the doctors should understand

I have all my tests regularly and don't stress out about any of them. I'd rather know bad news sooner than later.

Thank you so much, everyone! Your input has helped me a lot and even gave me a good chuckle! ;-)

I feel more positive now. I just need to stop fretting about it. lol I've been considering buying some Yoga DVDs. Any good suggestions?

I just hope that my cyst goes away on its own completely before my checkup. It's a lot smaller now, so hopefully I won't need another needle aspiration. :: keeps fingers crossed ::

Thanks again! :)

Update: I am happy to report that everything was normal and that the cyst didn't need to be aspired. Since I told my doctor about the cyst - when I went for my annual - they did a diagnostic mammogram followed by 2 ultrasounds. I liked the diagnostic mammogram better because 1) The radiologist looked at it right away and I left the Breast Center knowing that all looked good and 2)They got a zillion views, more than they would with a screening mammogram.

I am glad it's over with. Whew!

Isn't that the best feeling in the world????? I'm so glad all is well for you, and thanks for checking back in.

Yaaaaaay! I'm happy for you!

I get a mammo every January. I joke that they turn my 32A's into 44 longs. It really doesn't hurt. I am sick of those pink ribbons. I had a stroke in 2001, accompanied with kidney failure. I've been on dialysis over a year. Where are the ribbons for my disease? Life just isn't fair.

I'm really glad to hear everything is ok for you! I have to go on Tuesday to have a procedure done to see what stage my "pre-cancerous" cells are at that they found from a test about 2 weeks ago.... Yay! "sigh"

Thank you! :)

Nicki - Good luck tomorrow! Sending my best wishes your way! ((((Nicki)))) Keep us posted on that.