Can you imagine the whining we would hear if men had to screen for testicular cancer by having their balls put in machine that compresses them like pancakes?
Most women I know have some sort of a mammogram anxiety story, even if they are lucky enough not to have had any experience with breast cancer. For some, it is multiple call backs, for others repeated tests, excruciatingly long waiting periods, false positives, or just the plain embarrassment of being "handled" by a male technician.
And then, of course, there is the pain -- ranging from slight discomfort at one end of the spectrum (ha, ha) to a 10 out of 10 at the other end. I have heard that mammograms are more painful for large-breasted women (from large-breasted women), and I have heard the reverse -- that they're more painful for small-breasted women (from small-breasted women). My boobs, I repeatedly tell my husband, must be the perfect size, because I honestly don't think mammograms are more than slightly uncomfortable (and believe me, I am not so good in the pain department.)
One woman I met recently said she would rather get a colonoscopy than a mammogram. (Really? My mammogram prep consists of anxiety-induced, cream cheese brownie gorging.) Unfortunately, for many women, the fear, anxiety and embarrassment surrounding the mammogram -- the "why would I put myself through that?" feeling, outweighs what they perceive the benefits to be, and they choose not to have a mammogram at all.
Why does the whole process have to be so miserable? It turns out, it doesn't. It really doesn't. I was lucky enough to find a breast imaging center in the Boston area that has totally figured it out -- it does it right. It does it so right, in fact, that for the last two years, when I left the center after my mammogram, I hopped into my car, and started laughing to myself, "I can't believe how great that was! I have to write about this." And then, because it was over and the results were good and I called a friend on the way home, and I am over 50, I forgot. Or maybe the radiation just went to my head.
I know I sound a little silly getting all excited about my mammogram place, but believe me, I have gotten silly over stupider things (you should have seen me when I discovered audio tapes for the car) and don't knock it until you've tried it (as my mom has instructed me in such cases).
The Boston Breast Diagnostic Center, in Wellesley, Massachusetts is the brainchild of Dr. Elsie Levin, a nationally recognized breast cancer expert. Dr. Levin is all about compassionate breast health care. Based on her 19 years of providing care for patients at a hospital diagnostic center, she knew the mammogram experience could be a lot better. She set off to change it by creating BBDC, the first freestanding imaging center dedicated to breast health in the Greater Boston area.
I won't bore you with the details of the technology and the credentials -- you can read all about the Aurora Dedicated Breast MRI System and all about Dr. Levin on their website. But this place is unlike any other mammogram I have ever had not only because it is state of the art, but because it is so human.
The place looks like a spa, not a medical center. "We wanted to change the patient experience and replace the clinical atmosphere of hospitals and imaging centers," Dr. Levin said. When I entered BBDC for the first time, I thought I was in the wrong place. I actually asked the receptionist if I was at the correct address. The furnishings are beautiful, the chairs and sofas are comfortable, even the lockers look like they belong at a golf club. I felt as though I was going to be taken to a massage therapist -- not to a boob squishing.
The staff treats you like you are a real person, with real anxieties. They get it. They handle you gently, apologize if the plates are a little too cold, and always treat you with the utmost respect and dignity.
Based on two years' worth of experience, they take you on time. On my second visit, I was in and out in a half hour.
Dr. Levin read my mammogram as I was getting dressed, then without delay told me everything was normal, yet invited me to her office to take a look at my pictures and answer any questions I had.
Many follow-up procedures can be done on the spot. The center has high resolution ultrasound, dedicated breast MRI, and a full compliment of biopsy techniques. "This helps alleviate the anxiety often associated with beast imaging and awaiting results, which at some centers can take weeks," Dr. Levin says. And that is big. Very big.
And let's not forget the convenience factor -- parking at BBDC is a piece of cake. There's a big parking lot out front. And it's free. Great icing on that cake, right?
Clearly, Boston Breast Diagnostic Center is the model for the future. Dr. Levin should be congratulated (and if you go, you can congratulate her in person). Was your last mammogram experience like this? I only hope more of these types of centers open up around the country -- we women deserve it.
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