by Leigh Ann Young of baseballlovestory.com
Based on the American Cancer Society’s recommendation, annual breast cancer screenings should start at age 40. Why? Because one of the keys to beating breast cancer is early detection. Since I am comfortably in that age bracket, I decided to schedule mine at Charlotte Radiology’s Mobile Breast Center. Have you seen these cute pink buses around town? These mobile screening units are comfortable, state of the art imaging centers with qualified all-female teams taking their expertise “on the road” to outlying areas like Waxhaw, Gastonia, Steel Creek, Mooresville and Mount Holly. The mobile unit is also parked around the city of Charlotte on occasion helping Charlotte Radiology’s existing centers see patients quickly and conveniently.  I went directly to the website and made an appointment.
What is a mammogram? It is a low-dose x-ray exam of the breast. Multiple pictures are taken by a female technologist who will position your breast between two compression paddles. Each picture lasts only a few seconds.
Here I am entering The Mobile  Breast Unit. They asked me to wear a two piece outfit and no body powder or deodorant.
The waiting area is comfortable…not that I had to wait long. Appointments are generally scheduled in 30 minute blocks.
 Meet Donna. She helped check me in. I gave her my insurance card and photo ID and she gave me a simple form to complete that consisted of some health questions and the name of the doctor where I wanted my results sent.
A dressing room is connected to the screening room to ensure privacy. This is why they ask you to wear a 2 piece outfit. You are given a shirt with snaps in the front for easy access to “the girls”.
Anne Marie was my x-ray tech. She helped position me in the machine. Her job is to get a clear picture of the breast tissue.
So I had heard mammograms were uncomfortable. Here is a list of “things” that I found way more uncomfortable than my mammogram:
Dancing in high heels…..bikini wax…..chemical peel….carrying a 20 lb handbag all day….. double pigeon in yoga class…..wearing spanx in August…..taking a  pre-natal vitamin on an empty stomach….. and walking into a cocktail party where you only know a few people. If you have done any of these, then a mammogram is totally doable.
The entire diagnostic section is open and warm. Anne Marie is checking the images on a computer screen to verify she has a clear picture for the radiologist to read.
That’s it. It took all of 30 minutes maybe less. A written report will be sent to my physician within 2 weeks of my visit.
 We have come a long way with women’s health issues and concerns. All the testing, research, fundraising and lobbying have brought us to this moment. Stop. Look down at your ta ta’s. If you can’t remember the last time you had a mammogram then schedule one at Charlotte Radiology. It is quick, easy, insurance pays for it,and it might just save your life.
If you don’t have health insurance…check out Levine Cancer Institute: Project PINK. Sponsored by Carolinas HealthCare System’s Levine Cancer Institute, this breast outreach program provides education, free mammography screening and follow-up care to women who qualify. Go to the Levine Cancer Institute: Project PINK website for a list of dates and locations.
A special thanks to Donna, Anne Marie, and Katie who walked me through this process and do it everyday for many women. Also, thanks to my photographer Joseph Decker who helped me take the mystery out of the process and offered to photoshop my wrinkles.
