MS, Mammograms and Self Advocating

I recently went to the hospital for my routine annual mammogram and what should have been an uneventful test turned into quite the fiasco. The test which normally takes about 15 minutes took me well over an hour.

My wheelchair which elevates, reclines, and even stands could not easily position me in the optimal place. As a result, the films came back inconclusive and we had to repeat the whole test over again.  The technicians, who remembered me from the year before, could see that I was getting really worn out and that holding my arms up for an hour was becoming very difficult.

The whole process was once again very exhausting and somewhat embarrassing. I am the person who never likes to complain to her doctor. Only this time, it paid off to be honest with her. After a short conversation with her she simply told me that I did not need to have an annual mammogram anymore. Instead, she would order an annual breast screening MRI. After several years of angst and mammograms, it only took my doctor a few short minutes to solve my problem.

While this story is somewhat awkward for me to tell, it reminds me that some problems have a simple solution and that it all starts with a conversation.

Limitless Lizzie

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