New Mammogram Guidelines, Really?!

The government has come out with new guidelines for mammograms, I am so upset about them that I don’t even know where to begin…..

Here are the current facts/statistics for Breast Cancer –
-1 in 6 women is diagnosed with the disease. (who is the one in your circle of women?)
-Someone dies every 3 minutes from the disease.
-Mammograms save lives – I am living proof.

In April of 2008, at age 44, a routine mammogram found my breast cancer. It was small, 1.6 cm, but extremely aggressive, Triple Negative Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.
If I had waited another year until I was 45 or even 6 years until I was age 50 to get a mammogram, I would most likely be dead by now or by the time I got a mammogram.

Mammograms save lives!
Every women should get a baseline mammogram at age 40. And based on her risk factors, should get one every year or every other year after that.

Some risk factors are:
-Is there a history of breast cancer in your family?
-Is there a history of other kinds of cancers in your family?
-Did you give birth to any children? (if yes, you have a lower risk)
-Did you breast feed? (if yes, you have a lower risk).

I hope that the guidelines don’t influence women to become complacent in their care or allow insurance companies to deny coverage of mammograms.

I can not stress enough the importance of regular Dr. visits and mammograms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GET YOUR BOOBIES SQUISHED! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~