full of questions...

 I don't believe age has not a darn thing to do with your chances of testing positive/negative for breast cancer.  My mother and her mother both had it and both were different types and they were drastically different in age when detected.  I do know if it weren't for my mother testing positive at 28 years old I would have never had the mamogram that produced the odd lump because i am still considered to be too young to require one.  Can someone please tell me now why is it that mamograms are for the most part age restricted?  If it weren't for my mother's case i would have never even known what i know about the cyst that i have.  Regardless of the fact that what i do know about it is still very little, but i guess i just wish that it didn't take a situation like mine to get the annual testing that pretty much all mature females should be receiving. 

Can someone please help me to understand why mamograms are with-held this way?

I personally think that it is time that we (the royal we here???LOL) start to get serious about getting legislation passed that madates mammograms for women who are old enough for a pap smear. Too many young ladies have died and their families have suffered for lack of being taken seriously. I think this might have to be my next project!

I for one was lucky to have been followed closely because I had bloody discharge from my nipple, even though I didn't feel a lump. I also lived in a very urbanized area with some of the best medical care nearby. This is America and all women (and children and men) should have access to the best medical tests/treatment at the right time (ie: before an issue arises).

I just ran into a woman checker in my grocery store who was volunteering information that she couldn't go for a mammogram because she couldn't afford the price of the copay because she was paying so much in other medical bills at age 65. To me, this is not acceptable. Her feeling was that she had no BC history in her family, so it couldn't affect her. Even when I told her at 40 I was dx and NO ONE in my family had it, she still felt it was a genetic disease. Something must be done, and maybe that's what God has been showing me all along these last 16 months. Hmmm..

Thanks for letting me vent. Stay tuned for the next installment of "One-year survivor vents to online list".

Laure'

   Lori, I don't wish to be argumentative, but i must restate the fact that the lump that has been detected in my left breast was only detected through a mammogram.  The Dr. herself never once detected anything abnormal with them durring the physical exam and there wasn't anything else other than my family history recommending me getting checked out and cleared.  Low and behold only the machine itself was able to tell this highly dense DDD size Breasted 24 year old that there was a lump in there slightly smaller than a dime.

Thank God for a Dr. who doesn't take any chances, risks, or, gambles.  And God help those whose Dr.'s still do.

Michelle,
I wish you the best of luck with the last 2 chemos. I did a bilateral mast. and because of the Oncotype DX genomic test, it was determined that chemo wouldn't do me much good. I'm on hormonal treatment and lupron to suppress my ovaries. Not a picnic, but certainly nothing like chemo. My DH had his 2nd bout with cancer 10 years ago at the ripe age of 35 and he had lots of the same chemos that bc patients have, plus some really aggressive ones. It was a very difficult time, but 10 years later we're thankful for all the meds available to help treat him.

I look forward to when you're stronger and we can gang up and fight this bogus ideology that some drs have about age and mastectomies. Hang in there and keep in touch!

Laure'