Excuses? Talk to the Hand

There are a ton of excuses you can use to avoid the gym, justify cheating on your diet or even to avoid a bad date. However, needing to wash your hair, forgetting to wash your favorite gym shorts, or promising to start fresh tomorrow won’t work when it comes to your screening mammogram. Here are few more of the most common excuses:

• Time: Whether your busy life has your schedule too tight for an exam or you feel that your time for early detection has passed, time is against you. The whole procedure takes about 20 minutes. Also, BayCare has online scheduling for screening mammograms to make things easier.
• Pain: The pain of a mammogram outweighs the pain of breast cancer. While new developments in screenings means slightly less pain than before, there’s still some discomfort. But it’s only uncomfortable for a minute!
• Fear: We all know someone or someone’s friend who was diagnosed and battled breast cancer. The fear of finding a lump or a spot on a mammogram is enough for anyone to be hesitant before a screening. However, 98 percent of women have a five-year survival rate when the cancer is detected early.
• No family history: While a family history of breast cancer does increase your risk, there’s a significant number of those diagnosed who don’t have a family history. Remember, one in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetime.
• Too young: The American Cancer Society recommends a mammogram starting at age 50, so it’s natural to ignore the subject until that time. However, you should speak with your physician about the risk factors and family history that would warrant an earlier exam.

Beating breast cancer is in your hands and BayCare is here to provide a full range of breast health services. We’re here to help with prevention, early detection and a variety of treatment options. With over a dozen locations throughout Tampa Bay and the central Florida region, we’re committed to helping you put your health in your hands.