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Austin Radiological Association provides many women's services including
mammography,
bone densitometry,
breast ultrasound, breast MRI and breast biopsy. The following recounts the
emotional experience of one of our mammography patients.
Well, the procedure that I had
took me to the journey of a diagnosis which,
you know, nobody likes to hear that they have cancer.
But on the other hand had I not come in,
had I not had mammography and had I not had good physicians that were willing to
step the line and say this is something that I think that you need
investigate.
I would not have
probably had the prognosis that I do now.
My journey began
at Austin Radiological
when I was told I needed to have a second mammogram done as
a follow-up to my first mammogram which had a suspect area
and my physician referred me to ARA.
I came to the Women's Imaging Center here down in Austin and I felt
that it was a clean facility, I felt
comfortable, the waiting room was nice and comfortable. But the best thing I
think was the staff.
The people at the receptionists' desk
were always very kind and quickly scheduled me for something.
They knew I was there for a follow-up, they knew what procedures I should have
done
and I had the mammograms done
and I was told to wait and that the radiologist would speak to me about
it after she was able to review them. She thought that I should have a
stereotactic biopsy because there was an area that was very, very small which was
great news for me
but that she really felt that it needed some further investigation.
I felt a little
concerned and I don't know whether she read that or whether she just normally would
do this but she let me know that
they consult often as team members
on procedures
and then reassured me that there was nothing of concern, that she knew she was
doing
and that they just work as a team to make sure they get the best possible
outcome for their patients.
I felt great
when I left the procedure and felt reassured that they were working
in my best interest to make sure that they got things right.
So after that particular
procedure I waited seven days--
seems like a long time but I got my
results back--
and the results were that I had cancer.
And
we need
to understand that
the first steps that we take
are the important steps
and that
taking that first step to get the mammogram done and having confidence in
the people that
are doing procedures for you makes all the difference in the world in
how you proceed.