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I work in breast & ovarian ca research at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. We ask women who are coming in for mammograms & breast biopsies to donate a blood sample and fill out a questionairre for research---we're trying to find proteins in the blood that would allow us to create a blood test that could be another tool, in addition to breast self exam, mammos and biopsies, to help detect breast & ovarian cancer in women earlier than it's being detected.
That being out of the way, I don't know any way to have your mammo less stressful (mentally & physiologically) than it already is. However, getting a good nights sleep the night before, and just trying to be as calm as possible is really all I can prescribe (pun intended). It's painful, unfortunately, because that's the only way to get a clear picture of breast tissue, which is generally very dense and fatty (even moreso if you're premenopausal).
I deal with women EVERY DAY who have just been diagnosed with various types of endometrial, ovarian, cervical, uterine cancer, as well as women who have already had a unilateral mastectomy or several biopsies. I can't claim to know where you're coming from, but I can let you know that being scared, nervous, apprehensive, and all those other crazy things called "emotions" are perfectly normal and natural, and I'd worry about someone who WASN'T worried.
I've got some literature at home (i'm at work now) and I'll PM you some of the stuff in there. Good stuff. Solid science. My company works to ease suffering through research and development of treatment---this isn't some company that just wants to push drugs on you to get you out of their hair. The people I work with have genuine care and love for their patients.
Please don't overly stress yourself about your ultrasound & mammo. Stressing out will do nothing for yourself or the tests. There's going to be anxiety no matter what, but do what you can to remove yourself from it. Go to a park. FEed some birds. Do mindless, beautiful things that you enjoy and (I know this is impossible), but try not to think about it. Of course that's impossible. How about this=---try not to WORRY about it. You can't change the results. Your worrying can't change the results.
Just know that here at DU, and I'm most certain in the 'real world' you have a huge network of people who love and care for you and who have you in their prayers/thoughts/dreams through this time.
Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I'm not a doctor, or a nurse (yet), but I've got alot of information available to me just because of the nature of my job, and I"ll be more than happy to answer anything you may have :)
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