Bosom buddies: Friends start new tradition of getting mammograms together
Courtesy of Washington Health System
Friends, from left, Lorraine King, Jennifer Butler, Karen Harrer, Annette Cramer, and Marsha Kulka recently had their mammograms together at WHS Washington Hospital.
Courtesy of Washington Health System
Sonya Willard, a registered mammographer at Washington Health System Women’s Center, is a breast cancer survivor who encourages women to get an annual mammogram.
Five women who have a friendship spanning decades have started a new tradition – getting mammograms together each year.
Lorraine King, of Bullskin Township, Fayette County, said she and her friends regularly make time for girl time, but they haven’t been as diligent about getting their annual mammograms.
“We’re awful about getting mammograms. None of us have gotten it regularly, and that’s what made us do it,” said King, referring to herself and her friends, Jennifer Butler, Karen Harrer, Annette Cramer, and Marsha Kulka, all of whom are in their 50s. Between jobs, hobbies (all are involved with horses), children and grandchildren, scheduling a mammogram often ended up on the back burner.
So, during a get-together for dinner in March, conversation among friends somehow turned to the cold, metal squeeze of mammograms, and how the yearly ritual might be fun if they went together.
King’s nephew, Terry Wiltrout, is Vice President of Operations at Washington Health Systems and President of WHS Greene, so she suggested the ladies get their mammograms at WHS Women’s Center.
King gathered the women’s names, ages, and insurance information, and scheduled five appointments for the same day and at around the same time (although, Harrer noted, they twice had to reschedule due to vacations and other appointments).
The five, wearing “Save the Seashells” T-shirts Harrer had picked up for them on a recent trip to St. John’s, arrived for their appointments.
They chose to get a 3D mammogram, an imaging procedure that allows doctors to examine breast tissue one layer at a time. It converts digital breast imaging into a stack of very thin layers, or slices, building what is essentially a 3D mammogram.
The staff at Washington Hospital quickly and efficiently got through the five appointments, Harrer said.
“They’re great at Washington Health System. It’s such a nice atmosphere, everyone was nice to us, and we were a little louder than the usual patient,” said King, laughing.
Afterward, the “breast friends” visited Hollywood Casino at The Meadows and then enjoyed lunch.
King said that going with friends not only helps ease the discomfort of the mammogram, it also holds each of them accountable to make sure they get their screening.
“How else are we going to remember, and just go do it? It’s so much easier when we’re all committed to go together and when you have the support of friends. It’s fun to make a day of it,” said King. “When it’s just you, you can renege on it.”
Harrer said she typically procrastinated when it was time to schedule her annual mammogram, which is recommended for women over 40.
“We have busy schedules and I was babysitting a lot. At a doctor’s exam, she asked when was the last time I had gotten a mammogram. I have an aunt who passed from breast cancer, so all of that got the ball rolling,” said Harrer. “We had a great time. We always have a good time together.”
Breast cancer will affect an average of 1 in 8 women sometime in their lifetime. It is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in women.
Several studies prove that early detection is vital in the successful treatment of breast cancer and other types of cancer. The best way to detect cancers early is through preventative screenings.
During the pandemic, however, the number of women keeping up with mammograms and other annual preventative screenings plummeted.
For the five bosom buddies, mammograms are going to be marked on the calendar annually.
“We plan to do this every year,” said King. “It forces us to (schedule a mammogram). It’s a new tradition.”
For information about mammograms at WHS Women’s Center, visit whs.org or call the center at 724-223-3313. Screenings are available at the Women’s Center, WHS’s Peters Township Diagnostic Center, and WHS Greene.