Pulse of UTMC

As I was driving into work this morning, I heard on the radio news that the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force  is now recommending routine mammograms begin for most women at the age of 50, not 40, which has been the standard since at least 2002.

As someone who has spent the last six months undergoing breast cancer treatment, my immediate reaction was frustration – I was 38 when diagnosed, no family history. 

But I found a lump myself, which was then further investigated with a mammogram. But it happened to be in an easy spot to notice, close to the surface. What if the location had been different? I can’t help but wonder what that tumor could have become in another dozen years, when I turned 50 and finally had my first mammogram.

And the Department of Health and Human Services says that breast self exams are “optional.” I can’t remember exactly when this recommendation changed from monthly self exams, but I think it was a couple of years ago.

So what do you think about this change? It’s not like the recommendation was made in a vacuum without consideration of data.  But are they just looking at lives saved, or are they considering other quality-of-life issues, too?

I haven’t come to any conclusions yet. What are your thoughts?

Nov. 8 through 14 is Nurse Practitioner Week. According to the Academy of Nurse Practitioners,  nurse practitioners play a vital role “in bringing high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient centered, personalized primary care to all populations of the United States. (I love their alliteration, by the way!)

Nurse practitioners, or NPs, much like physician assistants, which I wrote about in a past journal entry, provide care under the supervision of a physician. They can provide a ton of services for patients, including ordering/interpreting diagnostic tests, diagnose and treat, prescribe medications, and, I think one of the greatest things they can do – they can take the time to explain, counsel and educate patients.

Most recently, my personal experience with an NP has been with Pam Snyder, who works with Dr. Anita Leininger who ordered my biopsy and performed my lumpectomy.

Pam explained the biopsy process to me in a way I could understand. Later she would explain my cancer and the treatments options that would work for me. She also gave me a ton of reading material.

Most importantly, Pam took the time to answer my questions. She obviously knew her stuff, and by that I don’t just mean the facts about disease and treatment, but she knew what questions to ask me. She know how to look at me, how to talk to me. She knew how to make a newly diagnosed cancer patient feel a little more at ease after receiving some pretty heavy news.

And by the time I saw Dr. Leininger at these appointments, many of my questions had been answered, some information I already had forgotten (all of this can be a blur when you’re in mental shock over news) and was able to ask again, and new questions popped into my head in the few minutes since I had seen Pam. It made my appointment with the physician more efficient, and, in many ways, more effective.

In a few days, I’ll share with you more about Pam and about her life as a nurse practitioner.

Thinking about making a career change? Check out UT’s College of Nursing.