My Life with Breasts, Part 2

By Jeanette Johnson

I made an appointment at the Methodist Hospital Breast Center for my tests. I was a bit nervous that I would have to deal with some bigot. My insurance was paying for my tests so I needed to use my legal name (I am too old and the process is too difficult in Texas to get your name changed). There was no doubt that a female presenting person was standing before the receptionisht, but she asked questioning, “Mr. Johnson?” I told her I preferred JJ. 

She had me fill out a couple of forms and then gave me a clipboard with a clear cover and an eraseable marker. I was instructed to circle how I identified. There were choices of male, female, non-binary, male-to-female transsexual, etc. I chose M2F and sat down to wait.

Wearing a front opening gown.

A lady entered the waiting area and called “JJ.” She was tiny. She said I was one of the tallest ladies she had tested and joked that she might need to find a box to stand on. She gave me a white and pink gown and instructed me to leave it open in the front. She left me to change. I had been told to not wear anything with metal, but to wear two pieces so I could leave my bottom on during all the tests.

She returned and had me stand in front of the mammogram device. She place a tray like device on the bottom plate and had me rest my left breast on it. She adjusted my position until she was satisfied and then she turned a knob that caused the clear top plate to flatten my breast. It was not the most pleasant experience but it was not nearly as bad as I had heard from others.

My doctor had ordered a Diagnostic Mammogram rather than a screening one. This required quite a few more X-rays. I was repositioned several times and then she did my other breast.

My breasts were placed in a
tray between the two plates.

She handed me another gown to cover my front side and told me she was going to get the woman who would do my breast ultrasound.

She returned and waited with me. She asked why I had waited so long to have my first mammogram and I told her that I had a late in life growth spurt from taking estrogen. 

She then told me that her adult son had just come out as trans. I asked her how she was handling the news. She said she would always love her child and would do anything to make their life better, but she wasn't sure what to do.

I told her to just love her new daughter. I told her that it is difficult at times for the parents. I grabbed my phone out of my new pink “Breast Care Center” bag and showed her a book written by a friend of mine to help parents cope with having a trans child (Thriving Through Transition by Denise O'Doherty). 

The lady doing the ultrasound led me to another room for my ultrasound. A wand like device is moved across each breast. This device is normally not used for screening unless breast cancer is suspected. My doctor had ordered the ultrasound because I had never been tested before. Denise was charming and we had a pleasant conversation. The radiologist came in while I was still on the table to tell me my breasts were completely normal. 

She said my breasts were considered heterogeneously dense with more fibroglandular tissue than fat tissue. The dense tissue appears white or light gray while fat appears black on the x-rays. She explained that tumors also appear white so detecting cancer was harder with dense breasts. She wished me well and said, “I hope to see you a year from now.”

The fact that my breasts were more breast tissue than fat explained why they had grown so impressively over the last 18 months despite losing over 20% of my total weight. My breast were no longer the gynecomastia I had for so many years.

I had taken a violent fall wight months earlier which resulted in a hip replacement. My primary care doctor ordered a bone density scan which is also performed in the Breast Center.

Alejandra had me lie on a table with my legs separated and slightly elevated. A machine made a couple of passes above me and I was done. The results (which were sent to my doctor and me) showed that I have osteopenia which is slightly below normal bone density. 

Me and my mammogram tech

The radiologist's report suggested a daily drug but I think we are going to attack the problem with increased calcium, vitamin D and weight training. 

JoAnn, the lady who did the mammogram, saw me as I was about to leave and asked for a hug.  I wanted to put her in my pink Breast Center bag and take her home with me. I can’t imagine having a better experience than my day as Methodist Willowbrook Hospital. 

I wrote a letter to the hospital's administration explaining who I am and how well I was treated. I was surprised to open my emails the next day and seeing an email from the director of the Breast Center thanking me for my kind words that she would share that morning with all of the staff.

Wearing Cynthia Rowley

Roger Sloman femulating in an episode of British television’s Eastenders.