What to Expect at Your Appointment

The Screening Process

Before the Exam

• Doctors orders are needed to get a mammogram
• We encourage appointments in advance
• Wear a two-piece outfit, no powder or lotion and only light deodorant on the underarm and breast areas
• Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your exam to complete needed paperwork
• Plan for the mammogram to take 20 to 30 minutes
• You will be notified by mail of the mammography results. All results are confidential.

During the Exam

You will enter the bus through a reception area, then proceed to a private mammography suite where a brief breast-related history is taken. Because women desire privacy during the exam, precautions have been taken to ensure privacy and confidentiality. A female technologist will take the brief history and perform the exam. A compression device is used to help position the breast. It will be slightly uncomfortable, but only for a short period of time. You may be asked to hold your other breast out of the way of the compression device. Two views (or more) are taken of each breast. During the x-ray exposure, you will be asked to hold your breath and remain still. The entire process usually takes approximately 20-30 minutes.

After the Exam

After the mammogram, you will dress and return to the reception area, where you will be told about how your test results will be communicated to your doctor. Literature about breast health, cancer prevention and general medical topics is available on the bus.

Bonnie’s Bus is equipped with a state-of-the-art digital mammography unit, ensuring that the screening test result is the most precise mammogram image available. Board certified radiologists read all mammograms provided by the bus, usually within a week. A computer-aided detection system serves as an additional review measure to flag areas of concern. The results of your mammogram will be sent to you in the mail and to your doctor.

Follow-up

After the review of your mammogram, if any abnormalities are found that suggest a need for further diagnosis or treatment, you will be referred back to your local referring physican and heathcare facilities for diagnostic evaluation. A physician’s order is required for all diagnostic evaluations. Any followup testing will be scheduled by the local physician in the local facility of your choice.