Health

My first mammogram: What it's like and why I didn't wait until I was 40

CENTRAL FLORIDA — Editor’s note: Katy Camp is the Digital Content Manager for WFTV.com.

Katy Camp made a pledge to herself this year to make her health a priority.

So even though she's not yet 40 years old, she decided to have her first mammogram because of a strong history of cancer on both sides of her family.

"My doctor said that I would be eligible for the BRCA testing and that my insurance would probably cover it," Camp said. "I went ahead and did this because even though I'm on the elder millennial scale, you always see in the news that younger women are getting breast cancer."

Read: 9 Facts about BRCA Mutations and Testing

In fact, the American Cancer Society says almost 13,000 women younger than 40 were diagnosed with breast cancer last year.


Camp allowed a camera to follow her through her mammogram appointment so that others can see what happens – and to address one of the reasons why so many women say they don't make or keep their mammogram appointments: Because it hurts.

“It’s not comfortable. It’s not a day at the spa,” Camp said. “It’s fine. It was brief. Frankly I have sports bras that are more uncomfortable than the compression in the machine.”

Read: 9 Facts about mammograms

Camp's BRCA tests came back inconclusive – something she and her doctors will monitor. Despite the uncertainty, she's still confident she made the right decision.

“I would rather know and then just work with my doctors on monitoring that, and work with whatever test comes down the line,” Camp said.

Vanessa Echols

Vanessa Echols, WFTV.com

I have been a member of the Eyewitness News team since 1992 and currently anchor Eyewitness News at Noon and 4 p.m. on Channel 9.