Human hand thermography. Medical thermography

My primary care doctor was asking me to get a mammogram. I don’t really want to. I had one when I was thirty-eight because my grandmother had just had surgery to remove breast cancer in her left breast. It was on my mind even though I didn’t think I really had cancer. I am so sensitive to everything in life that if I had any kind of cancer brewing in my body, I think I would become aware of it pretty quickly. I read a few articles that seemed to shed some light on mammograms a little bit. When I first read them, I felt sure that I didn’t want to get a mammogram but on a second reading today I think it can be useful in some cases.

The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, whose advice helps set government policy on screening tests, says women ages 50 to 74 should get screened every two years. those in their 40’s or 75 and older should talk with a doctor to see whether the benefits outweigh the potential harm. https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/02/can-mammograms-cause-cancer/index.htm. The value of mammograms had been questioned in November of 2009 when the U.S. Preventive Task force recommended that routine screening for women with an average risk of breast cancer should start at age 50 instead of 40. https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/mammograms/benefits_risks.

There was a study posted to the Harvard Health Publishing – Rethinking the Screening mammogram – where they said that mammography is not useless. “They estimated that about 20% of women with small tumors that could only be detected with a mammogram received therapy that might be lifesaving. But the other 80% of women did not benefit. Similarly, estimates suggest that about two-thirds of the reduction in breast cancer deaths in recent years is due to better treatments, not better detection.
In an article published in Medical News Today it says that the benefits are that over the next 10 years for every 10,000 women who get regular mammograms, the number of women whose lives will be saved thanks to the mammogram is approximately:

• 5 out of 10,000 women aged 40-49
• 10 out of 10,000 women aged 50-59
• 42 out of 10,000 women aged 60-69 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316632.php

I also know that breast cancer is linked to unforgiveness. According to an article Lori Johnson a journalist for CBN, “Of all cancer patients, 61 percent have forgiveness issues, and of those more than half are severe, according to research by Dr. Michael Barry, a pastor and author of the book, The Forgiveness Project.” The Deadly Consequences of Unforgiveness 2015, CBN. While I do consider myself a forgiving person with bouts of unforgiveness in my past that I have worked through, I do not feel like I am filled with bitterness as my grandmother was.

Henry wright was a pastor for over thirty years at a small church in Georgia. He has been involved in a spiritual healing ministry or a better word for it is deliverance ministry where they focus a lot on repentance. In his book Be In Health he says about breast cancer, “Case histories are documenting this bitterness through the ministry. The insight is as follows: cysts or tumors appearing in the left breast tissue seem to follow unresolved bitterness and conflict between that female and another female blood relative, such as mother, sister, aunt, or grandmother. Tumors or cysts that appear in the right breast seem to be the result of unresolved bitterness and conflict between female who has the tumors and another female (non-blood) relative) such as a mother-in-law, a person in the workplace, a person in the church or possibly her husband…this holds true for 80 percent of all cancer cases…breast tumors just disappear when that woman forgives another female.” Pg. 236

I do regularly repent of any sin of unforgiveness and while I realize that that is not the only factor contributing toward any type of cancer, I feel I am willing to take the risk of not being tested at least for the time being because I feel like I don’t want the extra radiation at this time.

I decided to get a thermography which is described really well by Dr. Josh Axe, “The primary way that thermal imaging works is by detecting temperature variations related to blood flow and demonstrating abnormal patterns associated with the progression of tumors. When the body is viewed through a thermal imaging camera, warm areas stand out against cooler areas, and changes in patterns can be tracked over time. Because cancer cells are growing and multiplying very fast, blood flow and metabolism are higher in the areas near a growing tumor, which means skin temperature near these locations increases.” https://draxe.com/health/thermography/

While thermography is considered an alternative test and not approved by the FDA the idea behind it makes sense to me. I got a thermogram done while I was trying to get pregnant with my daughter through IVF and using high doses of estrogen to lower my FSH and grow egg follicles. My thermogram was a little more concerning and had one vascular vein that looked not normal compared to the rest. That was seven years ago. I got another one done about a year ago and that one very vascular vein looked a little smaller and less dark on the pictures.

The Thermogram results showed I was at medium risk and suggested getting a mammogram done if I have not had one within the last year. Everyone must do their own research and make their own informed decision about what they feel is right for them and their own body. Thank God we continue to have medical choices for the time being.