My first one was painful and the mammographer unpleasant. Didn't want to ever go back.
My second one (after I had sat in the cold cubicle with my book waiting for mammographer number 1 to finish audibly torturing the lady before me) was ok with no problems and in fact I got the nice mammographer. Except that just as I thought the long wait for the results meant fine, I got recalled
That eventually all got sorted - the breast clinic staff were very nice and helpful and did not hurt anyone. It was just a result of the limitations of the screening process. I used to have a diagram of people that came from an audit paper that is not online any more which showed the vast majority of people recalled do not have breast cancer, or anything else.
So, now I am overdue for number 3, I have a sore glands in the patch that showed up last time, so will probably get recalled again, and I am also worried I will get mammographer number 1 again. I am not looking forward to the fall out either
A friend of mine was recently diagnosed (not through mammogram - I think they missed her off their list somehow
) and she had a holiday booked, so they fitted her op in after the holiday, within the specified time, and she got a nice week in the sun to help get her through it.
So I would go ahead and book