Boy can I relate! I've had fibrocystic breasts since my early 20s. They even called it Fibrocycstic disease, then. I've had probably more mammos than a cancer patient. I think I've gotten one at least every two years since age 24, and I'm almost 48!

One thing you need to keep in mind, those cysts fill up and swell with your cycle and, of course you know they can hurt like the dickens even when they're not squashed! I found it very beneficial to schedule my mammos right after my period. It was far less painful, and the cysts could still be seen.

A bit of good news...those evil beasts do improve! Through my 40s they have dissipated and all but disappeared as my cycle winds down to menopause. So you've got that to look forward to.

Either way, I'd rather be in pain, even for a few days (and like you, I would be believe me), than face surgery and/or chemotherapy. Still something less destructive feeling would certainly seem like a better option. I've had ultrasound done on my breasts too, easy, painless, and apparently, gives the doc a good picture. Why they don't do more of that, I don't know? Maybe because they already invested all that money in these great big squashing machines with no other purpose?