In a few weeks, I will be departing ORD on AA to IAH. I just had breast surgery and am sporting two, fairly ugly, vertical incisions. I have been selected for the NoS on my last 5 flights and I always opt-out. But I am trying to figure out what the best option will be for my upcoming flight.

I know the screener is supposed to ask about "sensitive areas" but my breasts really hurt right now. Not to mention, there is swelling and I fear that the frisk will be quite painful...so I'm considering a one-time trip through the NoS.

I'll be traveling alone and want to avoid pain (first) and a trip to the private room (second). I recall all the early stories from humiliated breast cancer survivors, so I'm wondering if scars are still cause for alarm (and a secondary pat-down)? Any recent experiences out there?

Yes - your scars will almost certainly cause an alarm, causing a feel-up.
Ask Sharon Cissna (D-Anchorage).

There is no good solution to this problem, except to intentionally fly through airporta without the NOS's. You would have no problems with WTMD's.

Good luck!

Unfortunately, I don't really have much of a choice when it comes to airports. I was just thinking that it's been a while since all of those high profile breast cancer indignities made the news...I was hoping that "retraining" or whatever they call it had taken place by now.

I'm very sorry to inform you that just last week an acquaintance who had a mastectomy was rubbed down in the area following a full body scan, as well as asked "What do you have here?" (with a pointing gesture). She was very shaken by the experience.

I am very sorry that you don't really seem to have much of a choice. Try to position yourself far from the machines, if possible, and wear close fitting clothes, if possible, to try to decrease your chances. I wish you luck.

Do MDW and HOU have the NOS? If not, consider calling AA, telling them of your situation and asking them for a refund, then booking WN MDW-IAH and return. Otherwise, if not price/time-prohibitive, rent a car and drive to MSN (or another nearby airport) and start there, connecting at ORD. No need to return there, though.

MDW has Millimeter-wave NoS's.

The NOS machine does not recognize anything. It does a scan of a passengers body and sends the image of the passengers body to the TSA Screener in the secret room and after they inspect the image of the passengers body. The TSA Screener determines if the passenger gets the patdown or not.

Now if the NOS could actually recognize objects on the body and they had robot TSA Screeners to do the patdown. The passengers would get better treatment.

If you have prosthetics then your best bet may be to opt out as standard pat down is only supposed to touch from the side. But TSA supposedly bends over backwards to help people like you so you should use the national and/or local contacts and ask TSA how you will be screened. It's telling that none of the TSOs that post here ever answer these sorts of questions. And pathetic that you have to worry about this.

I agree that is pathetic that these kinds of concerns are part of the pre-trip experience.

On the bright side, I saw my doctor today and he said that stitches are not visible in the NoS, but as shenah mentioned, prosthetics are. Since I only have stitches, it will be a game-day decision based on how sore/tender I am. I will be wearing a surgical bra though and if that causes any issues, I will yank my shirt off right there on the footprint map!

If I've learned anything here on FT it's don't go in the private room if you are travelling alone!

Will the NOS recognize both dissolving and removable stitches? Perhaps if the OP's are dissolving, that's what the doctor is referring to?

Also, what's the difference between a surgical and regular bra? Does the surgical one have some sort of prosthetic? If that's the case, perhaps consider wearing a thin shirt between your skin and that bra? That way you can even take it off and put it through the x-ray machine; just make sure your outer shirt is loose enough if you're self conscious about your appearance (though that doesn't sound like the case).

Lastly, if you are hassled at all, make sure you remind the TSO that if they spend too many days operating the cancer machines, this may be them in a few years.

At MDW, one can usually easily find a line with WTMD by going to a security line on the far left side of the checkpoint.

Take this advice:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfu8sHwS_n4

"Probe yourself"...love that!