Tomorrow is my 40th birthday...so today, I gave myself a birthday present. I took myself to my doctor and got my very first mammogram. It's amazing how certain events in and around your life can change your perspective on LIFE. Last year, the dreaded disease of breast cancer took the life of my sister in law. And I am proud to say that my aunt, is a breast cancer survior. So needless to say, this disease has touched my life personally.In January, when I had my annual doctors visit, he reminded me that my 40th birthday was coming up later in the year and that I soon needed to make an appt for my first mammogram. Well, of course I stalled because I've heard HORROR stories of how uncomfortable this procedure is. On a funny note, I've heard it described as being the equivilant of laying on your garge floor and closing the door down on your breast...LOL. Ok, it wasn't THAT bad, actually. Don't get me wrong, it was uncomfortable. But if you do what they tell you to do, it's a breeze. Let's put it this way...my appt. was at 10:40 this morning. I checked in at 10:15am, they called me back at 10:20am and I was getting in my car and LEAVING at 10:30am!!! Piece of cake!!!
I will end this post with a plea to all my female readers....Do your monthly self exams!! And when the time comes, GO HAVE A MAMMOGRAM!!! It only takes a few minutes of your time. You're cheating yourself AND your family & friends if you don't go to make sure you're healthy. Remember, you're the only YOU we have!!!
Talk to you tomorrow...when I'm a little older :-).
2 comments:
I'm so proud of you for getting it done!
Happy Birthday and congratulations! Go have some cake and ice cream. ;)
Dawn I know this a personal question but do you have fatty breasts by any chance....I konw I know I sound beyong crazy.
Here's why I ask...I had to have a mammogram done in my 20's as they found a lump...the lump ended up being nothing but a tissue mass that I still have to do this day and still have to get it checked out regularly.
ANNNNNNYWAY...when I got the mammogram it hurt so bad that I swore I'd never ever go back to get another one. It was the most pain I have ever experienced. I actually started crying.
The nurse explained to me that if I had (at the time) more fat or flab on my breast it wouldn't have hurt as much.
Of course if I went back now I wouldn't feel a bloody thing with the amount of fat, flab and then some that I have around my breast now!!!
The next time I went in the doctor was trying a new machine that was basically a sonogram so he just smeared that gel on the breast and used that wand thing!!! It was a breeze then and I have no idea why that machine didn't take off.
I've always said if men had to put their you know what in the mammogram machine and have it squashed to the size of a quarter the procedure would have changed YEARS ago!!!
Sorry for making my comment a post!!
Post a Comment