~ When Was Your Last Squeeze? ~

by tina~in_utI’m usually like clockwork. Every year. Without fail. This year, I don’t know what happened. I didn’t go get my yearly mammogram! I guess I could use the excuse that I was busy taking care of my dad. It’s really not an excuse, though. I still need to make that appointment. I don’t mind going. It’s just something I do for my family as much as for myself~

My grandmother died of breast cancer. I never met her. So when I was 32 years old, I asked to have a mammogram. My doctor agreed that it was time for a baseline. I went and have never laughed so hard in my life! I seriously asked the technician how in the world she was going to get a picture of me because I’m so small. She looked at me and said with a stone cold face, “I’ve worked with smaller!” The jokes just started flying from there. We both ended up crying because we were laughing so hard. It wasn’t that horrible experience that a lot of women say it is. Maybe it’s all in the attitude.

After I got the results from that test, I asked when they wanted me to have another. They said I could wait until I was 40 and then every year after that. I thought that was too long to wait when there is a family history of the disease, but the doctor reassured me and told me to still do the self tests.

Last year, I forgot to make my mammo appointment when I made my regular doctor’s appointment. After that fun exam was done, I walked up to the receptionist and told her I needed to make a mammo appointment. Without looking up, she pulled out the appointment book and asked me if I had implants. There was another lady standing there and both of us just burst out laughing. I told her that she had to be kidding me. She finally looked up and apologized and said that she has to ask everyone. I was more insulted by the apology than the question.

This time the office I went to for the exam was in another building with different people. They didn’t seem like they were much fun. No sense of humor. I looked around the room to find something other than my boobs to talk about. On a shelf were these ginormous metal trays. I asked what they were for. The technician told me they were for women with very large breasts. My eyes popped out. I could not imagine anyone’s boob’s being large enough to fill out, let alone spill over, these trays. The lady laughed and told me it was difficult to do those exams. I asked if smaller boobs or bigger ones are easier. She said the most difficult one she ever did was on a woman that barely had any nipples. She was so serious and tried to explain how difficult the procedure was, and it took her so long, that by the time she was done with her story, I was done with my exam. This one hurt just a little, but again, was no big deal (no pun intended!).

I used to be the person that thought ‘oh…..I probably have this disease or that disease’ and did not want to get checked for fear of what I would find. After getting married and having children, I gladly went to the doctor faithfully every year. I didn’t think it was fair not to do everything possible to ensure that my family had me around for as long as possible…….whether they like it not! When I hear of a woman who “thinks” there might be something wrong, a lump or something that is just “off”, I do everything I can to encourage her to go see a doctor. I would even go with them if I could. I realize there is the fear of the unknown, but it’s so much better to know and do something about it and LIVE! So, when was the last time you were squeezed? And how much fun did you have?