In 1989, I went for a follow-up with my doctor shortly after birthing you, Aly. Within days, I received a phone call from a Nurse Practioner, who told me I had "pre-cancerous" cells in my uterus. GAH! I was horrified! A week or so later, I was laying on the table, my knees in the stirrups, and the doc's scissors snipping away at my lady-insides. Double GAH! I was sent home with cramps and some antibiotics. Future exams have all come out fine, thankfully.
In 2007, I went for a routine mammogram--my first. I must say, having your boobs squashed is just as unappealing as having someone poking things into your va-jay-jay (sorry Jay!). Who knew "the girls' could be stretched so far and flattened in so many angles? The results revealed two suspicious spots on the left twin. Subsequently, the doctor scheduled me for a Stereotactic Breast Biopsy. I must admit, I wasn't horrified this time...I was downright scared! The SBB really wasn't all that bad. The anesthesiologist numbed the old girl up good, and the technician went to work contorting "Lefty" like she was a circus freak (my boob, not the technician). Unfortunately, I had a really bad cold and could not stop coughing. I was almost sent home, BUT I was determined NOT to come back again, and I somehow made it through the ordeal. I was sent home with an ice pack on said boob, and a beautiful pink rose. Days later, I found out the spots were simply calcifications (calcium deposits), a normal occurrence in aging breasts. (Hey wait! I was only 40!) What a relief!
Here we are, in 2013, and I had a small, out-of-control sebaceous gland, that reminded me I had not had a mammogram in a couple of years...uh....almost five years. Today I had another mamo. Damned if old "Righty" was feeling left out. Now she's got to go for a biopsy...same story as her sister. Alas, the right one just had to out-do the left one, and she had to sport clustered calcium deposits (four or more closer together), which the doc definitely had to take a look at. Yeah, not to worry, though. The majority of these sightings are just that, nothing to worry about...My SBB is scheduled for Tuesday. I pray I don't get a cold! Heh heh heh!
...which leads me to the reason why I decided to post this very private, yet very, very important blog post: GET YOUR EXAMS DONE REGULARLY! I don't care how much you hate having your you-know-where you-know-whated! You must give your doctor a baseline to compare all other exams to (s/he can easily detect changes), AND you can catch anything before it becomes something...early detection is so important. While I am NOT worried I have cancer, I AM glad I went while I felt healthy. So many of us do not go to the doctor because we feel just fine, healthy, invincible. How many are surprised when their doctor drops the bomb on them and they require major treatment?! I'm not just talking pap-smears, girls, or the prostate-check, Dom...I am also talking about going to the dentist twice a year for cleaning, and once a year for x-rays. For the next few years, you are all covered under Mike's medical insurance and your father's dental insurance. Take advantage of it! Before you turn 26, be thinking about how your are going to continue with your own coverage...usually you must work full-time in order to enjoy this luxury--privilege.
The gift of health care is a beautiful thing. You must appreciate it and take advantage of it! Now go schedule your appointments...NOW!
I love each of you, fiercely!
~Mama
Results received: Tested negative for cancer...as I suspected. :) Praise the Lord!
ReplyDelete~Mama