Thanks for the Mammories....

Maxine says... For me, the ability to laugh at something is really the best way to get my anxiety off my chest. So when I found this, I knew I had to post it.  Now listen to me...a mammogram is  NOT  as horrible as this makes it sound. I promise! But nonetheless, I recommend reading this right before your next mammogram.  Then hopefully, right in the middle of having it done, these exercises will pop into your head and make you start laughing.  HOW TO PREPARE FOR A MAMMOGRAM  Many women are afraid of their first mammogram, and even if they have had them before, there is fear. But there is no need to worry. By taking a few minutes each day for a week preceding the exam and doing the following practice exercises, you will be totally prepared for the test, and best of all, you can do these simple practice exercises right in your home. EXERCISE 1 : Open your refrigerator door, and insert one breast between the door and the main box. Have one of your strongest friends slam the doo

I went to get my 6 month follow-up mammogram on July 30th.  Did I have time?  Of course not!  We have already been through this... no one has time or the desire.  I scheduled it over my lunch hour because I figured I could be in and out in maybe 30 minutes.  I thought I was simply creating a baseline mammogram because surely the calcifications would look the same as they did before, right?  What I didn't know was that I would be there for the next two and a half hours and walk out truly concerned that I might have cancer. We quickly did the drill...smash, picture, smash, picture, smash, picture.  Really no big deal. This was my second time, and I was a pro at this.  But then, she said that she would have the radiologist take a look at the images, and she would be right back.  What?   Now I am not very good with surprises. I am the child who snuck into my parents closet to see if I could find my Christmas presents! I even went as far as trying to open wrapped presents just enou

Last January, I got my first mammogram not long after I turned 41.  I admit, I was slightly nervous, not really knowing what to expect. It's a little hard to not be nervous after hearing from other women that "they were going to smash your breasts in ways you didn't know they could smashed!" Well that's horrifying! But for those of you who have not joined the 40's club, it is  not  as horrible as it sounds.  I'm not going to lie, it is awkward...extremely awkward!  I mean they are taking pictures of your smashed boobs! But it is relatively quick, only slightly uncomfortable... and extremely important!                                                                    Now, they do not serve these                    Mammo-Grahams while you are getting a mammogram...but don't you think they should?!This would at least make it a little more fun! Not long after my first mammogram, I received a letter telling me I should see my OB/GYN. They had fou

Happy Birthday! You are 40 years old, and it is recommended that you start getting those annual mammograms.  Seriously, do they realize how busy we are?! And now they want us to add one more thing to our busy lives? I work full time, and run my five children here, there, and everywhere. Do they realize how difficult it is to squeeze another appointment into my calendar? Besides who wants to get a mammogram?   Who wants to go in and awkwardly let someone smash your boobs into pancakes and then take pictures?!   It's not that it is really that painful or anything. It is just so awkward!   So what makes us do it?  Why do we go ahead and schedule an appointment? We do it because we are scared...just ever so slightly fearful that  we might get cancer.   Cancer.  Now just say it...say the word cancer ten times, right now out loud.  We simply just don't like the word. We don't like to say it, and we certainly don't like to think about it.  For many of us, it immediately