The subject of boobs, and more specifically, mammograms is a pretty hot subject in October. For those of you who never noticed all the pink ribbons, ads, commercials, etc during that time of year, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
So, why on Earth am I talking about mammograms in May? Because I had my first one today.
To be honest, I wasn’t very concerned about getting one. I’m 33. I’m too young for them. But two of my mother’s sisters have been diagnosed with breast cancer – while they were in their early 40s. And that kind of changes the game up a little bit.
Even with my family history, I still wasn’t too concerned. My sister is a little more freaked out about it, and she is the one that urged me to get the mammogram done (she had one done earlier this year).
And so I talked to three of my doctors. Yes, three. Remember, I have that pernicious anemia, so I practically have my own “medical team.” All of my doctors said that I shouldn’t be too worried about it, but that it was a good idea to get one done, as a baseline, and then start having them every couple of years. My hematologist is also an oncologist, and talking to a doctor who actually specializes in cancer, made it a bit more real.
And, so… I went it today and got it done. I had heard all of the horror stories. It wasn’t that bad. I’m not going to lie. It hurts a little. It basically feels like someone pinching your boob really hard. But it’s not that bad. And it only takes a minute for them to take the xray.
So, if you are at an age where you should be getting them regularly, get one done. If you are younger, but have a family history of breast cancer, talk to your doctor about whether you should get one done. And if you have no need to get one done, write a blog post reminding people to get them done. Even if it’s May and breast cancer isn’t “hot” right now, your post could be the kick in the pants someone needs to get one done, and that could save a life.