Last week, it was time for my annual “girlie” exam – you women
know what I’m talking about right? I’m
talking two-parter – one above the waist and one below, if you catch my drift.
I was thinking how different my conversations with my doctor
are now that I am nearing (whisper) 50.
When I first started with this doctor, I was in my mid-late 30’s and she
would always ask about any concerns I might have about sex, birth control, etc.
As I moved into my 40’s, the discussion
centered on my need to lose weight, etc. Once I lost some weight, the discussion was on
what type of birth control was best for a woman “of my age.” However, this time, the primary point of
discussion was menopause – how they will check it once I turn 50, what to
expect, etc. No discussion on sex, birth
control, etc. – basically the message was “You are getting old…”
Next up was the Boobie Check.A few years ago, at my first
exam post 80 pound weight loss, I had some spots show up in my left boobie
(Lillie loves that word). Had to go have
a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound.
Turns out it was just dense tissue from the redistribution of my weight
(which really means the loss of boob fat). But, since I had that show up, I now have to
have the diagnostic mammo each year, rather than the one at the Gyno office.
Today, I got a phone call from the doctor’s office that they
found some spots on my right boob – probably just dense tissue again, but I
have to go back in for another mammo and ultrasound next week to be sure. Last time this happened, I worked myself up
into a tizzy only to be told it was a side effect of losing weight (not too
many of those actually – at least not as many as the side effects of gaining
weight).
However, in the years since that time, my Mother In Law was
diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy. Plus, it is “Pink”
month so everywhere you look you see Breast Cancer Awareness everything. So, now – even though the logical side of my
brain is saying not to fret – I feel another tizzy coming on.
I’ve always been fairly healthy – yes, obese and overweight –
but healthy – no major diseases, no need for surgeries (broken ankle and lap band
is it), I don’t even get sick very often. I never really think about how fortunate I am
that this is the case. In fact, other
than my Mother in Law (who is cancer free and doing great now BTW), no one in
my immediate family has any real health issues. It will really piss me off if I have done
everything I can do to improve my health and this turns out to be something
other than dense tissue!
I’m not writing this to get sympathy or anything like that –
but, I think it’s important that we all take a moment to think about our
health. Are we doing everything possible
to stay healthy? Everyone “feeling their
boobies” on a regular basis? Are the men
in our lives getting all of their fun exams as they should be? Yes, I know there are things that none of us
can prevent, but if we are doing everything we can (and should be doing) to
ward off the things that we have a bit of control over, then maybe – just maybe
– it will make us better able to deal with these unwanted, uncontrollable occurrences.
