Mammo Virgin and 200th post!

This morning I had my first mammogram. I went to the Dr about 2 weeks ago. I have been having issues. So I was looking on my insurance website for a doctor who is a PCP (primary care physician) and a Gynecologist at the same time. I figured why go to two drs and 2 appointments. So I found one. Ruth Wilcox. She is amazing! Best doctor ever. She gave me the most thorough physical I have ever had. It was also the first time it did not hurt...you know what I mean girls...She examined every orifice and every part of my body. She chatted with me very comfortably. Then she said your 35th b-day is next week. I want you to have a baseline mammogram and cholesterol and full blood work. I was like Yikes am I that old? But then I thought about it and I agreed on the mammogram and was glad she is an aggressive dr who takes care of things when people are young instead of 'watching' and waiting until you are older.

So this morning I go get my blood drawn. I had to fast for 12 hours, well I could have water. So walk in the park for us Mormons right. The nurses were like ok go get a good breakfast you must be starving etc. I was laughing inside thinking yeah I was hungry but could wait longer to eat. After the best blood draw ever...only a slight pinch, I went over to building 3. Yeah the hospital is so big there are 3 bldgs. I get into the radiology suite and wait about 30 min for my appointed time. Then the Lisa comes out and gets me. She has me disrobe and then comes back in to ask tons of questions I had never thought about but realize they are very important to boobs. Had I had implants, piercings, lumps, family breast cancer, tenderness, length of hormone use, pregnancies and if I used deodorant today. After the third degree :) I go into the room. Lisa was aware it was my first one. She was the best. I could not have asked for a better radiology tech...except for warmer hands. She took two images on my left. She explained every step. She even told me how many decadrons she was putting on me (way to measure pressure) and apparently I could take more squishing than was minimally required. The more you squish the better image you get. So after the 2 positions she took me over to the computer to show me the images. It was cool. Then she said so professionally. I need to take a 3rd image just to make sure I got all the tissue. So then I took this 3rd image. I had to arch backwards. The image was a different angle and got a lot of tissue. I am working DDD's here so there is a lot of tissue to go through. So this 3rd image was cool because she was able to get clear to my pectoral muscle...I did not know I even had pecs:) We do the same thing on the other side and bam I am done. She shows me all the images and says sometimes they call you back just because they are not sure if a denser part of tissue is just tissue or what so no big deal do not worry.

I know I am going to get called back in after a radiologist and my dr look at the images. I have said the same things to patients after taking a BWX, Oh I am going to have to get one more angle on that tooth and take a PA to show the abscess or whatever is wrong with that tooth. I know what it means when she is trying not to diagnose but knows full well what is on that image. So I guess I wait a week or so and see what happens. I really am not worried. I just think the dense tissue is just dense tissue. It did not look scary to me. But that is my experience of having a woman feel me up. She was to funny tugging, squishing, moving me around. It was quite the experience and painless. Slight discomfort on one angle but not bad kind of like those cardboard BWX holders just a little pinch for a few seconds. I was brave:)

Enough about my boobs. This week has been a whirl wind. So much work and not so much play. I have done 3 batches of strawberry freezer jam. Spent the weekend in Hermiston cleaning our house and seeing Xmen- Origins this morning at 12:01 am. What a life I have. So on my b-day Dan's mother Robyn came to Portland to visit a friend who was dying at OHSU (Oregon health science uinv--med school, dental school etc hospital). She ended up not dying but is still in ICU. So Robyn stayed the night Thursday at our house. I asked Dan if he knew and he did not I did not either. I had been hoping to have a night out with my husband for my b-day but instead entertained Robyn in our small little house with no cable tv. It was slightly painful. But that is how life goes right? I wanted to thank each of you for your birthday wishes! You all are too kind! Well I hope your week goes well and may your boobs be glad they were not mine today!