While being a couple months late for my yearly exam, I certainly did not have cause for alarm. After all, I had routinely included a breast exam with my self-care concerns.
This year I was reminded various times to get my mammogram exam. I would think: I will, I will! A generic reminder from Kaiser generated a new reminder which caught my attention. It gave me statistics of age groups. I looked up information of Google. It seems the risk goes up as you get older. Get older? I am now 70 years old. Maybe it's time to take this risk more seriously! I waited a couple more days, then made the appointment. It was a week later. I kept the appointment. How I hate that test! The discomfort! But just a moment in time.
Now, I thought, to wait for the results!The following week, I received a call from a number unknown to me, so ignored it. Then another call, this time from the hospital. Well, I thought, it must be from my primary care doctor. A message was left on a third call, the same day I received a notice in the mail that I was to return for a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound. Mini panic ran through me! I immediately made the appointment.
From Thursday through Tuesday, my appointment day, I became quite nervous. In and out of apprehension, dread and emotions most of us will feel of the unknown. Finally the day came. My husband accompanied me, being as optimistic as he could. I was beginning to feel silly because of my worry. Surely, nothing to worry about!
A repeat mammogram was given, then wait again for my turn for an ultrasound. Then wait again for the radiologist to come in and give me results. "Good news", she says, "it's a cyst, common, a lots of women have them". Then she said, "See you next year"! A sigh of relief for me!
On the way out, I ran into my daughter who is 32 years old. She was scheduling a mammogram for herself. We had been discussing her care now that she is reaching the age of concern. I told her the good news! Of course, I didn't share the emotional toll I had experienced for a week! But I am so happy that she has started her self-care!
I guess you can say I dodged the bullet! Yearly exams that include mammograms are super necessary.
There are members of our family that have not been so fortunate. I certainly do want to gloat. We have felt the pain of losing family members and friends with the terrible disease of CANCER...
Cancer is a disease that reaches past the patient...it affects us all but soon we will not have to worry about any sickness! In addition to that, we have the hope of welcoming back the victims of this terrible disease and all other diseases that have taken the lives of our loved ones! Revelation 21:3, 4 ; Acts 24:15.
My sense is that caring for our health is necessary to continue caring for our loved ones. We want to be in the best possible health!
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