The ADD Mammogram
I had it written on my calendar as a reminder. The script has been sitting on my desk since December. But in true ADD fashion, I kept putting off the appointment.
A good friend had hers done recently and emailed me that there were some concerns. That kicked me into gear, so I called up to make my appointment. They had an opening that day.
The lady who greeted me was easy going, with a face softened by a sweet smile. I got the orders and froze:
“TakeEverythingOffFromTheWaistUp…HangYourClothesOnThe HookButTakeYourPurseWithYour…PutTheGownOnButLeaveItOpenInTheBack”
Now I have a problem. You see, I am not an audio learner. When people talk too fast or throw too many directions at me, I get lost. It’s like swimming in a pool of words that I can’t make out.
Normally, in the old days when I was still very insecure about my challenges, not knowing there was a name to them, I would have nodded, and then blundered my way through the whole thing.
But yesterday was different. I simply said, “Do you mind repeating that? That was a whole lot for me to take in!”
And she did.
Now…if YOU are procrastinating about getting your mammogram done:
1. Stop what you are doing.
2. Call your OB/GYN or family doc.
3. Ask for a prescription to get your annual mammogram.
4. Write it on your calendar/planner…whatever you use to keep track of your day. I’ll wait. Ok, good. More than good- good for you!
5. Post here to let us know when your appointment is. Let’s see how many posts we can get. Because I’m officially calling today:
ADD Mammogram Day!
Comment
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Comment by Rachel Woodall on May 4, 2010 at 11:41am -
I had to go back and have a second one (which I will have to pay for) because they didn't mark off my moles. I was mad until I got an email last night that one of my good friends has breast cancer.
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Comment by Diane on May 3, 2010 at 10:34pm
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Updating that my results came back normal today. Yay!
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Comment by Leanne on May 3, 2010 at 8:59pm -
I have an appointment in two days for an MRI because I have Pelvic Organ Prolapse (at the ripe old age of 32). Does that count?
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Comment by Rachel Woodall on April 29, 2010 at 10:29pm
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I had mine yesterday...after 5 years. I finally have insurance. The bad part is I have to have a colonoscopy too. I had just the half part before and it was the most horrible thing I have ever been through. They will have to knock me out this time. I related to this story so much. The directions always go over my head. I muddled through it though.
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Comment by betsy davenport, phd on April 25, 2010 at 3:07am -
Actually, there are new recommendations about mammograms. I for one will never have another one, since the amount of radiation they use is many times that for a chest Xray and that is more than I want. Call me crazy, but with no family history, monthly self exams and a legitimate wariness about radiation, I'll pass.
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Comment by yvette goodwill on April 18, 2010 at 2:53am
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this seems particularly relevant to me, with regards to a long-overdue pap-smear. thx for the reminder! here's hoping it's more than just that?!!!
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Wednesday, April 21st. And I've had my referral since November. Thanks for doing this :)
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Comment by Sumbuny on April 14, 2010 at 3:47pm
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Have any of you guys heard Bill Engvall's perspective on colonoscopies?
http://www.livedash.com/transcript/bill_engvall__aged_and_confused/...
Scroll down to 043:13 in the transcript for the part about the colonoscopy....it won't seem so scary after that...
;-)
Buny
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Comment by Kathleen Christensen on April 14, 2010 at 3:21pm
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When my then husband was prepping for a colonoscopy a number of years ago, my daughter asked why they called it a colonosco-pee instead of a colonosco-poop. (She has that creative ADD mind!)
(May want to ignore the rest of this if you're not in the market for a colonoscopy.)
Yes, it's all about diarrhea! Have reading material all ready in the bathroom, one friend of mine recommended, because you won't have much time to get there! I did not have intestinal cramps, though. And I didn't feel sick at all. The hardest thing for me was getting through that volume of liquid--it was incredibly daunting at the end. I took way more time drinking the stuff than they recommended (which turned out to be OK). And, as I said, I wondered if I really had to drink every last glass. Indeed, I didn't drink the very last glass, and it was fine. (Here's where it gets really graphic:) The poop had looked just like pee for the last few glasses.
Good luck with your colonoscopy! I'm glad mine is now in the past. And it's better to have one than to miss something.
Oh, also, the doc was going to sedate me as well--it's the default. I asked to do it without, and he agreed. I knew someone else who'd done it without sedation, and he'd been fine too. Although I knew someone else who tried it without sedation, and he asked for meds at the first turn in the colon. I was going to have an IV inserted in case I decided to go with meds, but I don't think we did that in the end.
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Comment by Sumbuny on April 14, 2010 at 3:16pm
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Kathleen,
One of the things I did when I was diagnosed was to get myself a binder, entitled [Sumbuny's] Medical Journal. In this I have my medication list, my diagnoses, my treatments, my test/results, etc. I also keep blank paper in this so I can take notes--I am a visual/kinesthetic learner, so just the act of writing it down helps (turns the auditory to kinesthetic for me--also, gives me the notes I need for later, as well as forces everyone to slow down for me ). I also put everything else I might need in there (using a 3-hole-punch).
This has come in handy, especially when dealing with multiple doctors and multiple appointments. "If it doesn't get written down, it doesn't get done/it didn't happen" has always been one of my coping mechanisms.
Right now I am learning how to transfer my BIG calender to my smartphone...consistently...
Buny
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