In Honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

A year and a half ago, my doctor gave me a slip for the dreaded mammogram. I sucked it up and went and they said Sorry Charlie, as I hadn’t been NOT breastfeeding for long enough. So six months ago I got another dreaded slip from my doctor and then promptly lost it. I found it a couple of weeks ago and sucked it up and made the appointment for last Thursday.

It’s been a long hard week and to have a mammogram in the middle was just frightening. I shaked myself all the way in, barely able to sign the 40 million waivers, pay promises and privacy notices for all the quivering. I nearly sobbed as I waited. She called my name and I had that stomach sinking feeling from hell.

I put the gown on and went into a slightly darkened toasty warm room. She showed me the machine and how it worked and that she’d be taking four pictures, two of each boobie. She explained everything and then we began. And then 40 seconds later, it was over and I was laughing. “Seriously? That’s IT?!?!? “

There is no pain. There is no pinching or hurting. Perhaps breastfeeding two children past the age of two has desensitized me, but SERIOSLY!??!

If you have been putting this off, stop. Trust me, the Scardy Cat Whiny Baby of the Universe. Just go. It’s NOTHING.