in honor of breast cancer awareness month, i wanted to share this with you. it's shocking how most young people don't get their yearly exams/physicals — especially since cancer and other illnesses CAN and DO affect people at any age. please heed this advice: get examined. it's not as bad as you think, and it could save your life!
i can count on less than one hand how many people have seen my nether-regions, and dr. jodie is one of them.
(now
that i think about it, the realistic number is probably much higher,
given the number of people that changed my diapers back in the day.
we’re not going to get THAT technical.)
today**, i went in for my yearly “women’s wellness” exam. 
(the waiting room)i have been obsessing over this visit all week.
“i need to shave my legs!”
(i may not be trying to impress the woman, but who wants to see a forest on my gams?)
“what should i wear?!”
this was a particular concern for me. i knew i definitely needed something with short sleeves (for the blood pressure cuff and bloodwork; one year i wore a sweater. BIG mistake) … something lightweight (after all, i WAS getting weighed today) … and of course, nothing too intricate to take off or put on.
i settled on a simple cotton dress.
this morning, though, i only thought about one thing: food.
fasting
is not a particularly fun thing to do, but it’s necessary to get a
decent bloodwork sample. it was doubly painful for me since i had
finally put myself on a fairly regimented eating schedule. (by the end
of it all, i was RUNNING for my yogurt and banana!)
what do they test for?
the
doctor is monitoring my glucose (i’m hypoglycemic, a condition that
could turn into diabetes if i’m not careful), but they also test
cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides. needless to say, it’s important that they’re accurate.
i was weighed, had my
temperature and blood pressure taken. all normal.
one thing i always seem to forget: doctors are pee-happy.
they will almost always ask you for a sample. it just never fails. be
sure to arrive with a full bladder … otherwise, you’ll have to hang
around until you can produce the “goods.”
being naked on a
table (save for the half-gown to maintain some shred of dignity) and
having your feet in little pink stirrups is surreal. i mean, what do
you say
in situations like this, with your hoo-hoo hanging out? i tried to play
it cool, but i couldn’t bring myself to look at her. i trust dr. jodie
implicitly, but it’s still just WEIRD.
i had the “full-service”
done. pap, breast exam, pelvic exam and skin check (apparently, i have
great skin — an awesome complement given at a weird time). it’s good to
get it all out of the way at once. 
(the tools)i
won’t go into specifics on procedures — i may be brave enough to write
about the visit, but i’m definitely not in the mood to blush with every
keystroke.
now for the facts: a pap test (aka: pap smear …
although that just sounds messy and gross) checks for changes in the
cells of your cervix. the cervix is the lower part of the uterus (womb)
that opens into the vagina. the test can tell if you have an infection,
abnormal (unhealthy) cervical cells, or cervical cancer.
it is
important for all women to have pap tests, along with pelvic exams, as
part of their routine health care. you need a pap test if you are:
• 21 years or older
• under 21 years old and have been sexually active for three years or more
the breast exam is another vital part of the annual exam. lol, it can be considered uncomfortable on soooo many different levels, but is one of the most important things to have done. this is not a time to be a prude, believe me! the doctor will cup your breast and "moosh" it around. they are checking for any unusual lumps or changes that could signal cancer. *whew* another year, cancer free!
(as a reminder, be sure to take the initiative: perform breast self-exams — BSE — each month! women who do monthly BSEs have a much better
chance of finding breast cancer early, while it's still very treatable.)
lastly,
they took two viles of blood. i was relieved they found the vein on the
first try — something we’ve had a hard time with in the past. 
(the aftermath)i
was there thirty minutes, from start to finish. despite my quirks and
apprehensions about it all, the yearly exam is one of the best things i can do for my health.
if you haven’t gone lately (or at all), GO!
...
and this goes for guys, too! go in for your yearly exams. doctors can
really help catch maladies early, so take advantage of that.
spread the word — recommend to your friends. hopefully this will inspire them to get checked out and save them from cancer!
**repost, with added information
Comments (96)
Practical, and witty.
I expected nothing less.
*recommend*
Now, THIS is my idea of promoting Cancer check ups and awareness.
(I'm a bit old fashioned...go figure)
Thanks for NOT going into specific procedures.
Blessings.
I agree 100%. Extremely important! And switching offices or doctors until you find one you are comfortable with is not a bad thing! (I thought it was just always as bad as it was with my first doctor, until I switched for other reasons! The individual doctor -or NP or PA- does make a difference!)
And if you have health insurance that covers wellness at 100% - this extra visit (if your primary care doctor wont do it - cause some will) is probably free to you!
Great Post!
This is getting the word out.
Thanks for this :) I have had some abnormal paps before and am very faithful with going to make sure I stay healthy. As you can read from my post today, my sons friends mother has cervical cancer... and badly. She had symptoms, etc FOREVER yet wouldn't go to the docs because she didn't have insurance. This just goes to show how important it is to go no matter what!!!!
A friend of mine went for hers last week and hasn't had a breast exam in YEARS. Turns out she two lumps (one in each breast) and goes for a mammogram next week. She's 36. Again, goes to show you how important it is to go to the docs, no matter how crappy it is while you're there.
Great post! :)
Thank you for raising awareness in a practical way. I'm one of those who put off those exams for years at a time because they'd always been difficult and painful. I agree with the comment above about finding the right doctor. Now that I've found one who can get the job done quickly and painlessly, I have no qualms about going every year.
P.S. Don't forget - women 40 and older should also have a yearly mammogram.
Wonderful post. I hear you on the stressing about what to wear! It's such a silly thing, yet I still do it.
I'm 18 and my doctor said I'm too young to worry about things like breast cancer.
But my mom had it in her 20s, so why shouldn't I worry?
Good post :)
@LaLaLici0us - sweetie, you should most DEFINITELY think about it, because it IS a very real possibility — ESPECIALLY if your mom had it so young.
my advice? get a different doctor!
(1)(2)(3)
intresting but no i don't want to see your priavte
@BarelyJen - Yes, I thought that too :)
Great post. I recommended it too.
NO
Great post. Having annual examinations for cancer prevention is something we all we should do. Cheers
I ought to go, but since I'm still on my dad's insurance, I'd have to talk to him about it first. Which wouldn't be a problem, but if I'm going to the gyno, he'd automatically assume it's because I'm having sex. Which, I am, but he would FLIP OUT if he thought I was. And my mother may as well be dead, so no help there.
So. I'm not really sure how to approach this. Suggestions?
Recommended
@la_faerie_joyeuse - I would suggest talking to your fam doc and see if they can do it as part of a regular exam....
@la_faerie_joyeuse - well, i would discuss it with him from the practicalities of it.
october may be the best time to discuss it with your dad ... explain that you were reading a few articles (can be found fairly easily with google) about how you should get a women's wellness test, especially at your age. it could catch a variety of cancers early (especially good point if you have a family history of it) and serve as an overall preventative health measure — normally FREE with insurance. (BONUS!)
sex shouldn't play into the conversation at all (although i can see where the misconception would come in) — do a little research, come to him informed, and you should be fine! good luck!
Thank you.
what's this? a post that responsibly raises awareness on an issue with nary a hint of self-promotion? on xanga? gtfo.
@woodrowwilson - word.
THIS is how you campaign for cancer. Thank you.
@woodrowwilson - Hah, you said it best. ^_^
@woodrowwilson - Word. What is this world coming to?!?! hahaha
Very good!!! I totally agree with everyone above! I think that you have a good post!