Like most of you, I despise going to see my doctor. I’m exceptionally terrified of needles, have some serious anxiety related to medical visits and get incredibly sarcastic at all mentions of peeing in cups. Needless to say, I avoid doctors’ offices and hospitals at all costs. So when it came time to do a photo shoot for last week’s “Getting Mom to Go” post — I was a little unsure of just how it might go.
Spoiler alert: it was just shy of awesome.
Having the opportunity to explore a doctor’s office after hours is a rare occurrence, I imagine. But seeing the entire office at the Center for Women’s Care at Saint Luke’s North Hospital empty of bustling people, crying children and buzzing machines made me realize just how intimidated I had been by the atmosphere of my usual family practice. While face-to-plastic with the giant mammogram machine in one of their smaller rooms, I remembered the anxiety my mom shared with me about having her first mammogram. And I instantly realized — “this isn’t that scary.”
Noting that became a big part of the casual conversation between me and the wonderful women escorting me through the office: preventative women’s care may be a bit awkward, but what scares us most about it is that we don’t know what to expect. While I’ve not yet needed a mammogram, I was relieved to realize that many of my own misconceptions were exactly that — wrong. For example:
1. You Don’t Just Whip Our Your Boobs
After checking in at the Center for Women’s Care, patients are led to a second waiting room with calm decor, helpful brochures and stocked with items to help with mammogram prep. Before your mammogram, you slip into a changing room like you would see at most department stores. There, you swap your top with a clean button-up gown and lock your personal belongings into a cabinet. Then, you’re accompanied just a couple doors down for your mammogram. The entire process is very private and respectful.
2. They Don’t ‘Smash’ Your Boobs Like You Think
Yes, there are two plates on the machine — a darker bottom piece that I’m calling a ‘table’ and a top clear part — and your boob goes between them for a squeeze. You lift and lay your breast onto the table while the top piece adjusts to press it somewhat flat. No, I imagine it isn’t fun. Yes, I’ve heard it’s kind of uncomfortable. But, it doesn’t last long. In fact, the entire visit from check in to your great escape can take as little as 15 minutes. With a machine like the one at the Center for Women’s Care, doctors are able to capture a larger photo of the breast — ultimately requiring fewer photos to be taken and allowing even large-chested women to make the appointment quick.
3. Not Knowing is Not Better
Mammograms are used primarily in detecting breast cancer, but are also very helpful in finding abnormalities, cysts, scaring, implant ruptures and more. Finding ‘something’ in your mammogram screening is not necessarily bad news — it simply offers you an awareness of your body at an age where you’re at higher risk for some conditions. Detected early, breast cancer and many other concerns can be treated — even before taking a major toll on your general health. Maintaining a “what I don’t know can’t hurt me” mindset is extremely dangerous — especially when you’re predisposed to certain health issues by your lifestyle or family history. Early detection gives you such an advantage when treating most concerns — it’s well worth your 15 minutes to be checked out.
4. Annual Screenings are More Than a Recommendation
It’s easy to neglect your personal care when you can fall back on “well, it’s only a recommendation.” The truth is, each and every time you see your doctor for a mammogram, well woman visit, pap or other appointment — you’re creating a record of your body’s condition at that time with the expertise of a doctor to back you up. Should anything concerning turn up down the road, you’ll know the exact timeline for its occurrence and progression — giving you a significant jump start on its treatment. And if nothing ever turns up, you’re rewarded with the peace of mind of knowing that you’re as healthy as can be! If nothing else can convince you to go, consider for a moment that you must be an advocate for your own health — which includes being fully aware of the condition of your own body. Don’t go to the appointment because your doctor recommends it. Go because you deserve to know exactly how your body is functioning.
5. Screenings Don’t Have to Suck
Kelly Szala, a Nurse Practitioner at the Center for Women’s Care, told us that she sees quite a few unique cases among her patients that take personal care to a whole new level. In fact, you could try any of these great ideas:
- Make it a Girls Day Out. Schedule your appointment at the same time as a close friend, your mom, aunt or any other woman that close to you! Plan lunch, shopping or a movie around your appointments to take the stress out of the day.
- Go on your birthday. You’re very unlikely to forget your own birthday, so why not use the day as your permanent personal care day? Spend your birthday focused solely on yourself — including the appointments that will help keep you healthiest.
- Think of your exam with positivity. Your annual exams don’t need to be a tedious must-do that you have to get checked off the list. Consider that your appointments as positive experiences — you’re giving your body a significant advantage with preventative care. Celebrate that!
- Attend Mammogram and Massage Day. It exists and it is amazing. The Center for Women’s Care hosts regular Mammogram and Massage Days at which you can get your quick mammogram plus snag a free back massage and snacks. The fun atmosphere lightens the stress of the typical mammogram and throws in a bit of extra pampering that you’re sure to enjoy. If that doesn’t change your outlook on annual appointments, we’re not sure what will.
The next Mammogram and Massage Day is schedule for Tuesday, May 19, 2015 from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Reservations are required for mammograms. To sign up, simply call the Center for Women’s Care at 816-891-2273. And, learn more by visiting the event on Facebook.
This post originally appeared on Prettyography.
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