Ladies (and gents — please pass the info along to ladies in your life), I have a Public Service Announcement to make. I’ve been meaning to schedule a baseline mammogram for the past year or so, but I kept putting it off because I didn’t *have* to do it, and I’ve always heard that they are terribly painful. (And really, why voluntarily undergo pain?)

I realize everyone’s experience may be different, and technicians and machines are different, but I’m here to tell you that my first smash-o-gram wasn’t NEARLY as awful as the hype I’ve heard over the years!

It wasn’t pleasant, by any means, but I’ve had underwire bras that were more uncomfortable than the procedure itself. The smashing part really wasn’t too bad; the worst part was the stretching I felt in my skin at the top of my rib cage and my pecs, after the technician maneuvered and adjusted me into position and the plates started to press together.

The digital machine was pretty cool; I even got to see the images afterward. For once in my life, someone told me that it’s great that I have fatty tissue! 🙂  Seriously, though, the dark areas on the screen were fatty/non-dense places, and any white spots represented breast tissue/dense places. Those are the areas that the doctor will scrutinize for any abnormalities.

I’m not anticipating any problems, and thankfully, I have no history of breast cancer in my family, but it’s good to have a baseline so we can keep track in the years ahead. So, if you haven’t had a smash-o-gram yet, or it’s been a while since you have, then make an appointment and go do it!