Medical....

[fajrdrako]

It was cold, and I was tired, and I had to go for a mammogram today. They used to annoy me by putting a sign in the changing room, all decorated with flowers, "we hurt you because we love you". They changed it: now it's undecorated and simply says, "we compress you because we care". Still not really palatable, but better. Not so twee.

There was a cheerful 80-year-old in the interior waiting room who cheered the place up with her comments about our glamorous little paper vests. I browsed a magazine (Vogue? Vanity Fair?) with an article about Canadian comedians. I didn't know Matthew Perry was from Ottawa, but then, I barely know who Matthew Perry is (and had to get lmondegreen to point him out to me on TV this evening so I'd know what he looked like. Not very distinctive, I thought.)

I seem to be in some government program to keep track of people in my age group who get mammograms. Near as I can tell, the only difference from the old system will be that (a) I get the results of the mammogram mailed to me as well as to the doctor, and (b) I'll be reminded to get it done again in two years. That's good; I never remember how long it's been since the last time. It's always tempting to procrastinate.

The clinic feels like a hospital, but it's much prettier and seems to have a lot more money.

Comments

[teenygozer.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. My sister, a nurse for 27 years, says that a mammogram is Not Supposed To Hurt, dammit, and if it does, they're doing it wrong. They're being sloppy and lazy, she says, usually at the top of her lungs. She gets pretty self-righteous about it. She brags that she once threatened to kick a male tech in the balls to show him what it felt like after he hurt her. ;) I bet she did, too.

I had my one and only (so far) mammagram done by a sweet young tech (female) who was very good at her job, and it didn't hurt at all. Which is good 'cos she didn't have any balls for me to threaten to kick if she hurt me. That was 2 years ago and I'm having my next one done next month. Not worried a bit.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The technician was actually very good, friendly and certainly careful. I won't go so far as to say it hurt, but it wasn't particularly comfortable. Maybe that's why they took down the "we hurt you" signs - they realized how badly it was the wrong thing to say.

I applaud your sister for her gumption! We need every person we can get to defend womankind in the hands of the medical profession.