First Timer: Mammograms

Hi. I'm 40 and I'm a first timer.

It didn't take long for my primary care doctor to call me in for that "you just turned 40" physical. Not knowing what I was really in for, I arrived at her office on Friday, a few minutes before my scheduled appointment and filled out the necessary paperwork. When the nurse took me back to the examining room she rattled off the list of procedures I was going to have. I knew for sure I would have the Pap Smear and breast exam but I was taken by surprise when the nurse told me I needed a mammogram, too. I thought the first mammogram had to happen at 50, not 40. Oh well, I scheduled the mammogram for Monday morning. I was a little nervous, not knowing what to expect.  I'd only heard negative things about mammograms so I was prepared for the worst...

After I checked in at the hospital's front desk and filled out the proper paperwork, this cute radiology tech took me back.  Her name is April.

April introduced me to her new mammography machine... it's digital, just like the bigger hospitals.  She handed me a gown and asked that I put it on with the opening to the front.  (Good thing  I left my dignity at the front door.)  When April came back in she positioned me in front of the machine and took four x-rays, two on each side... one straight on and the other on the side.  I was prepared for some serious squishing but it was nowhere near as bad as I had heard.  Uncomfortable, yes, but not overly painful.  It's not like going to the dentist for a filling or anything, just uncomfortable.  The whole while April kept up pleasant chatter, answered my random questions about silicone implants and listened to my stories.  It was over without  much fanfare.


Two things I will remember for next time...
1)  Shave my underarms.  I had done it just a few days before so I wasn't a hairy gorilla, but I wish I would have remembered that morning.
2)  Don't wear deodorant.  I had asked the lady who helped me schedule my appointment but she said deodorant was fine, but don't wear any lotions or perfumes on the chest area.  April had me wipe off my deodorant before the mammogram.

Really, no one is excited about getting a mammogram.  It's like all those other annual tests we have to have that seem semi-violating.  Suck it up, kiss the frog, whatever you want to say to get you through it, but schedule a mammogram.  It's not that bad, really.  And don't forget to pick your dignity up on your way out.

(This post is dedicated to my three friends who were diagnosed with breast cancer this past spring... SS, age 34, opted to have a double mastectomy;  NW, age 50-something, opted to have a lumpectomy; and Sister Smith, age 60-something, who is still going through chemo.  You are all inspirations of courage and being positive through trials.  Hugs and prayers for you all.)

Ayr Saline Nasal Gel

Last December, my 18 month old had a yucky, runny nose and a cough. One grandma thought it was whooping cough. The other grandma thought it would turn into pneumonia. (I'm not dissing on the grandmas. I love that they are concerned about my kids!) I decided to take Leslie in to the doctor. Diagnosis? - just your garden variety winter cold. I asked the doctor about saline drops and she said those were fine but she really recommends the saline GEL. I had never heard of the gel so I ran to WalMart (because they have EVERYTHING) and bought Ayr Saline Nasal Gel. I think it was about $3. (It's non-medicated so I had no problem using it on my baby.)

I put it on (and a little bit in) Leslie's nose for a couple of days (especially before she went to sleep). I thought it would just keep her nose from crusting over like it usually does. It did that, but I think it also helped shorten her cold. I didn't fully decide that it shortened her cold because maybe we had started using it at the tail-end of the cold and it was just a coincidence.... until now.... Leslie has a cold again and once more we are using the Ayr Saline Nasal Gel. Once again it is helping keep the crusties off her nose (yay!) and once again I think it may be shortening her cold. She seems to be going through it a lot easier than before I started putting the gel on her nose. I think I'm in love!

(P.S. I've used this stuff on my nose, too, because my nose gets dry and bloody in the winter. It works for me, too!!!)

Barf Bucket

If flu season hasn't hit your neck of the woods, beware - it'll be there soon. This little tool was shown to us by a nurse at an Enrichment Meeting in Hutchinson, Kansas. I love this tool because all you have to do is lift up the top bag, tie the top of it in a knot, and throw it away. The new layer is ready to go for the next round. If you set it on a towel to catch the drips then you don't have to touch anything germy and cleanup is a breeze. My kids have named it THE BARF BUCKET!

The last time we had the stomach flu hit our house, my oldest complained of a headache the night before. I knew we were in for it because the only time he gets a headache is when he's going to be sick. At midnight he woke up with a stomachache and I set the barf bucket on a towel by his bed. At 5:30 in the morning he still had a bad stomachache. At 6 a.m. I heard him throwing up in the bucket. By 6:15 he felt much better, took a shower, and spent the rest of the day on the couch, watching cartoons - with the barf bucket, on a towel, next to him!

To make a barf bucket, first, take an ice cream bucket or a small waste paper basket. Next, line it with a plastic bag (grocery bags work fine as long as they don't have holes in the bottom). Third, rip up a bit of newspaper and lay it in the bottom to absorb the vomit. A folded paper towel or a couple of napkins work fine, too. Repeat the entire process with another bag. I usually do three or four layers of bag/newspaper. I keep one of these at the ready at all times.

P.S. If anyone can come up with a cuter, less disgusting name than barf bucket, please let me know. The name really bugs me.

Medical Journal

Here's my tip - a Medical Journal for my kids. The idea originally came from my mom almost 11 years ago when JJ was born. She suggested I get a small notebook and write in it every time I take them to the doctor. I didn't take the advice until Tuffer was born. I wish I had used this notebook when JJ and K were babies. It has been so valuable. Since we move a lot, I have a detailed account of what past doctors have said, medication dosages, frequency of illnesses, etc. It was very handy when K had frequent bladder infections. I was able to tell them how many times in the previous six months they had occurred and what different types of treatments and tests we had done. It has been wonderful in keeping track of JJ's medication evaluations and also Tuffer's growth. It's just a simple 5x7" notebook with a pocket in front where I keep the shot records (also handy to bring along to doctor appointments when you move a lot).
I divided the notebook into four sections (positive thinking that we might have a fourth child someday) by putting a round sticker on the top right edge of a page. If you have more than four kids you might want to divide the books and have one for boys and one for girls. This has been the handiest thing ever. Every entry has the date, the reason for the appointment, weight and height of the child, diagnosis, tests performed, treatment given, and anything else I feel is important to write down.