Saturday, August 05, 2006

I Never Did

In high school there was a day in health class where all the girls were separated from all the guys, and they spoke to us about our Bodies. They explained the changes of puberty and the important things we'd have to do from now on for our health. One was, of course, doing monthly self-breast exams. There was a video to demonstrate. There were pictures on a flyer. There was a fake rubber breast with a nipple that wasn't colored differently from the rest of the rubber. (Guess they wanted it to be realistic but not too realistic.) Do it every month, they reminded us.

I didn't do it.

There was a big push on one of the local news stations a couple of years later to do monthly self-breast exams. My mom got all into it, and even got this hanger that went on the shower nozzle with pictures and instructions so you'd remember and know how to do it. She asked me if I was doing it and I said yes.

I didn't do it.

I go to the gynecologist yearly. She asks me every year if I perform self-exams and I say I do.

I never have.

My mom got cancer. Not breast, but still she got cancer. Now I thought I should be even more aware of such things and said to myself, I should start those monthly self-exams. I thought about the people in my family--both my mom's and dad's side--that have had cancer. I really should do it, I told myself.

I never did.

Tonight for some reason, over 10 years after I was first told to do it, I did it.

There's a lump.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh.

shit.

sending good vibes your way Tina that it's nothing.

hugs, babe.

dan said...

Take care of yourself.

Alot of times, they end up being not much. But it's the getting you in to get it looked at that's the important part.

Be safe. Be well.

Anonymous said...

Hey toots...just wondering how you were doing.