# What I am doing today, or a Public Service Announcement **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 22, 2008, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716 "2008-02-22T13:08:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/1 "2008-02-22T13:08:41Z")
Yes, ladies, once we reach a certain age, we must have certain parts of our bodies squished, poked, prodded, etc, in order to prevent the alternative. I am speaking of mammograms. I have loads of vacation time and I took advantage of it to take a day off today. I have a mammogram scheduled for this afternoon. I had a baseline done a couple of years ago, and now that I’ve hit the ripe old age of 40, my doctor would like me to start getting them on a regular basis. Is it uncomfortable? Yes. Are there better ways? [It would appear so, but not quite yet.](http://www.rd.com/health/cancer/breast-cancer/medical-breakthrough-08-better-than-mammo/article.html) Is it worth it? Totally. So, if I can remind just one of our Lady Dopers to schedule a mammogram, I will consider this a post well spent. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/2 "2008-02-22T21:38:53Z")
Can I take this to mean all of you have either had one recently or are going to get one? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/3 "2008-02-22T22:56:04Z")
I have also hit the ripe old age of 40, and I’m supposed to schedule one this May. I’m going to wait until July, though, when I’ll be covered by hubby’s shiny new employer-subsidized health insurance. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/4 "2008-02-22T23:12:10Z")
Oh, I have the squish test twice a year for quite a while now. Especially since my mom had breast cancer (survived nicely, thanks) and i had a suspicious lump a few years back. It was biopsied, ruled benign, so I guess I’m one of those statistics cited by people who doubt the necessity for frequent test. I’d rather risk a false positive and a biopsy that turned out to be unnecessary than the reverse. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/5 "2008-02-22T23:32:30Z")
Thanks for the reminder; our doctor has been out on maternity leave, so I’ve been delaying getting mine scheduled. Not that there’s a history of breast cancer in our family, but it’s definitely one of those “better safe than sorry” things. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/6 "2008-02-23T00:25:53Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] Can I take this to mean all of you have either had one recently or are going to get one? 😉 [/QUOTE] I’m too young yet. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/7 "2008-02-23T00:52:20Z")
Hit 45, had my first one lat week. The lump was benign. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/8 "2008-02-23T00:55:03Z")
!!! ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/9 "2008-02-23T01:09:00Z")
[Mandatory link](http://www.alittlepregnant.com/alittlepregnant/2007/07/summer-squash.html) ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/10 "2008-02-23T07:06:55Z")
As soon as we get some insurance issues worked out and re-locate the doctor, I’ll be in there. I’m a bit overdue for one, but not too bad. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/11 "2008-02-23T07:09:11Z")
You are 40? I refuse to believe it. If I saw you and had to guess an age, I would say 35 at the latest, and 31 at the earliest. Did I mention I’m a certified breast examiner? (total lie.) ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/12 "2008-02-23T11:31:10Z")
Thanks! In 15 years, I’ll be right on it! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/13 "2008-02-23T11:43:41Z")
I’m scheduled in a couple-3 weeks. Thanks to the stoopit insurance requirement that each one be at least a year after the one before, mine have crept from my birthday in January to (now) mid-March. Criminy, Blue Cross, it’s not like this is an elective, fun procedure. If I can do it near my birthday, it’s so much easier to remember! On the other hand, the radiology folks who do it always send me a reminder well in advance. Anyway, I’m 54, and I’m guessing this year will be my 16th time. They don’t even bother me any more. Yeah, it’s uncomfortable… for a few seconds… once a year. Considering the consequences of not having a regular mammogram, I think the discomfort is more than worth it. Some years ago, I thought I’d read an article about some company that invented a bra-like device that one would slip on and it’d check each breast completely without the squishin’. I asked a few radiologists if they’d heard about it, but they look at me like I’m nuts. It must have been a dream. Alas. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/14 "2008-02-23T16:07:53Z")
Yeah, yeah. I’m going, you don’t have to push. My husband thinks it’s funny that I don’t want my boobs run over by a truck. He doesn’t think it’s funny when I say I don’t want to go. So I go. I don’t want to, but I go. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/15 "2008-02-24T13:37:41Z")
Thanks, **Auto**. You just made my day. (I’m craving Turkish food…) **picunurse** , mammograms hurt you? I do find the left one was more painful than the right, but overall, it was just a few seconds, and fortunately, the ladies bounced right back. 😃 I can’t wait until the second bit of technology I linked to in my OP is up and running. That sounds much nicer and accurate. No squishing! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/16 "2008-02-24T16:07:40Z")
I used to see some humor in this subject. I used to. Do what **Ivylass** says, she’s a mom. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/17 "2008-02-24T16:20:01Z")
The wife gets one once a year. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/18 "2008-02-24T17:43:34Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] \ **picunurse** , mammograms hurt you? I do find the left one was more painful than the right, but overall, it was just a few seconds, and fortunately, the ladies bounced right back. 😃 I can’t wait until the second bit of technology I linked to in my OP is up and running. That sounds much nicer and accurate. No squishing! [/QUOTE] I have a good bit of extra boobage. They don’t fit into the squisher properly, then they have to use extra rads to penetrate, which means longer time in the vise. It also means 4 extra views, since they don’t all fit into one picture. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-am-doing-today-or-a-public-service-announcement/438716/19 "2008-02-24T18:04:22Z")
I actually just saw my ob-gyn on Wednesday and she ordered a digital mammogram for me this time.