The Facts of Being 40.

I turned 40 in May. Have I said that before? Okay, either way…I’m 40.

40 means many things. When I was younger, I thought 40 was middle-aged (read that as kinda old), but I don’t feel old.

Well, I don’t feel old most of the time.

40 isn’t what I thought it would be. It’s better. I did not start wearing old people clothing. I’m still me. Still youthful and hip-ish.
My teen says if I say I’m cool, it’s a sure sign I’m not cool.
So…I’m not saying cool.
I’m still up on current music, and it does not confuse me..much. Well, no more than it did before I turned 40.

Bottom line, 40 isn’t all the horrible things I envisioned with my 13 year old mind.

I’m 40 and that’s okay.

No make-up, no fancy background, just me. Last night (10-18-11)

I am now 40, and

40 means taking better care of myself then I did before.

Which, for me, meant quitting smoking.

(Don’t worry I never smoked in the house or when I was pregnant, I was a good girl and always smoked away from my kids. I made a choice…they did not) Anyhooo….

I quit in early May. It’s not easy, even with the Commit Lozenges, but it is worth it.

40 means eating better, getting more exercise, making better choices

and

40 and female also means MAMMOGRAM.

That’s right, I said it.

MAMMOGRAM

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

It’s a scary word, to me. It means, to me, that my cancer risks have increased.

My Mother in Love is a breast cancer survivor, which has no genetic effect on me, but it does affect me and my family. So, I worry.

I’m a good girl, I went to get my mammogram.

The next morning, I got a call from the imaging center.

Houston, we have a problem.
I had abnormal results.

Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap.

They want me to come back right away for more scans.

Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap.

I agreed to return the next day.

Do I need to tell you that I was freaking out?

I was.

I am a worrier. So, I worried.

My sweet husband worked from home so he could go with me, Bless his heart.

I won’t keep you in suspense.

My second set of scans came back fine.

I’m chesty and I have some scar tissue, so they needed a few extra views to rule out any malignancy.

PHEW

I can breathe now.

Lucky for me, the imaging center processed my second set of scans right away.

The doctor came to speak with me as soon as I was dressed, to let me know that the scans were okay.

That was a huge relief.

Here are a few things I want to share with you about Mammograms.

• It was uncomfortable, but not painful.
• It was fairly quick.
• Any woman 40 or over should have a mammogram every year.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure is a great website for Breast health and cancer information.

1. Know your risk.
2. Get screened.
3. Know what’s normal for you.
4. Make healthy lifestyle choices.

Ladies, please take care of your breasts. Think about your health, your family. Do self breast exams.

Men, take care of your breasts. Breast cancer in men is not a spook story. It’s real. Men get breast cancer too.

In totally random and unrelated news…..

My MyBlogSpark giveaway is still ongoing. Enter for a chance to win a $25 Walmart gift card and Star Wars themed General Mills Cereal.

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• Posted in: blogging ♦ Family ♦ just thinking ♦ Pour Your Heart Out ♦ Texas
• Tagged: Breast, Breast cancer, Cancer, Health, Mammography, pour your heart out