OK, today I had my first official mammogram and I wonder what all the fuss is about.

It was simple and took only 10 minutes once I was topless. And it was absolutely painless. And not uncomfortable. Perhaps it was painless cause I have what I call "flapjack boobs" instead of perkies. But I am a DDD cup (I'm only 32 band size - kind of hard to find a bra with a cup that big and a small band) so there's a lot to my flapjacks.

Anyway, if you haven't started getting mammo's or dread them, I just wanted to say "JUST DO IT ANYWAY!" Considering the alternative of not knowing and worrying about the future, scheduling and getting a screening mammogram was a breeze. While at the Breast Health Clinic I also volunteered to be in the hospital's clinic study to try to develop a blood test for breast cancer. That to was easy it involved filling out a questionnaire of 30 questions and having two small vials of blood drawn. Done and done. They will use my blood and the blood of 20,000 other women and the results of our mammograms and breast density examines to try to develop a simple blood test for screening. While in the waiting room with about 20 other women, of which of two others had volunteered for the study, I wanted to stand up and scream "JUST DO IT- give the blood and let's put and end to the disease! Put your magazine down and roll up your sleeves now." But I held my tongue in the waiting room although I told the guy who drew my blood for the study and he said that he wants everyday to scream the same thing in the waiting room. It's just so simple and could potentially end so much suffering.

A side note - my sister's mastectomy has finally been scheduled! She goes under the knife on March 19th and we all could not be happier to have that cancerous breast removed. She's actually very excited that the mastectomy is scheduled and that she's finally starting to have a few normal days since her last chemotherapy treatment in January.