I was introduced to Oscar Insurance and their Roadmap to Health infographic; they are a new company focused on incorporating technology into the healthcare experienced and asked if I would help spread the word. If you are in search for health insurance or interested in learning about their services you can check their site for more information.
May is when we focus on Women’s Health, and well, I’ve reached an age that is a new bracket on the info-graphic. A new bracket. I’m THAT age!!!
It’s no secret I’m THAT age, and I’m super happy to have reached THAT age, don’t get me wrong, but… along with it comes a new list of things! It’s bad enough that sometimes I pee when I sneeze or cough, but now, apparently, it’s time for something else… the dreaded mammogram!
*Disclaimer: I’m not being paid for this post, I liked the Roadmap to Health infographic!
Did That Just Happen Blog 
Good luck Kate!! Health is the most important thing for sure xxx
Thanks Diana! I have on my to-do list to make calls about it today… *fingers crossed*
Hello my friend. I’m so glad that you care and take care of yourself. It’s not easy to make those dreaded appointments. I had my mammo in April. Glad to get it behind me.
Well, now I really have to go have it done! 😉
I clicked ‘like’, but in no way do I like that you have to endure a mammogram. But, it is for a good cause and worth doing. I’m not quite at that age yet, but approaching it, some days quicker than others.
LOL, I will admit that even though I’ve known it was coming… I am so not prepared!!
I love infographics, so I am glad you shared this one 🙂
(I still owe you a post or shout out on my blog, I haven’t forgotten, just haven’t had time to do it justice 😀 )
Eh, I’m not worried! And I love infographics, too… and it was a great way to jump back into blogging after I stepped away for a much needed break — which I saw you start to do! 🙂
My doctor has never recommended one. Maybe they are holding off for 50?
It could be! Since breast cancer has occurred in my family, I’ll go get a base line done, but since we don’t have the cancer gene, if nothing comes from the test, then I’m totally holding off until 50 for the next one!
I just had to check: the screening starts at 50 here, and then it will become a happy biannual habit until death do us apart. Funny though, it says the risk for breast cancer clearly increases after 45, why does the screening start at 50 then?! Maybe the reason lies in the government funds…
I had it once done, and I can assure you Kate, it was HORRIBLE!!! I am sure that was what you wanted to hear 🙂
EEK! Okay, I’ve decided that lying is okay, it is okay to lie to me so that I don’t know the truth!!! LOL.
I’ve discovered that the USA starts the screening process much earlier than the rest of the world… And I’m sure that for both our countries it’s motivated by Monday! LOL
Ok, so it was just like relaxing by the pool with a hot guy giving tender attention to your boobs. Better? 😀
Much! Much Better, thank you! 🙂
hehehehehehe
I’ve had annual mammograms since my mid-20’s because both my grandmothers died of breast cancer that metastasized.
Some years, the mammogram brought tears to my eyes. Other years, no pain. It’s a crap shoot. Good luck.
Lol, thanks Nancy, I hope that the anticipation / dread is making it worse in my mind than it really will be! And as much as I want to wait, my great grand mother and an aunt both had breast cancer, so I think it’s better to do it now.
I have undergone and survived “the experience” 25 times (+/-) ~> you’ll do fine! Treat yourself to something nice afterwards . . .
When I turned that age, and was at a dr’s appt, the dr suggested I could go downstairs to radiology that day and have my mammogram.
I thought, “Wait! I can’t do that. I am totally unprepared.” I am not sure what I thought I was going to do to prepare my breasts.
I left the building and got in my car in the parking lot, and said to myself, “I never do anything spontaneous. Ever. I am going back in and get that mammogram. ”
At that point in my life, I had been trying to be less schedule-oriented and more spontaneous- why I tied that into a mammogram, I am still not sure.
Hahahahaha! Okay, that entire thing cracked me up and is so you!! How were you going to “prepare”? And then, getting past that, your spontaneous moment was a mammogram!!! That’s just beyond greatness!! So in love with your comment!!
Oh, so glad I could provide some humor. But you are so right- it was such a “me” moment. I was bound and determined to be spontaneous-and if that meant a spontaneous, “unprepared” for mammogram, than so be it1
I KNOW you aren’t 50 so you guys must start them earlier in the US. We do mandatory mammograms from 50 here. Interesting. Well, good luck with that boob squeeze! EEeeeeeek
We start them at 40… well, they want a baseline before 40, but I’m surprised to hear that everyone else doesn’t do it until 50! That’s interesting… and now I don’t trust our insurance companies, they all just want our money!!
They totally do! Or maybe ours are started later because they are govt funded so are being tight fisted about it!
Uhh, can someone tell me where the men’s section is?
That would be June 🙂 But I found plenty of graphics for that month… hehehehehe.. You just wait! Apparently mammograms are so much fun that the women want to invent a machine to show men what it’s like!
Okay, check you in June.
And yeah – they sound like great fun.
I think it is awesome that you championing women’s health! I am a little older than you are, so am well aware of all of the fun that comes with it!
I just keep hoping that the fear/anticipation of the event is worse than the actual event… but I plan to share and let all of y’all know, in great detail, whether it is or not!
For me, the anticipation was much worse than the reality!
I have many friends who started getting mammograms at age 40. My old doc (senior/senile) was ADAMANT I didn’t need to until age 50. I was pretty glad when brand new shiny doc (fresh out of med school) confirmed that this is the recommendation. Unless you have immediate family history of breast cancer (or other indicators/suspicious lumps, etc), it’s age 50. So no breast-getting-slammed-in-closing-door test for me just yet. 🙂
Yeah, I wasn’t all too happy to ready that you got to wait!! I can already tell you that my doc won’t be happy that I waited until after 40 for my first one… but I plan to make sure the whole world knows, in detail, how hard that door slams!!!
Ugh… no chance the doc would agree to hold off? Apparently the reason they are recommending pushing to later (unless history/other issues) is because the test itself adds to your risk (radiation from the mammography), and when repeated over and over again, starting from age 40, starts to add up. It’s worth a shot, in terms of argument. 🙂
Dude, I’m so using that argument!!!
We are 50+ in AUS too, Nance. Although I wonder if that is because they are govt funded so they don’t want to be handing them out too early. Imagine how much an extra 10 years of tests would cost them?!?!?! Nothing compared to cancer treatment but you know, no one seems to look at it like that or we would have better preventative health care all round.
I’m usually all aboard the conspiracy theory train (i.e. they’re just trying to save money by not testing us for an additional 10 years) but it does make sense that the more you add radiation directly to the breasts, the higher the likelihood that said radiation would contribute to cancer. I think that by taking familial history into account, and doing tactile breast exams regularly to feel for lumps, they are mitigating risk in a reasonable way.
All that said, I’m a hypochondriac, so I will feel better once I’ve had the damn mammogram and know for sure there’s no cancer lurking in there.
See, I’m kinda the same – I have to get it done because now I’ve talked about it and I won’t rest… but once I see it’s clear, then I’ll happily wait another 10 years 🙂
Hehe yes of course. I was being a bit cheeky. It is more likely to be those damn insurance companies cashing in early x
No biggy. Practice at home. Take a plate in one hand. Bend over kitchen counter. Press plate in to breast and flatten against worktop.
If you can do this, the real things is a breeze Kate!!
I wish I could read the info graphic … Does it mention cataracts or glaucoma?…
Keep smiling and look after that precious body of yours 🙂
xo
Oh my goodness!!! I doubled over as I was reading that!! Too awesome Val, you are just too awesome!