May 17, 2008

My Next Birthday And A Fun-Filled Afternoon

Telling you this little story means I'm revealing my age, something I'm told a proper French woman should never do.
What the hell, I'm not French yet...

My 40th birthday is coming up this February. (feeling myself break out in a cold sweat - I know it shouldn't bother me, but it does - more about my emotions surrounding my upcoming birthday later)



Where was I? Oh yes.
Turning 40 for a woman usually means that exciting event we all look forward to - The Mammogram.



Wednesday afternoon I had the pleasure of spending two hours in a clinic, waiting to meet Sophie. And no, that's not the name of the doctor.
This lovely machine pictured above is Sophie. How do I know that it's name is Sophie, you might ask? Because "her" name is written in green across the top of the machine. Seriously. Just enlarge the photo and you'll see.

So I have to ask...
Why give it a female name? Is that supposed to make me feel better while "she" is smashing my boobs between "her" two compressor plates?

Just wondering...



A side note: It was painless and absolutely necessary. Ladies, don't put off having your mammograms! Pin It

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

My OB-GYN in France is named Sophie, ha ha ha.

I'm turning 38 soon, and been thinking about getting my first mammogram. But, sad as this is to say, it will have to wait until I'm married and can Allan can put me on his insurance policy. La Sécu is one of the things I miss about France.

Betty Carlson said...

Painless? Painless????

I want to have mine done by Sophie too!

Jennifer said...

alison
My OB/GYN's name is Dr. Ska!

The health health system is brilliant here and I'm always appreciative of it. I have a long saga that includes a broken arm in the middle of the night in August in rural France that I'll have to write about sometime. I had the best doctors ever!

Betty
Yes, it was! I was so nervous that it was going to be really painful but it was barely even uncomfortable.
Sophie was new, so maybe she was a kinder and gentler machine. :)

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Pleased you didn;t find it too painful!!! Last time I had one, I cried it was soooooo painful..didn't think it would hurt that much!!!

You have ages until your birthday..its not until next year!!!I went past that age years ago..sob sob sob..my birthday is coming up next month...no I won;t say how old!!! Inside though, still very young at heart. :-)

Polly-Vous Francais said...

My mammogram experiences in the US have been so UGH. I'm hoping that the French Sophie machine is a kinder, gentler analyst. But maybe the mammogram machines are the same the world over...crushing that connective tissue!! o-u-c-h.

Time for a new Sophie, I think. There must be some nicer way!

Scary though it might seem, hitting 40 is when you are starting to reach the best in womanhood in France -- just ask Juliette Binoche et al. Enjoy it and revel in it!

been la & done ca

Cheers,
Polly

Jennifer said...

anne
How terrible! That is exactly what I was afraid of, but it was just the opposite.
You need Sophie!
I know my birthday isn't for months, but it's looming...

Polly
Ah, Juliette Binoche, a very good example. That cheers me up a bit! :)

The Sophie machine was new and I've read that the new ones aren't as bad.

Anonymous said...

I'm with betty... i wish sophie could have done mine.

Jennifer said...

colleen
you'll have to tell all the doctors over there about her.
Demand Sophie!

Paola Westbeek said...

I also experienced it as painless. I've had two done and I'm only thirty, but you should always get to the Dr. even when you have the slightest doubt that something could be wrong. Better safe than sorry!

paola

Jennifer said...

Paola
Happy to hear you had a similar experience! I think I put it off for so long because I was expecting it to be so much worse. A bad thing, I know.
You are absolutely right...Better safe than sorry.