I had a mammogram this morning. Just a regular procedure.
After getting undressed and putting on one of those glamorous gowns I was sent to the waiting area. I looked around. In one corner were three bald women. I sat with them.
In the next half hour I heard some amazing stories - about frustration, courage, pain and hope. All three of the women had difficulty getting their various cancers diagnosed. All three had been through months and years of treatment. When the first of us was called into the imaging room she said, "I don't want to leave until our conversation's over." But she did.
There's power in women telling their stories. I didn't feel worthy to share other than to ask questions and compliment them on their bravery and perseverance.
We all agreed that - when we know our bodies aren't functioning properly - it's important to keep searching for answers until a diagnosis is found. No matter how many times we're told there's nothing wrong. We've all been told "You're fine!" when we knew we weren't.
An irony was that when I was being checked in I complimented the intake person on the hospital's new information technology. She immediately volunteered that she was 26 years old and had suffered from cancer since she was 12 - so she was happy with it as well.
I left with my new pink health calendar and my new pink ribbon pin. I gave my pink candies to Dave.
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