PINK POWER!

I am a sucker for freebies.... I guess my good friend, Dr. Melissa Piodena is too, hehe... So during the Annual Iloilo Medical Society Convention held last month, when they announced a free mammogram for 10 doctors, we rushed (as in literally rushed, hehe) to have our names included as the 10 lucky doctors. We realized that we were the only early 30s-late 20s  there signing for a free mammogram, hehe. But as family medicine resident physicians who harps on the importance of prevention and we, having a family members with close encounter to the terrible questionable scary lump in the breast, we wanted the procedure like any premenopausal woman, hehe.

So last June 29, 2011, Mel & I was off to the Iloilo Medical City formerly Saviour Hospital for our mammogram..... We were ushered into a room with a big sign outside MAMMOGRAPHY. I wasn't that intimidated with the machine because it was in pink & white color. It was so girly and chick-friendly, hehe. It is like a humongous girl accessory....

But I guess Mel was the braver one than me because she volunteered to be the first victim of the pink accessory...

Then it was my turn, tehehee.......

I had a sudden rush of fear because I was told it is going to be painful. They will clip your boob-lets sideways and downward, making it flat like paper plates. I waited for the pain, its didn't come, thank God. It was just a little uncomfortable considering someone adjusting your womanly melons (haha!) to hit a certain marker. Iloilo Medical City trained 4 women radiotechnician for these purposes. My goodness, I couldn't imagine if a guy would have this job...  He would be the luckiest guy alive! Opps, sorry for the stereotyping, guys.... This procedure would be more painful for those with a not-so-blessed frontal asset. The machine would have a hard time clipping something, hehe.... It was a very fast procedure. The machine can swing in different direction to accommodate your position. After the procedure, we saw the initial view of our mammogram in the monitor. So far, I didn't see any masses or cystic structure in my mammogram. But we have to wait for a few days for an official reading from the radiologist. 

As a health professional, I think it is best for me to give you some words of wisdom. So listen up and hear out my doctor's advice:


1. Women should have a regular breast examination, checking for masses, peeling, or deformity on the breasts or nipples, 7 days after the 1st day of menstrual cycle.


2. Be aware of your breasts, how they look & feel, if you noticed certain changes like smelly discharges from the nipple, a orange-y look of your breast, etc. If these are noted, go see a doctor.


3. If you have a strong family history of breast cancer, it is best not use oral contraceptive pills as your form of contraception.


4. It is also best to lessen on your caffeine intake.


5.  At age 40 & above, have a yearly mammogram for screening. However, if you have a strong family background of breast cancer, it is advisable to start screening early.


6. Disseminate this information to all the women you know.


Lets us join the other fearless pink warriors in creating an awareness to protect our symbol of womanhood.. naks! 

For interested in helping spread this advocacy, go to icanservefoundation.org