People are funny about doctors. For all the money we spend on healthcare in the United States and in Hawaii, most people really do not like scheduling an appointment to see a doctor. Of course, this can cause problems. You may have a condition or have contracted some illness, and you may not even realize it. Moreover, you do not want to have a missed opportunity for a diagnosis turn into a misdiagnosis.
You may feel tired, achy or simply older. You may put off visiting a doctor and scheduling a test because it may be vaguely embarrassing or uncomfortable. No one wakes up and thinks to him or herself, “Great, today is my Colonoscopy!” But that does not mean you should avoid having one. Nonetheless, life sometimes intrudes, and with busy schedules, it is easy to tell yourself you will get to it next month.
One woman fell into that category. She was 40, and so entering the age range of when mammograms are recommended for cancer screening for women. But she was busy, with kids in school, events and a hectic career. But she was lucky.
She happened to work on a television program and they were planning a program for breast cancer awareness in October. They suggested she have a mammogram live on the air, to encourage other busy women to make an appointment and have it done.
Good thing for her. She was shocked to find she had breast cancer and announced she would be having a double mastectomy this week.
Before the test, her co-host told her that if one life were saved by her having the on-air mammogram, it would be “all worth it.” Little did she know that life she saved was her own.
Source: New York Times, “Amy Robach of ABC Says On-Air Mammogram Found Breast Cancer,” Brian Stelter, November 11, 2013