Fun Friday – The lighter side of a mammogram visit

Lockers for the convenience of  patients...one size fits most.


The reminder letter arrived in the mail, “…your mammogram is scheduled for …” The letter included the things that needed to be done to prepare for the appointment -

--arrive 10 minutes early

--do not wear deodorant

--blah, blah, blah

On the day of my appointment, I arrived as scheduled, checked in at the desk and only waited a few minutes before my name was called. I followed the worker to the next waiting area. It was the area where the patient undresses from the waist up and places her belongings in a locker. And that is where my trouble began.

The clothing items fit into the locker with ease. However, when I tried to put my purse in the locker, it became wedged half in, half out, of the locker. I gave the purse a shove, but it only moved an inch.

I had to devise a plan quickly. The staff at that doctor’s office are efficient and don’t leave you waiting long. When she returned for me I didn’t want to be standing there with my lovely gown swaying and me wrestling with the purse.

The over sized purse

I removed a few items from my purse – small notebook, hand lotion and fundraiser cards (my son’s project). Then I reorganized other items – work cell, personal cell, Excedrin. Whew. Maybe I needed to clean out the entire purse.

The reorganization worked, I was rewarded with success. I tilted the purse, jabbed it a little and in dropped onto the floor of the locker. I slammed the locker shut, removed the key and put the attached stretchy band around my wrist.  I plopped onto a chair just in time.

The technician entered the doorway, “Angela, are you ready?” She took me to the exam room, conducted the exam, and I was back in the changing room within ten minutes. It took me longer to get my purse into the locker than it did to conduct the exam.

After my appointment, I thought of another point that can be added to the checklist of reminders for a mammogram appointment…do not take a large purse.

Has anything happened to you recently where you had to laugh at yourself?