Three New Things!

I tried three new-to-me things this week.  All of them really good for my mental and/or physical health. I seem to do things in 3s.  Hmmm, curious.

First,  I'm learning to knit.  I've had two lessons from a wonderful co-worker, and have learned to cast on, knit, purl (sort of..it's difficult), and bind off.  Apparently, if I practice, practice, practice those things I will soon be knitting up a storm!  I told my teen and tween sons that my first project is making them baby booties, and they better wear them if they want to make Mama happy.

I knitted a hat for my dog.  Not really.  I just put the first thing I knit on her head.  She loves it! ;-)

My not-so-hidden secret is that I'm equal parts hardcore liberal feminist and wannabe 1950s style housewife.  The knitting and all the cozy things I will soon make for my family greatly appeals to the happy homemaker side of me.  I'm also imagining that a new hobby that keeps my hands busy will be great for cutting down on snacking, which is a big weakness for me.   Every extra moment  I've had this week has found me running off to practice my stitches and not shoving Ak Mak crackers and smoked gouda cheese in my face.  Winning!

I've also started jazzercising. We have a new jazzercise studio in town, and several of my friends have joined with me.  Oh goodness..that's one good,  fun, sometimes ridiculous workout.   Each class is one hour and includes cardio and abs/light weight training.   I love that I can have fun, get a good workout, hear some good music, and hang out with my wonderful friends.  Some of the moves are silly to be sure.  I'm pretty sure the on-the-floor cool down dramatically performed to Jason Mraz's "I Won't Give Up" would be worthy of an SNL skit.  But I absolutely love it, and I'm looking forward to adding these classes to my workout routine.  I'm hoping to get into a 3x running/2x jazzercising weekly routine.

 

I'm about this coordinated, and I still love jazzercise. 

Last but not least, I had my very first mammogram.

Let's talk boobs.

Last year, a high school friend was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 39.   This beautiful woman, a wife and mother of two young children is active, a non-smoker,  at a healthy weight and has no history of breast cancer in her family.  Thanks to a routine mammogram, her cancer was diagnosed at an early, but still life-altering stage.  She's been through a lot with her treatment, but today is cancer-free and doing well.

When she learned of my aversion to doctors - basically, that I hadn't been to one  in ten years - she made made me promise to go and have a mammogram.

In January 2012, I went for a GYN apppointment and I got the order for a mammogram.  By the way, that appoitment?  Was hysterical.  I  was nervous, and went directly from a enjoying two Mimosas at a friend's birthday lunch, and I was feeling a bit relaxed by time the appointment started. At the end of the appointment, my doctor said to me, "That was great!  You're fun!" HAHA! My gynecologist thought I was fun, and my appointment was good for her!  I'm pretty proud of that.

Almost an entire year passed, and I never went for the mammogram.  Way too much of a big chicken wussy baby.  The order was almost a year old and set to expire and I started to feel guilty about breaking my promise to my friend.  So I sucked it up, and went this week.

Long story short: the actual mammogram was the biggest non-event of my week.  It didn't hurt.  It wasn't even uncomfortable, really.  And it wasn't nearly as embarrassing as I thought would be.  It was over in minutes.  I simply can not believe that I was so anxious and put it off for so long.  I also can't believe that I was a nervous wreck - dropping my pen, clipboard, phone, purse AND coat in the 10 minutes I was in the waiting room.

If getting your first mammogram is on the horizon for you and you are anxious and thinking of delaying it, please don't.  It's nothing.  Mine was only two days ago, and I've already gotten the results.  I'm pleased to say the girls are looking good, and I now have a baseline for future mammograms.

Promise kept.  Good results.  Much relief.