... prevention is sadistic torture in disguise.

Annual "Well Woman" exams are a necessary evil.

For me, this year (my 36th year) turned out to be especially sadistic. Aside from the plain ol' regularly intrusive exam (Hey, doc!! What's going on down there?!), I had the extra added pleasure of my very first mammogram. Apparently, this is the super-fantastic, jack-in-the-box prize for making it into the second round of womanhood (I'm scared to find out what the finalist win).

In my tra-la-la innocence, I made my way to the 2nd floor and was able to get "worked into" the scheduled appointments. "Great!" was my response... (insert stiffled giggle here) The radiology tech hid her devil horns well but her ice cold hands gave away her true intent... my discomfort. At the end - with glazed over eyes - I mentioned how much more painful it actually was than I expected, she said, "The suggested psi is 40 and you were barely at 23." Really... I swear I left that office with a word bubble over my head that said "Big Baby."

So... if the test comes back clear, I am good for another 3 1/2 years. Fingers crossed...