You need what, again!?!

I must say, I am proud of myself!  I made the effort on Wednesday to set up my first consultation at New Orleans Breast Center.  As I have mentioned I am in a support group for women with a genetic history of breast cancer, and everyone in the group has told me I am at the most difficult part of my journey.  Trying to figure out what type of reconstruction to have and where to have it done can be agonizing.  You are telling me! 

I often ask myself, does anyone despise going to new doctors and even more filling out those awful medical history forms more than me?  Honestly, I’d rather clean toilets after a chili cook-off festival than continue to fill out medical history forms and insurance forms.

I believe this distaste stems from my mom who reamed me a new one after the first time I filled out my own insurance form.  I was sitting at our kitchen table feeling like an adult because I was no longer on my parent’s insurance and had gotten my first big-girl job after leaving Georgia Southern.  The form asked if I smoked, well…I did not want to lie in case the big insurance people came after me with a lie detector test, so I said, yes.  I submitted my insurance proud of the fact I was now a grownup and when mom saw I put, “yes” as a smoker she became very concerned and questioned my health.  I admitted I had tried smoking once in the past and hated it so I never did it again.  Her tone moved from concern to pissed quicker than a bolt of lightning. She informed me, even though it was necessary to be honest on these forms, you don’t have to be that honest!  Lesson number 84 from mom. 

So here I am left with filling these forms out and my stomach is full of anxiety about whether or not I should or should not put exactly what they are looking for:

Sex – “okay might alleviate some stress”

Do you drink – “I will be after I am done with this 9 page history”

Do you take herbal supplements – “ in the form of brownies count” (laugh people it’s a joke!)

All kidding aside, my dad asked me yesterday, “how likely are you to get breast cancer if you have the double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery done?”  The minimal percentage is incredible.  I am at less than 1% risk of breast cancer after the surgery.  For me it is clear, go for it!  Medical and insurance histories here I come!