Wednesday 21 March 2007: Heidi springs back to work after 9 months home and Sarah goes grey in a big way on this non-springy, windy day...

Sarah says:
As my childhood doctor in New York City used to say: "Urine's fine". I know the funniness of that statement does not play out well on this here blog but trust me, it was funny all those years and it still is funny. You'd go into the city to see this guy and he had the most old-fashioned doctor's office possible. He looked like something out of a silent movie. He moved slowly and liked giving out samples of new medication a little too much. He barely said a word ever. He'd always take a urine sample (pee in a little cup) and he'd come out of a back room and say very slowly with something like an accent "Urine's fine". You always felt relieved at that moment as if your pee being okay meant everything. It meant you weren't about to die! It meant you weren't sick with some terrible disease. It meant life. You were alive - and it sounded so dang funny.

I don't know how or when or why but one day my older brothers and I - one of us anyway - used the phrase "urine's fine" randomly and it clicked that we all were very familiar with that same phrase from our own experiences with that doctor. From then on it became a joke between us that came up just enough to stay funny. We never overused it and we still don't. When one of us happens to throw it out there out of the blue, it strikes a funny bone big time usually.

Today I sent a brother a message after my mammogram and of course the message was: "Urine's fine". If you haven't gotten the joke yet, that means that everything is okay. My boobs are all right at the moment. I don't need another mammogram for two years. So that is great news!

For all you women out there who are about my age (35) or older and who haven't had their first mammogram yet, PLEASE PLEASE schedule one soon! Lying in that room today waiting for the second part of the examination - the echo graph - I couldn't help but think about people I know who have gone through the awful moment of discovering a knot or bump in their breast and getting a bad diagnosis. It made me teary-eyed. I can't imagine how terrible it must feel to be told you have a cancerous tumor or tumors. Preventative mammograms are fast and easy. It took me about 10 minutes in total - about 3 minutes, 4 times. They take one boob at a time and grab it, place it on the machine and flatten it as you don't breath or move. Then they do the same sideways. Sideways is more tricky as it is uncomfortable and harder to stay still - but it goes so very quickly. By the time I was in the echo graph room, they already had the results ready. Since I got the all clear, I didn't even have to have the echo graph. I had to pay Euro 96 for the mammogram. Had I had the echo, it would have been about Euro 60 more I think. I'll get some of that money back from the insurance even.

So ladies from 35 on - go get your first mammogram if you haven't already or go get your next one if it is time! It's so important!

Now on to another subject : Permanent hair removal with the VPL system!

I went to the info-session about this kind of hair removal today because as I have written here before, I suffer from the not-to-be-ashamed of chin-hair!!!! I hate it though oh so very, very much so I have to get rid of it or I'll go nuts. The woman zapped my chin three times, killing three hairs apparently. It smelled rotten and felt strange but went very quickly. And the great news is - it costs much less than I thought. I should be able to get rid of all the hair that exists now after 10 visits, each with 6 weeks in between. Each visit costs Euro 50 plus Euro 1 per each zap. I'd probably need about 10 zaps per session to begin, with that number diminishing as hairs disappear. So in total, the whole process should cost me around Euro 600! I thought it would be so much more so I'm pretty excited. The crappy thing is that you can't pluck for the whole duration of the process - you can only shave!!!! I have never shaved my chin. I hate to start. You also can't be in the sun at least for the beginning because the paler skin, the better. Luckily I have the right combo of really dark hair and really pale skin so it should work really well. Of course now I have to read up on it and see the pros and cons and testimonies. Then I have to persuade everyone I know who ever gives me presents to contribute to this process for my birthday and for Christmas!!! The amazing thing is that the process also clears up acne and scars in the chin area. I could of course get my moustache area done too but so far that hair doesn't bother me - it seems more normal - it doesn't make me self-conscience. So we'll see - I might do it or might not but man will I be pleased to one day be rid of this problem! I am excited by the prospects!!!

And finally, check out my grey, grey, grey hair in the photo above. Seems I am no spring chicken anymore - a mammogram, hair removal info and such grey hair all in one day! I will wait as long as possible to dye my hair. In that way I am not that vain. I like grey and black hair. At least right now I do.

And Heidi - our dear, dear Heidi - I hope we'll hear from her soon and that she had a good day!