MY FIRST MAMMOGRAM

 I can not be an advocate for women’s health and not look after myself. The challenge with a screening test is that a lot of women have no symptoms, and they tend to postpone and not make time for it. Another factor is that most women feel uncomfortable getting that gynaecology exam or getting naked and getting their breasts exposed for the screening test, or they might be terrified of the findings.  I was trying to get the mammogram done during my leave time, but the appointment was full, and I finally managed to squeeze it in the morning of my work day. 

Overall, I had a pleasant experience. The staff in the radiology department were very friendly. The atmosphere was pleasant and welcoming. There was a private changing area for me to change my clothes and get into a gown. There wasn't a long waiting time until the mammogram was done. There was an interval between the mammogram and the routine ultrasound. I had a cup of coffee. The sonographer who examined my breasts was very friendly. One thing I learned was that it is advisable to do your mammograms and exams in one radiology center, to allow the team to compare the images and make the right diagnosis. 

I was very anxious about the results. The report was emailed to my referring Doctor and me, and I was even able to access the images on the radiology link. My medical aid paid for the exam, and I even had vitality points. I feel happy that for the next three years I do not need to do this. Next up are some blood tests and a dental check-up. I have also decided to keep a digital copy of all my medical records. 

ME AND MUSIC

 I have a special relationship with music. I am listening to a 90s playlist and writing this. I grew up in the eighties and '90s in a Middle Eastern country where music, especially Western music, was banned. I had some music exposure while I stayed in South Africa between 98 and 2000. We were struggling financially and still didn't have a CD player. I remember the new Westlife Album was released, and my High school friend Sandra recorded it on a cassette for me to listen to. It must be somewhere in my grandparents’ house, along with a hundred other cassettes I recorded from different radio stations and channels. I used to be crazy about Celine Dion. I would play her music, record my voice with the microphone, and feel like a diva! These days, when I listen to her old songs, I feel sad…I think about the days I used to be wild and young and free. 

The world of music became more colourful for me after we managed to get a satellite TV around 2005, and in those days, I could watch different international videos and enjoy them. Shakira and Jennifer Lopez were the new emerging artists in those days, and they are still going strong and going on tour. By then, I had given up on becoming a singer and was going to medical school. By 2010, when I was an intern, I got my first MP3 player. It was so life-changing! Having music while walking to work or using public transport was lovely. I was using various internet channels to download music. 

Life is amazing now with music streaming platforms such as Spotify! A lot of the artists probably miss the good old days when they would sell records, making less money through these platforms.  With a small monthly subscription, I listen to a wide range of music on my devices. There is no need for downloading or recording cassettes, CDs, or MP3 players. I listen to a wide range of music from my home country, French, Jazz, classical, Arabic, Indian, Latino, and pop from the '60s up to now. The only time I feel like a diva these days is when I am driving and I sing along to my favourite song. I have a little fantasy to have a little band and sing in a bar or something when I retire…

I still have my first MP3 player; it is such a sentimental item to me

MY HAPPY PLACE

 I am an introvert. When I was small I enjoyed doing my own thing, listening to children’s story cassettes, playing with my Legos, or drawing. Whenever we had visitors I would get irritated as a child because the house was so messy, mom was busy cooking, setting the table, or clearing the table and washing the dishes. Later on, I started having a special interest in books. I enjoyed reading a wide range of fiction. From Authors back home, and the classics from British and Russian authors. 

Another introverted and creative joyful activity for me was drawing and painting. It started with sketching in high school art classes and then became more sophisticated such as watercolour or oil on canvas. A lot of the artworks are framed and on the walls back home. Three of my favourite works are framed by mom’s house, 2 other nice oil paintings are by my brother’s house and a small daffodil painting and some random watercolour work are in my office. My life has been crazy with all the medical school and specializing, getting married, and having a child. I have not had the passion or energy to frame any new works or put them on the wall in our house. 

Recently I started gathering pictures of some of the previous art and decided to laminate some others and put them on the walls in the spare room. Some of my early favourite sketches are from the book I found at my grandparent’s house and which had beautiful black and white pictures of ballerinas from the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia. I used to love those beautiful and graceful ballerinas. Later on, when I grew up I watched the movie Black Swan and it changed my point of view on the ballet story. 

After having a baby I lost my identity. The whole day and night revolves around the care of the baby. Only now that the child is about two and half years old and can play with herself independently and go to school I am starting to find myself again, and reflect on my favourite hobbies and activities. One of my very favourite places to go are the bookstores and libraries. I try to avoid the bookstores because I can't control myself and I end up buying books that I won't read or need. The Norscot library has a beautiful building and garden, and it offers a very tranquil environment. I usually go there once a month to unwind, do some deep reading or writing, and pick some interesting books for myself and Aryana.