I've heard the stories. You know, the ones that go "you take your boobs and put them between two metal plates, and drop an anvil on them"... Funny, huh.

What brought this on, you say? Well, my annual physical was Wednesday, and my doc wanted me to get a first mammogram. She's a little concerned due to the family history of prostate cancer...

Luckily I talked this over with my therapist and found out what's needed to get insurance to cover it (I'm not on my work's insurance, yet - still on my wife's plan as the price is better and with the exception of trans benefits it's a good plan)... It has to be coded to Gynomastia (Male breast delvelopment) and it has to be a "diagnostic" exam, not a routine screening. Okay, I could deal with that...

My exam was this morning. I did go there with some trepidation. My wife/daughter had told me it was mostly uncomfortable rather than painful, but I'd heard that story... I needn't have worried. Yes, it was uncomfortable (The girls are NOT designed to be squished that way!) but pain was far from severe! Two squishes per side, very professional assistance in getting things into the right position. One benefit from a diagnostic rather than screen mammogram is that the radiologist looks at it right away (and if needed immediatly orders extra x-rays or ultra sounds, etc. if needed). Well, she looked at the four shots and came and told me they showed normal development and were apparently nice and healthy. :-) Good news, of course. She also wished me well.

So - all went well, right? Well, sorta. There was one OTHER thing that happened. Turns out that the mother of one of my older daughter's friends throughout public school (K-12) worked there (I thought she was in a different office, they have three, but she was apparently filling in for someone). She's the one that escorted me from the waiting room to where she took me to a changing room mwhere she told mme to take off the shirt and bra - and put on the gown (opening front)... She did acknowledge she knew me, but nothing else. We haven't seen much of her for a good many years - our daughters went their own ways after high school and we had no other "connection". I'm going to work under the assumption that she'll be professionnal and not say anything, but... I could be well and truly out, couldn't I. Time w1ll tell.

Being outed like this - is something that's always been a risk. Perhaps the event will turn out to have a silver lining? One can hope.

Thanks to all two dozen readers. I appreciate all of your clicks. :-)

What's next? How will my trip to DC (Arlington, VA) go? Time will tell. In any event, if you got this far, thank you. If anything I've said strikes up questions please ask. (Not that I expect anyone to get this far, mind you... LOL)

Anne