Breasts and Male Doctors

I started my blog in mid April of 2011.  I remember in November of that year,  I went to Cardinal Santos for a mammogram and I blogged about it.

Almost two years na pala since I had a mammogram.  Doctors advise once a year but I didn’t go last year.  What I experienced in 2011 did not motivate me  to go back again the following year.

I am feeling some pain on my left breast and since it’s almost two years na rin,  I decided to have another scan and mammo.

I went to Cardinal Santos Hospital yesterday morning.
No traffic, for a change.

I first went to the laboratory for my regular blood check of cholesterol (High) and glucose (High).

The Women Care Center where breast exams are done is across the alley.

I didn’t have a doctor’s request so I couldn’t be booked for mammogram, only for breasts ultrasound.

Staff or technician at the counter——– “At saka, male doctor ang titingin”.

Omb with a frown———-  “Male doctor?”

Staff———————-  “Meron ding female technician sa loob”.

Me———————–  “Hindi yun,  merong lalaki eh breasts ito”.

Staff———————  “May female din na technician, pero I-che-check nung male doctor”.

So as not to increase my level of irritation,  I tried to calm myself down….

Me———————-  “Miss, lagi bang  lalaki?”

Staff——————-  “Ngayon lang mam, Saturday”.

Me——————–  “Open ba kayo tomorrow sunday, bukas na lang ako pupunta”

Staff—————–  “Oo, pero lalaki rin ang doctor”.

Me——————   “Sa Monday?”

Staff—————-  “Male doctor din”.

Me——————  “Kala ko ba sabi mo Saturday lang? Sa Myerkoles na lang ako babalik”.

Staff—————-  “Lalaki rin sa Wednesday”.

Me——————  “Women care center ito tapos puro lalaki ang doctors.  Anong klaseng hospital ito? That’s very disrespectful”.

Staff—————- “Meron din mam na female doctors,  Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday morning”.

Huh?  4 1/2 days male,   2-1/2 days for female doctors.

Me—————– ‘Miss, anong klaseng hospital itong Cardinal Santos, breast exams eh puro male doctors.  Bakit ganun?  Napaka ano naman…..”

Staff————— “Sige mam, ibi-nook ko na kayo sa female doctor but you have to wait pang lima kayo”.

Me—————  “Oh saan galing yung female?  I will wait.  Ilang oras?”

Staff————-  “May cellphone ba kayo?  Ite-text na lang namin kayo”

Me————–  “How many hours,  two, three, four?”

Staff———–   “mam, basta tatawag kami  pag malapit na kayo”.

Buntunghininga…..

It’s 12 noon.  I left and went out for lunch.   I received a text at 3:00 pm.  “Mam, malapit na ho kayo”.   I replied   “Ok, pero half hour pa ako”.

I was inside the breast ultrasound room at exactly 3:40 pm.   A 42 year old female doctor walked in.  Why do I know that she is 42 years old?  She told me.   She has a 6 year old kid with her live-in partner.  She doesn’t  believe in grand wedding or marriage.

Well,  she placed a lot of cold sticky  gel on my right breast. If you want to stay with your spouse forever, use this, it’s so sticky, you will definitely stay close to each other, you’ll get stuck staring at each other face to face, forever.

The doctor advised me to better have a mammogram first.  Then the ultrasound. I told her I don’t have a doctor’s request.
She said she could give me a request. With that, she then covered my breast (covered in gel)  with the hospital robe. 

She went out of the room to give orders to the mammogram technician.   I stood up and removed the robe, wiped off the gel and changed to my dress.   Doctor came back and saw me all dressed-up.  She said  “Ay, nakabihis ka na”.

Me———-“Oh, kala ko sabi mo magbihis muna ako…”

Here comes the mammogram technician,  a young female.
“Mam, lipat tayo dito sa kabilang room”.

I changed into another robe because the first one was full of sticky gel.

Technician——— “Mam, interview-hin muna kita.”

Me—————— “Okay”.

Technician——— “Naglagay ka ba ng tawas sa kili-kili mo?”

Me—————–  “No”.

Technician——–  “Sige, start na tayo”.

Technician——-“Tagilid lang, hawak dito, taas ang chin, left muna mam,  ipatong nyo…”.

Eto na naman. I feel violated. Nilamutak na naman dede ko. Hila dito, hila doon. Wala na ngang mahihila at kulang na kulang.

Me—————- “Ouch..”.

Technician—— “Huwag gagalaw, hold your breath….”

Me————–   “Aray, aray, aray, ang sakit,   hooo, hooo”.

Technician—–  “Sandali lang, huwag hihinga”.

Hindi nga ako makahinga sa sakit,  Inipit nya ng husto yung left dede ko, Anong hold your breath,  I have no breath to hold.

Technician—–  “Yung kanan naman mam, tagilid, hawak dito, chin up,  huwag gagalaw”.

Me————-  “Miss, huwag mong masyadong ipitin, kasi ang sakit sakit, baka lalo akong magka sakit dito”.

Technician—  “Basta hold your breath,  sa bibig huminga kung hindi makahinga.”

Oh my God, what did she just say?  Hindi nga ako makahinga sa sakit,  I really have to breathe thru my mouth or else I would stop breathing forever.

Me———–  “Miss, ang sakit, huwag mong masyadong ipitin”.

Ouch, ouch, ouch, hoooo, hoooo.

Technician—-  Hold your breath.  Wait lang mam, tingnan ko…

My God.  And we have to go through this once a year?  Once a year is too much too soon.