"We are all wanderers on this earth...our hearts are full of wonder, and our souls are deep with dreams." ~ Gypsy proverb

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Welcoming 40

Normally I do get handmade cards, but this year Hubs decided to take the kids to the card store and have them pick their own.  I thought I'd share them with you as I think each one is telling of their personalities.

For M., who isn't quite reading on her own yet, Hubs read from one card to another for an hour, until she found one she was satisfied with.
She's six. And this is what she picked...



I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, I believe I did both. Sometimes cards do express more than what we can express ourselves :).

On another note, I received another kind of card welcoming this next phase of my life...


My doctor said something rather shocking as he handed me this script. He said there is an ongoing debate about reneging the recommendations for women at 40 to get mammograms. He said that apparently not enough women in their 40's are getting diagnosed as opposed to women in their 50's. He also said there are more false positives and needless procedures than there are women actually having cancer. I don't know about you, but if I have a chance to catch cancer early in me, or in any other woman I know, I will do the damn mammogram, no questions asked. I could care less about statistics, average risk, or false positives. I will take the false positive over a true one any day.

Sorry, I don't know where that soap box came from.

Save the Tatas :)...

Much love
xx oo

18 comments:

  1. Having a grandmother who died from breast cancer, a mom and sister who both have had
    cysts removed along with most of the breast
    tissue, I'm all about prevention. I am doing a
    5K in October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month...I'm excited.
    Love the cards...the 40's are fun...I'm having
    a blast! Welcome to the club!

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  2. save the tatas! I can't stop laughing. having just hit this decade myself I agree...Let's do all we can to take care of ourselves and protect our bodies.
    That card is hysterical...I love that it was the one she had to have:)

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  3. Happy Birthday from another of the 40 and above club! Love the cards, especially the one from your daughter - how thoughtful!

    Thanks for the mammogram reminder. It's time for my annual exam. I had a small lump removed about 14 years ago - it was benign, and the doc said I didn't have to, but there was no way I was just letting the thing stay nestled in my breast! I've heard the same thing about the new thoughts in regard to mammograms under 40. With my history, I wouldn't chance not getting them regularly.

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  4. Sometimes the bureaucracy of the medical establishment is so frustrating isn't it????

    Anyway, those cards were touching! Each was very different and yet the same sense of love for you was obvious in both. You have sweet, sweet children.

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  5. Blessings and Happy Birthday!

    ...sweet cards!

    ...still can't post with Google...~Affectioknit

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  6. happy birthday! i think you're doing the right thing by going in for a screening - proactive is best.

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  7. What lovely cards! There is definitely a contrast between the two, but both are a testament to the love you give your children. How sweet that your husband read to M. to help her find the perfect card, too!

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  8. The cards are absolutly beautiful. What a lucky Mama you are :)
    Many " belated" happy returns MJ!

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  9. hey mama, just a note on the mammogram. i'm all about saving the tatas, don't get me wrong. but overly subjecting yourself to radiation is not a negligible risk. just saying... i fully support whatever decisions women make in this area, just want everyone to be well informed on the subject that mammograms are not "harmless" procedures, the procedures carry their own risks. you just have to decide whether you think the risks are low enough compared to the potential benefits, and that equation is going to be balanced differently for each individual, based on family and your own medical history. (and i may be telling you stuff you have already carefully weighed!)

    love and happy birthday wishes to you!!! :)

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  10. Haha, save the tatas is the best thing I've heard in a while.
    Love those birthday cards!!

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  11. mb-thanks for your comment and the reminder of the risks with some of these preventative procedures. I still hear that one of the best preventative methods is self exam :).

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  12. I love "Save the Tatas"! Just LOVE it. I am glad you're taking care of yourself, even though I have started hearing things about mammograms too. What we should and shouldn't do to take care of ourselves is always shifting, isn't it? Best to be mindful and do what feels right, listening to ourselves, always. (Unless, that Self is saying, Yes! Eat cake for breakfast lunch and dinner! Lots and lots and lots of cake! Then, perhaps an inner Tweaking is in order … :) )

    I love those cards. How sweet that your husband spent an hour to help your girl find just the right one. And you can definitely see the personality difference between the cards! I love the humour in the first, and the sweetness in the second. I think your family and my family would get on beautifully, MJ.

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  13. Happy Birthday! Those cards are great - so sweet that your man took the time to read them all to your daughter.

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  14. Oh my those cards...let them be a confirmation that you are doing a bang up job! : ) Good hearts in those kids of yours, I have one like that too and when I remind myself of that I know everything will be fine.

    As for the test, I completely agree and if nothing else I think it's good to have a baseline on hand for future years.

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  15. happy birthday! I made it into the club this year too- :)

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  16. Happy Belated Birthday! Awesome cards. I am with you- better safe than sorry.

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  17. Those cards are great. Made me giggle a bit. I agree with MB on the mammograms. They can be a Life saving tool but are definitely not without risk. My mom spent the last year battling breast cancer, so it's been one of those topics I've been reading and researching regarding any future risk that I may have. Anyway, I just wanted to mention that there is another screening called a thermogram that carries much less risk and might be of interest. Good luck!

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“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
~ George Bernard Shaw