Pink! The New Fall Color

Happy October Y'all! I just love cool evenings and pumpkins and watching God's magical display of Autumn's hues at their finest! I am so thankful that He gives us such a wide display of colors in His creation! I can't even imagine how beautiful the colors in heaven are gonna be.....Oh, but I am so hoping there will be at least 500 magnificent shades of PINK!

I admit it ....I am a "Pink Freak"...... hot pink, baby pink, fuchsia....even pepto bismal pink!!.....I love them all. And believe it or not.....thanks to a very familiar pink ribbon that we now automatically relate to Breast Cancer Awareness....pink...at least in my book....is now "officially" a new fall color! October is National Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention Month. A time to remind us all to "Get our boobies smooshed". I just love to see the pink ribbons on every ones lapels! And a really cool thing, kind of new to our area, is getting an awesome pink hair extension for $10.....all proceeds going to breast cancer prevention! (Sorry guys, this is kind of a girly post....and I promise to talk about fishin' or football or nascar in a future blog....I realize that I will owe the testosterone team one after this post!)

Now before I start coming across as "Miss Altogether with Her Female To-Do List"....I will begin with a confession....I have not had my mammogram yet this year....I made an appointment...on time....but had to cancel due to an out of town trip.....and I did not reschedule it. SHAME ON ME. And while I am eloquently spilling the proverbial pot of "been a bad girl" beans....let me just further confess....I have not had my yearly GYN visit yet this year....OR last year!!!......BUT....I have an appointment this Friday....FUN, FUN, FUN.....not! But it is now two years over due! I am a nurse, I know better, and yes I am an idiot.

Why have I let these two VERY IMPORTANT things go unattended to???? Well, I could tell you that I have been too busy, or I forgot, or it was cancelled by the Doctor's office, or some other common excuse....but I would be lying. I KNEW I needed to go....I really intended on going...but it really boiled down to one embarrassing, selfish fact.......I did not want to weigh. There! I said it...or blogged it...out loud! I hate to weigh....long history with my weight.

Here's the deal....when my original OBGYN retired, I transferred my records to another OBGYN in town.....a high school friend of mine.....and I just adore her! She is an incredible doctor and amazing person! I have been seeing her as a patient for 4 years now. Years one and two....I lost a great amount of weight....so I did not mind going in and stepping up on the horrid, metal, self-esteem sucking monster commonly referred to as a set of scales. I knew I would weigh less, and be at my ideal weight.

Not so for year three...or four. On the messy, gigantic, fluctuating roller coaster that is my weight history....this past particular year and a half have proved to be one where the "Weight Car" has crept cleverly UP the hill on the roller coaster.....Not the gigantic hill....I hit that one full speed about 5 years ago, and hit the top at 299 pounds! And through the old fashioned....eat less/move more regiment...I lost over 140 pounds in a period of 2 years! And while I am thankful that I have not climbed back up that BIG hill ....not there yet....not really close....I can't stop the ride!!! I am SO frustrated!! I want to get off!!

So back to my excuse making mentality...somewhere in my mind, I wanted to believe that the car was most certainly about to hit the down curve....SO I would simply wait until I was coasting in a more favorable zone.....THEN I would make my appointment. Bad theory.

Breast cancer, ovarian, or uterine cancer can hit anybody......including idiotic, afraid to weigh, Jesus loving, praise singing, blogging nurses.

I am ashamed.....I am embarrassed....and I plan to do better. I convinced myself today, that I would be totally honest with my OBGYN friend....and ask forgiveness....from her....for not being a compliant patient.... from myself for not taking care of my self like I should, and from God for taking His blessing of health for granted.

So there is my confession....and here is my challenge to each of you. If you have not had your "Boobies Smooshed" or your "Womb Worked Over"......PLEASE make those appointments today.....and keep the appointments :)

I am so fortunate and thankful to my Creator, that to the best of my knowledge, I am healthy. But my knowledge is not enough...... that is why He gave greater knowledge and amazing technology to folks who can help us know we are healthy...and help fix us if we are not!

I look forward to comments to this post because I could really use some encouragement with this one!! I can't help but think that I am not alone in my struggles!

I get my GYN check on Friday. I get my mammogram next week. And, oh yeah..... I got my pink hair extension today....it is sassy and awesome....just like me.....no matter what I weigh.

Think Pink Y'all!

~Scarlett