I had my annual gyn exam this morning, which includes the ritual of the breast exam and the pelvic (and rectal now that I'm 50, it seems, but I recall when every gyn exam included the rectal so that was no biggie). The wonderful innovation? The horrid paper blouse, sans closures, made of very rippable paper toweling, was gone. Instead the nurse had me slip out of my bra and keep my own blouse. I had worn a sweater and an undershirt--I just used the undershirt. Warmer, much more comfortable, and leaves the hands available to control the paper blanket covering one's lower half.

All was good of the things that give immediate results. The chat with the doctor was themed "now that you're 50/almost at menopause..." Time for a colonoscopy. (No thanks, had that a couple of years ago, won't need another for a little while yet.) Take more calcium. Bone scan as soon as the periods really stop. Here's a bag of stuff--samples of 3 types of calcium supplements included. Then she offered a sample of a drug called Evista, an anti-osteoporosis drug that also seems to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Again it's for post-menopause, so not yet. I'm not at high risk of breast cancer and I suspect I'm not very prone to osteoporosis (or at least not yet), so I'll have to be convinced of why I should try this stuff. A quick Web search says it increases the risk of stroke...maybe it can wait until some signs of bone thinning show up.

Next up: mammogram scheduled for Friday (ugh!).