technology

My First Mammogram

/ christinaparisi / Leave a comment

First off, I want to apologize – yes, again – for my delaying in posting on my blog. I truly appreciate you, dear readers, and want to explain that for the next six months, I might not be writing as much as normal here because I am editing my novel (while I wait tables and work on freelance writing assignments.) I then will be sending it out to agents and publishers so my time will be a little more limited but this is only a brief interruption. I will continue to post at least once or twice a month.

For those following my Diet Coke addiction, I have to admit I have fallen off the wagon and use this dark beverage for help with my weight loss journey. More to come…

And as for my weight loss journey, expect a new post next week. I’m figuring out my routine much more and will be sharing about it shortly. And yes, I am down a few pounds but lots more to go!

And now, for this post…

I had my first mammogram today. I turned 41 this year and my doctor told me it’s time I do it.

After waiting forty five minutes after my appointment time, I was finally called into a little dressing room area to undress to the waist and robe up.

And then more waiting.

Finally, I’m called – about an hour after my appointment time but I try to use this as training for patience (something I need continual work on.) Why do doctors set so close appointments? The majority of my doctor’s appointments keep me waiting well beyond the appointment time. When did this become acceptable??? But I digress…

My technician (I think that’s what she was…) was to the point. Friendly but distant. Definitely gave the vibe this is all routine for her.

But for me, it wasn’t. For the next ten minutes, my poor boobs were smooshed as they were x-ray’d. With all our technological progress, I don’t understand why this can’t be made a little easier on the chest??

Fortunately, the whole thing went by quickly but every time the tech told me not to breath for a x-ray (4 total), I suddenly became a person who couldn’t hold their breath longer than a second.  I realized it was because I use my breath when I feel stress or pain or uncomfortableness so having that taken away while I was clamped down was the hardest part for me.

The funniest part, though, was at the end, the tech drew closed the curtain so I could put my bra/top back on. Considering she had gotten to know my chest closer than my husband does, I couldn’t help but wonder if that was really necessary.

Overall, knowledge of my body’s health will by far make this whole visit worthwhile but if anyone can make this process more comfortable, please do!!!

 

My phone shatterd and all hell broke loose

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Okay, I’m exaggerating. Kinda.

I would bet good money that I am among many people whose lives are attached to their phones. And when said phone gets broken or goes missing, life as we know it changes greatly.

I hate to admit it but I couldn’t even remember my husband’s phone number. When I dropped my phone, I was at my restaurant job and he was expecting me to pick up dinner. Only thing is, I always shoot him a text to confirm what he wants and what time I’m leaving.

I panicked. Crap. I couldn’t even call him from the main restaurant line because I didn’t flippin’ remember his number.

Ask me what my parent’s home number of yesteryear was and I can tell you in a minute. That was a number I had to memorize – 818-906-8651 – because there were no cell phones yet. I haven’t used that number in almost twenty years but there it was, on the tip of my tongue, which makes me wonder – do we retain much less these days with the ease of smart phones, the internet and AI?

Being away from my laptop, I couldn’t do simple things that most take for granted these days, like checking traffic or emails. Does anyone remember the days that when you left your house, you couldn’t be gotten ahold of? (Picture above is a throwback to that time period…) I reminisced for those days recently when a co-worker was trying to contact me and used several methods because I hadn’t answered within an hour. 

When did immediate response become so expected?

Not having my phone for twenty hours was not fun but it also made me realize how damn dependent I am on it, and others in my life for that matter, and I didn’t like it. Not one bit.

Technology should aid us, but not hinder us, right? Are we using it correctly? I’m starting to wonder as I read about COMPUTERS talking to one another without human prompt….

Perhaps we are getting carried away with technology and need to start reigning ourselves in… what say you?

 

Make Healthy A Habit – Day Seventeen

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As I was lying in bed this morning, a thought occurred to me about something my husband and I had talked about in the past.

Getting rid of technology in the bedroom.

The world we live in is fast-paced and practically run by technology.

Smartphones are everywhere and people are now attaching them to their wrists.

Tablets and laptops are third arms for a large part of this population.

And all the noise of technology is very difficult to shut off if you live in a major city. Hell, probably even in small cities.

So, where is our sanctuary? Our technology-free zone? Our place to cut ourselves off from the grid and be mindful in the present moment?

Sure, one could argue that’s what yoga studios and churches are good at but my husband and I came to the realization that we want a place like that in our home.

In an effort to get better sleep, be more mindful and present with each other and in the moment, we are no longer allowing phones, laptops or tablets in our bedroom. This is our place to disconnect, log out, sign off.

Because really, is it healthy to always be online?

Make healthy a habit. #makehealthyahabit

 

**For the original idea, please visit here.

 

Not all technology is a Godsend?

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A few weeks ago, I walked into my kitchen and was greeted by an intense, plastic-burning, foul-like smell. My boyfriend was seated at the kitchen table, so I looked at him and said, “What’s that smell?” He replied, “I know, right? Is something burning?” “Yeah baby, something smells wrong,” I replied. We both started searching for the reason behind the pungent odor our kitchen had suddenly taken on. We unplugged and plugged things in until at last, we determined the culprit!

The microwave had died.

Now, I’ve had this microwave for a solid ten years or so. It’s done its job and done it well. I wasn’t sad to part with it or anything but when my boyfriend turned to me and said, “Let’s just not have a microwave,” I was thrown off. No microwave? Seriously? What is this? The Flintstones era? But then I thought about it and soon realized, yeah, it would be nice to not nuke things. It zaps away the nutrients anyway and practically begs for junk food. Last year, I learned stove-top popcorn was THE way to make popcorn and I haven’t gone with the “microwave” kind since. I should have seen this coming but I didn’t…

At first, I was apprehensive. When I reached for leftovers the very day we decided to be microwave-less, I nearly had a stroke. How in hell was I going to heat this up? But then, DUH! Stove top. Have you ever had fried spaghetti? If not, you need to try it. Right now. It’s amazing that I forget sometimes how much so when I just pop it in the microwave and take the easy (though much less tasty) way out.

This was followed by a night in which we made baked potatoes. In the oven. They took much longer, sure, but they were WAYYYYY tastier. Crispy skin, soft inside. YUM. And try reheating french fries in the oven. Delish. Not soggy mush like what happens when you put them in the microwave…

As the days passed, I hardly missed the microwave at all. In fact, the opposite happened. I was forced to use the oven and stove for all types of cooking. Even boiling water was now always in a kettle rather than on a spinning plastic disc but you know what? The food and drinks tasted better. MUCH BETTER, And it’s not wishful thinking, it’s a fact. As proof, try reheating a slice of pizza in the microwave versus the oven. It’s the epitome of what is wrong with the microwave. Rather than crisping the dough and melting the cheese like an oven does, the high-watt voltage machine burns the whole damn thing, bubbling the cheese while zapping and shrinking the dough. Seriously. Test this for yourself at home.

I could go on and on about how much I love not having a microwave, which I absolutely NEVER thought I would say, but instead, I’d rather pose two questions:

Is all technology a Godsend? And if not, why are we as humans not more selective?