Katie's Mammogram, Anyone?

[DVCLiz]

OK, it will be over by the time most of you read this, so 'fess up - who watched? How was it? And, most importantly, what's next?

Katie's Pap smear??
Katie's high colonic? (oh, wait - we already had that one)
Katie's lanced boil?

I'm taking a personal stand here - I will not, will not, will not watch ANYTHING done to or by Katie Couric concerning any health issue she may have. I'm sorry about her husband, but enough is enough.

Comments??

And before you tell me how many lives will be saved, my answer is - I don't care. Watching "celebrity" journalists have medical procedures in the name of education is just gross.

 

[ChristmasElf]

I cannot stand the "fake perkiness" that is Katie Couric. She constantly interupts the people she is interviewing, and just annoys me to no end.

 

[PlaneJoy1]

Comments??

And before you tell me how many lives will be saved, my answer is - I don't care. Watching "celebrity" journalists have medical procedures in the name of education is just gross.

You really don't care that many women will now get a proceedure done that could save there lives??? Many women live in fear of having a mammogram- seeing that it's not too bad will give some courage to go through with it, and yes, chances are some women will find out news that they don't expect to hear.

Watching it or not is your choice - but giving a death sentance to women out there who normally wouldn't have undergone the proceedure is not.

 

[DVCLiz]

You really don't care that many women will now get a proceedure done that could save there lives??? Many women live in fear of having a mammogram- seeing that it's not too bad will give some courage to go through with it, and yes, chances are some women will find out news that they don't expect to hear.

Watching it or not is your choice - but giving a death sentence to women out there who normally wouldn't have undergone the procedure is not.

Wow, only two posts until the inevitable!!

I'm delighted that many women will find the courage to have a mammogram - something, by the way, I think that all women should have been educated about well before they came into contact with the "Today" show. I'm just not in favor of it being done by Katie Couric. I think it's sweeps week and she's exploiting the cause for the "sensation" of it. I mean, for God's sake, there was even special music for the advertisement. I just think it's creepy.

 

[cepmom]

I agree with you....I think it's weird that she has her medical procedures aired on national tv. That being said, I had the tv on this morning when this came on and I couldn't look away! I am scheduled for my first mammogram net month and I was a *little* curious as to what it is like. You wouldn't catch me having it done on national tv though!!

 

[justhat]

I didn't watch it, but I do think it's a good thing. My mother has breast cancer and so I am all for mammograms, self-checks, etc. Sure, all women should be educated about these things anyway, and though many are, many are not. And out of those who are, many do not want a mammogram for fear of the unknown. They think it will hurt, is invasive, etc. Seeing someone else get one done may alleviate those fears and give them the push they needed to get a mammogram themselves. My grandmother was that type and was over 65 before her 1st mammogram simply because she didn't want someone grabbing and squeezing her breast. Luckily for her she didn't have breast cancer, but she did have colon cancer, which ultimately killed her because she was too afraid to get a colonoscopy done for the 10 years she was taking laxatives. By then it was bascially too late as it had spread to her lymph nodes and then into her lungs and liver. So if Katie Couric having a mammogram on tv will cause even just 1 person like my grandmother to make an appointment with their doctor I'm all for it.

 

[Pop Daddy]

did they show anything

 

[diznygirl]

Wow, only two posts until the inevitable!!

I'm delighted that many women will find the courage to have a mammogram - something, by the way, I think that all women should have been educated about well before they came into contact with the "Today" show. I'm just not in favor of it being done by Katie Couric. I think it's sweeps week and she's exploiting the cause for the "sensation" of it. I mean, for God's sake, there was even special music for the advertisement. I just think it's creepy.

New topic - Who WOULD You Like To See Have a Mammogram??????



Choices please: Rosie, Ellen, Oprah, Dr. Phil?????

 

[Planogirl]

I don't see the big deal if it's Katie Couric or someone else. If it convinces just one woman to get a mammogram, it's worth it.

 

[justhat]

Oh, and if you think having a mammogram done on tv is weird...my husband is a medical student. You know how they learn how to give prostate and gynological exams? Volunteers come in and demonstrate on themselves for the entire class! They actually break up into small groups, so it's about 10 students 'learning' at a time, and there are 150 students in my husband's class. Then after they do the self-demonstration, the students have to practice on them. Now that I think is super weird!

 

[DVCLiz]

Justhat, I'm truly sorry about your grandmother.

New topic - Who WOULD You Like To See Have a Mammogram??????



Choices please: Rosie, Ellen, Oprah, Dr. Phil?????

No, no, no and no!!!!

 

[DVCLiz]

Oh, and if you think having a mammogram done on tv is weird...my husband is a medical student. You know how they learn how to give prostate and gynological exams? Volunteers come in and demonstrate on themselves for the entire class! They actually break up into small groups, so it's about 10 students 'learning' at a time, and there are 150 students in my husband's class. Then after they do the self-demonstration, the students have to practice on them. Now that I think is super weird!

Oh my! I didn't quite realize that was how it was done...guess I have another option some day if I get bored. "Now what should I do today? Tackle that messy closet or...I know!! I'll go over to the medical school and give myself an exam in front of 150 young med students!!"

Seriously, though, that's at least an established medical teaching occasion.
I know many of you have or are close to someone who is dealing with this disease, and I certainly don't want to bash anything that helps even one woman get medical help and attention. It just struck me wrong last night (and it was VERY late for me to be up!) I do wish every woman had access to better health care, and that things like having to watch a medical procedure on TV weren't the only way for some women to get information. And I'm sure everyone can agree on that!

 

[puffkin]

Another reason to switch over to GMA

Important message, but who wants to see Katie Couric get one done? They could have used a volunteer or followed a real life person as a human interest story. Sorry, just can't stand Katie Couric.

 

[justhat]

Oh my! I didn't quite realize that was how it was done...guess I have another option some day if I get bored. "Now what should I do today? Tackle that messy closet or...I know!! I'll go over to the medical school and give myself an exam in front of 150 young med students!!"

Seriously, though, that's at least an established medical teaching occasion.
I know many of you have or are close to someone who is dealing with this disease, and I certainly don't want to bash anything that helps even one woman get medical help and attention. It just struck me wrong last night (and it was VERY late for me to be up!) I do wish every woman had access to better health care, and that things like having to watch a medical procedure on TV weren't the only way for some women to get information. And I'm sure everyone can agree on that!

Yep, a future career option! And it is just regular people who actually make a job out of this. They travel around from med school to med school. Weird if you ask me, even though it is done for the great purpose of teaching future physicians. When they came to my husband's school (spring of 2004) his 'instructor' had a certain monthly visitor but still did the exam! Couldn't they have found anyone else!?!

And it is sad that it takes a tv show to help women get mammograms, but I think so many people hold celebrities to a higher standard, so if it's good enough for Katie then it's good enough for them, kwim?

 

[PaulaSue]

I personally thought it was great of her to do that for TV. If it gets people to do it, it will save lives!!!!!!!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I will not, will not, will not watch ANYTHING done to or by Katie Couric concerning any health issue she may have. I'm sorry about her husband, but enough is enough.

Wow, Liz.

I respect the fact that Katie Couric isn't your favorite celebrity, but have you no compassion for the fact that her life was absolutely devastated by the unnecessary death of her husband and father of her daughters at the young age 42?

When cancer touches your life like it has hers, you will go to extreme measures if it will help other people. There will be women who will not succumb to the ravages of breast cancer because of her actions. Like her or not, I understand why she's doing it and I applaud her efforts.

 

[Keggy]

I respect the fact that Katie Couric isn't your favorite celebrity, but have you no compassion for the fact that her life was absolutely devastated by the unnecessary death of her husband and father of her daughters at the young age 42?

Fantastic point.

I saw the peice this morning and thought it was well done - good for Katie Couric to encourage women to get a procedure done that many women are afraid to do.

Kelly

 

[lulugirl]

I don't see the big deal if it's Katie Couric or someone else. If it convinces just one woman to get a mammogram, it's worth it.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[disykat]

I also think it's a good thing. My sister (with a history of cancer, by the way) was terrified to get one. People make it out to be a big thing with scare stories, and I couldn't convince her it wasn't a big deal. She finally did it, but I think watching someone do it would help people like her.

They advertise heavily, so everyone has the option not to watch. If she has cosmetic surgery, then I'd think it was ridiculous. Life saving prevention? Feel free to save a few lives, Katie.

I'm not big on "celebrity". Katie is not a favorite. However, I do have respect for people who try to find ways to use their celebrity positively.

 

[DVCLiz]

Wow, Liz.

I respect the fact that Katie Couric isn't your favorite celebrity, but have you no compassion for the fact that her life was absolutely devastated by the unnecessary death of her husband and father of her daughters at the young age 42?

When cancer touches your life like it has hers, you will go to extreme measures if it will help other people. There will be women who will not succumb to the ravages of breast cancer because of her actions. Like her or not, I understand why she's doing it and I applaud her efforts.

I have tremendous compassion for Katie Couric's loss - my mother was widowed at age thirty five and left to raise two year old twins, so I know the challenges of that life very well. And I don't mind that Katie Couric or anyone else for that matter wants to fight for education, resources or awareness for any disease, especially one that has touched them personally. I'd be glad to help people understand the dangers of smoking so they could avoid watching their mother die of lung cancer, as mine did. But I wouldn't have a sputum test on national television during sweeps week.

Maybe I have watched too much "news" television since 9/11 - but I've started to see a lot of these programs present their information not as news, but as entertainment. And it just seems - I don't know - icky somehow to use what I have come to see as an entertainment forum to suddenly switch gears and present itself as a serious source for health information. I know they've always had health segments, but this was just so - revealing, I guess.

Hope everyone reading this thread has had or scheduled their mammograms, though. And has or will get great results as a consequence!