Saints be Praised!

If you're like me, you don't look forward to getting your boobs squished in a vice. Ah, the joys of getting older. But I recently discovered a women's health center that I didn't want to leave - really! Saints Women's Center for Health and Wellness in North Andover, MA is a dream come true to women everywhere! (Gentlemen - please don't stop reading - this is important to any of the women in your life, too!)

When I've gone for mammograms in the past, I'm given a worn hospital gown (often two sizes too small) then told to walk down the public hallway to another waiting room. People (including men!) walk by and stare as I sit there feeling like a non-entity, trying to look cool and hide my embarrassment. You can imagine my excitement then, when I received a flyer in the mail about a new medical facility for women that got my attention. Knowing I deserve more, I got the courage to make an appointment a short time later.

My experience began with the comforting smell of baby powder when I first walked into the building. As I entered the second floor, I could tell I was not in Kansas anymore. It was beautiful - something like you'd see in a posh office building in downtown Boston. I was greeted by receptionists and assistants that actually smiled and joked with me. After check-in, I was guided to a spa-like environment behind a single closed door (just like the one Dorothy opened into Munchkinland!). I was given a cushiony terrycloth robe reminiscent of the one Julia Roberts wore when she jumped on the bed in "Pretty Woman" and invited to change in a dressing room with an actual door, not a shabby curtain.

"Please help yourself to the hot/cold beverage bar while you wait," I was told. She must be kidding, I thought, but she most certainly wasn't! Coffee, tea, & more - all for the taking. Amidst the sound of trickling water from the beautiful wall waterfall, it was the first time that I actually wanted to wait in a waiting room. "Please don't call me yet!" I kept thinking. I'm not making any of this up!

My mammogram was over so quickly that I found myself trying to make up an excuse to stay. I really just wanted to hang out there and escape life for a while. When was the last time you felt that way when you went to the doctors?

As I said my goodbyes, I was given a beautiful Saints tote bag filled with pedicure supplies and a pink tissue flower that now rests on my desk to remind me of my experience. My jar dropped and remained that way as I walked in the clouds back to my car. I felt cared for and special. I was a person, not just a number. I was woman, hear me roar!

Ladies, we all deserve this kind of treatment! Check out Saints Women's Center soon!