[2022-03-24] Just get it done
"If you spend too much time thinking about a thing," said Bruce Lee, "you’ll never get it done." This is particularly true in the case of unpleasant tasks. For those, I try to think less and do more. My motto is "just get it done."
An example is my annual mammogram and breast MRI. Because of the mutation in my BRCA2 gene, which greatly increases my risk of breast cancer, I have the privilege (read only mild sarcasm in that word) of undergoing breast cancer screening every year. Knowing that the anniversary of my last mammogram was coming up in April and anticipating a waiting list to get one scheduled, I called the Ontario High-Risk Breast Screening Program in February. To my surprise, they offered a slot in March. "I can wait until April," I assured the scheduler. But she replied that they have flexibility around the one-year timing: a little less than a year is fine. So I took the offered March appointment, telling myself "just get it done."
For those of you who have ever had a mammogram, you know that they are painful, though—thankfully—the pain lasts only seconds for each of the four required images. My trick for getting through disagreeable activities is not to think about them. If my mind does wander to that lousy thing I need to do, I'll refocus my thoughts on how good it will feel after I've completed the task.
Today, I had my mammogram. It turned out to be an extremely efficient process that was done in no time. My appointment was for 3:10 PM. I showed up about 7 minutes before my required arrival time of 3:00 PM. I was checked in immediately and was taken to the imaging room early. By 3:11 PM, I was out of the office and on my way to my next engagement.
On Sunday morning, I will complete the second part of my annual screening: a breast MRI. While a breast MRI takes much more time than a mammogram, it is less uncomfortable than the latter, notwithstanding all the knocking noises.
Would I rather not have to undergo so many medical interventions? Absolutely. For example, I knew that receiving radiation treatment would be a crappy assignment. But I also reasoned that the sooner I started, the sooner I would be finished. As Mary Poppins says, "well begun is half done."
It feels good to have another mammogram done and dusted for the year. And it feels fantastic to have my radiation treatments behind me.
While I have more appointments to come—both to monitor and prevent cancer—I'll keep reminding myself: "just get it done."
