May 15 , 2008

Join Us May 18 at Nellie's !
Have a ball supporting your national lesbian health organization at Nellie's Sports Bar!

Sunday, May 18, 12-6 PM at Nellie's
900 U St. NW, Washington, DC 20001
Drink Specials!
Raffles!
Meet a Mystics Player!
A portion of all proceeds will benefit the Mautner Project. For more information, click here.

It has taken me a couple of months to put together this story for you to read. I had to get some distance from the scariest four months of my life. It was Oct 2006 and at the urging of my gynecologist and a dear friend, I surrendered and had a mammography. I had been putting it off for about a year because I had some other very invasive surgery. I had had enough needles, anesthesia and poking and prodding to last a lifetime. Well, I had no idea what was in store for me...

So I went to get my mammogram. I waited and waited and finally called the doctor and they told me that they had found "something" on the film that they didn't like - a shadow, a dark spot. I felt fine. The breast examination had been fine; there were no lumps. I was baffled. I was also very scared. The next step was a contrast MRI. That revealed that yes, there was a lesion and calcifications in my right duct. More tests and a needle biopsy later, they removed the lesion.

So I, a Lesbian/AIDS activist, long-time supporter of Mautner and a million other causes, had to wear a different hat...the hat of a person needing advice and support from Mautner. Not a very easy thing for me to do. Yes, it was a humbling experience to pick up the phone, call Mautner and ask for names of doctors because I needed support and I was scared. But it was also heartwarming and refreshing. They really cared about me, my health, and my well-being.

After the needle biopsy (all was benign), I felt relieved--until I got another call saying that there were some "high-risk" areas that needed to be excised, meaning more surgery and the "we're not sure if it is cancer" conversation...UUGGHHH!

And guess what? Again, ALL BENIGN. Those four months were the scariest in my life, but the cells and tumor that were removed, while benign at the time, could have become malignant.

Please get your mammogram, please get tested early, and please be proactive in your health!

Thanks To All Who Came to Freddie's!

We'd like to extend a special thank you to everybody who came out to Freddie's last Friday for our fundraiser! The event was not only a success, but a lot of fun. And if you enjoyed Freddie's, don't forget to join us at Nellie's this Sunday! Pictured are Mautner Project Board Vice Chair Wanda Cockrell (left) and her partner, Colette Nichols.

Mautner Project Partners with Project WISH!

The Mautner Project and Project WISH are partnering to increase access to No Cost:

• Annual mammograms
• Clinical breast exams
• Pap tests and pelvic exams
• transportation to and from exams (for women with limited resources)

If you are a woman between ages 40-64 with limited or no health insurance, please call D. Magrini at 202-332-5536 for more information. Please forward to anyone who might be interested! Spread the word.

The Mautner Project improves the health of lesbians, bisexual, and transgender women who partner with women, and their families, through advocacy, education, research, and direct service. We envision a healthcare system that is guided by social justice and responsive to the needs of all people.

Health Education Team
Mautner Project: The National Lesbian Health Organization
202.332.5536