My picture is all wrong.

I don't mean to be a hypocrite. It's my job to provide healthcare. It's just a shame that I don't follow the american academy of *everything* guidelines myself.

Let's talk about calcium. I love milk in my cereal. I don't often eat cereal for breakfast. I love cottage cheese, but I never think to buy it. Yogurt has it's ups and downs depending on the brand. A calcium supplement would be ideal, but I don't make trips to GNC.

So when I tell a woman she needs to up her calcium to 3 servings a day when I myself don't get 3 servings per month, I wonder what's wrong with this picture.... then I had cottage cheese at lunch and a gigantic bowl of cereal at dinner.

Let's move on to self breast exams. They should be done 1 week after each menstrual cycle. It's important to feel all the tissue and be sure you know your breasts in case something one day doesn't feel quite right.

So when I teach women how to do self breast exams when I have only done one in my entire life, there's something wrong with this picture. I should probably do mine tonight since my period ended last week.

Luckily I don't smoke (anymore). I do drink quite a bit, but I need the antioxidants from the wine. I don't do any illicit drugs (anymore). I exercise regularly (woohoo for saying No to anorexia as a teenager).

I may not be perfect, but no doctor is. We just know what the guidelines say and do our best to make sure YOU follow them.