The Big Girl Chronicles:
Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2013
Nestled in the corner seat of a cozy dining room, I
listened intently as a breast cancer survivor in her sixties recants her battle
with the breast cancer from almost 20 years ago.
She described the doctor finding benign tumors of various sizes that had
gone undetected along with a growth measuring just under a centimeter that had
to be removed. I get a glimpse of the
pain and anxiety she had to endure during the weeks of recovery from her facial
expressions as she describes the treatments and follow-up visits. “I always knew that something was wrong. I’d had problems with my breasts for years,”
she shares. “So, getting checked was a
must.” Fortunately, her early detection caught the cancerous growth before it
could spread and she’s not had another bought with the disease. Her testimony speaks volumes as to why women
simply must make self-checks and annual mammograms a priority.
“I’ve never had problems with my breast,” you say. Don’t take that for granted. Early detection is the single most important
factor to surviving the disease. In this
case, early detection was detrimental to maintaining health with the least
complications. “I have no family
history,” you say. Although family
history of breast cancer increases your risk, not having a family history
doesn’t exclude you as a possible candidate for breast cancer. Listen to the testimonials those who’ve faced
the disease have to share and heed their advice.
If you’ve been fortunate enough not to have had a breast
cancer scare then take this month to not only continue in preventive measures
such as self checks and routine mammograms, but focus on being a supporter of
breast cancer research and other breast cancer survivors. Below are a few resources for more
information:
The Susan G. Komen Foundation
Komen.org
American Cancer Society
Cancer.org
National Breast Cancer Foundation
Nationalbreastcancer.org
Pink Ribbon Store.com (every order funds mammograms for
women in need)
Make time to get checked.
If you know someone who hasn’t been checked, suggest that they accompany
you. Don’t take your body for
granted. Invest in your health.
