July 24th, 2007
I lost my grandfather to cancer 9 years ago this past June. My first close relative to pass away. My favourite. Gone. I haven’t been the same since he left. Our family hasn’t either; but that’s another story.
I never thought about cancer taking the life of a loved one. I never thought that it would happen to me. Cancer is something that only happens to old people. Wrong. Completely wrong.
In college a dear friend of mine had a lump in her breast. Cancer wasn’t even a consideration at first: she was only 21, she couldn’t have cancer. But it was. Sadly, I’ve lost touch with her over the years and don’t know what the outcome was. But I remember the tests, the constant bombardment of tests. She wasn’t scared though. She held her own through the whole thing.
This summer there was a scare in my family. My mom went through a barrage of tests after shadows were seen on her yearly mammogram. Ultrasounds, screenings, testing.. she did it all, and I had no idea until after she was given a clean bill of health. No cancer! The thought of what she’s gone through in the past couple months makes my chest tight, I can’t breath and I get a little shaky. My mommy! Breast cancer! Healthy! *deep breath*
There are others whom are not so fortunate. Some that are fighting at this moment. One in particular that is using this stage in her life to benefit others. Can you believe it!? She’s fighting this evil cancer monster, and yet thinking of others! Her plight is inflammatory breast cancer and WhyMommy is doing her best to get the word out!
We hear a lot about breast cancer these days. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, and there are millions living with it in the U.S. today alone. But did you know that there is more than one type of breast cancer?
I didn’t. I thought that breast cancer was all the same. I figured that if I did my monthly breast self-exams, and found no lump, I’d be fine.
Oops. It turns out that you don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer.
No lumps. I didn’t know that. Now that I think about it, there’s a lot I don’t know. Part of that is because I have been living in denial believing that this can’t or won’t happen to me. I don’t even do monthly checks. *hangs head* I can’t remember the last time I’ve actually done a proper exam on myself.
I’ve had reality scared into me.
For those of you, like me, living with the denial, nows the time to own up to it and protect yourself! Because it does happen; if not to us, to someone we love!
Smooshed a boobie lately? Are you a regular checker or are you like me and don’t give your boobies the attention they deserve?
it is very scary……..
July 24th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Cancer is a very scary thing. It’s aweful to think that we will all be touched in one way or another by it in our lifetime. It’s especially terrifying when you get a first had look at the people who it affects. I can’t tell you the number of sick and dying young people who I have x-rayed or CT’d, and it breaks my heart over and over again. It truly makes me thankful for my health and my family every, single day.
Andrew’s aunt is battling breast cancer as we speak, and it’s so sacry to even imagine losing her. It’s bad enough to be diagnosed, but her surgery was just bumped back another month. It’s like her life is in the hands of the health care system, and they’re in no rush to help her. Very sad.
July 24th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
I hope that this helps another woman.
July 24th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
I get my mammo done every year.
My maternal grandmother died at 58 from cancer in both breasts.
My sister-in-law missed ONE mammo in 2001. She died from breast cancer in 2002.
Every year, in the month of October, I buy 100 pink balloons and tie a pink ribbon to each one with a note attached (and I laminate the note). It says:
If you love your mother, wife, sister, daughter, or best friend please remind them to get their annual mammogram.
In Loving Memory of …
And then I list the names of the women I know who lost their lives to breast cancer.
I also list a special email account we have set up for those who find these balloons so that they can let us know that they are also spreading the word.
The best thing about this experience is that my daughters do this with me.
But I don’t limit my involvement to once a year. Making sure that I personally spread the word to all my female friends and relatives helps keep breast cancer awareness alive.
It’s all about early detection.
July 24th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
I squish monthly. But the no lumps thing? That’s scary. Thanks for the info!
July 24th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Well, I had an appointment last week, but my son Robert got a 2nd degree burn on his hand from the deep fryer at work and I had to take him to be treated, missing my scheduled mammogram…I need to reschedule.
No, I do not do monthly checks. I can’t tell what I am checking for.I feel around…it feels like a blob of boobie. I can’t tell, so I simply don’t do them. BUT. I get my annual pap and breast exam done my my OBGYN and that was good this year (December, I believe.)
Sorry about the scare with your mom. I wish cancer on nobody having gone through what I did with my stepfather. It changed me in ways that I never expected. It still haunts me today.
Thanks for the reminder to reschedule my mammogram
July 26th, 2007 at 1:14 am