Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Ladies(and men) October is breast cancer awareness month! And I am here to stand on my soap box and encourage you take care of yourselves and your loved ones.  Breast cancer is a subject that is very close to my heart. My own mother was diagnosed at 36 years old.Thankfully she is a 30 year survivor! I wrote about thathere last year.

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My family history is checkered with women that have lost and won the fight against this terrible disease. My cousin passed away at 39, her mother was diagnosed at 67 and thankfully has now is a 3 year survivor, my great aunts passed from the disease, and my two sisters have been in several times to have lumps looked at and biopsied. And sadly a dear friend of my family was diagnosed just this past week. 

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 Ladies these are the facts:

• Breast cancer is the second highest cancer illness for women, second only to skin cancer. 
• 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with some form of breast cancer sometime in her lifetime.  
•  In 2011,  there were 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer.
• Approximately 39,520 women died from breast cancer in 2011. Only lung cancer accounts for more death in women.
• With early detection and treatment 90% of all breast cancer can be cured. 

We can take preventative measures to protect ourselves against this disease, The American Cancer Society strongly urges women to do monthly self breast exams as well as getting yearly mammograms.

Do you do these things? If not get your butt in gear and make an appointment for a mammogram.  While you are there ask your doctor for the laminated instructions to hang in your shower so that each moth you are reminded to examine yourself and look for changes in your breasts. 

Ladies, if you do not take care of yourself who is going to? 

If you would like more information please visit Susan G. Komen and the National Cancer Institute.

Have a good day!