It's That TIME Again...

     Good morning, Family...   Yes it is that time, again.   BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. Let me just say that although this is BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, we should not wait until this time of the year to stay on top of our breast health LADIES and GENTS... We need to stay on top of our monthly self exams and pay attention to any changes in our breasts.  Once a year, I make that trek over to the Cancer center and have my yearly MAMMOGRAM.  For those who may not know, the MAMMOGRAM is an x-ray picture of the breast.  This x-ray is used to check for breast cancer in women and men who have no signs or symptoms of the disease.  It is the most efficient method of detecting breast cancer.  What you see is a picture of a mammogram machine.
 
  The x-ray actually produces an image of inner breast tissue on film.  As a way to NOT forget, I would have my mammogram scheduled around my birthday.  But with each passing year the exam gets pushed back a little further because my INSURANCE company will not allow less than a year's time since my last exam, and by the time I work with the availability of the mammogram office and my schedule, my date keeps getting pushed forward a few more weeks.  So, now my April visit has turned into a June visit.  It is not the most comfortable test I ever had, but I make sure that I get my mammogram as close to yearly as I can get it. 

     Some would ask, why I even bother?  I bother because it is important to me.  As a freshman in college I discovered a lump in my left breast.  I came home, had a preliminary exam and it was decided that I would have invasive breast surgery during my Thanksgiving break.  I was one of the blessed ones.  The doctors found benign non-cancerous cysts.  It was during that time that I found out that several ladies in my family also had discovered cysts in their breasts.  Because of that finding, I have been having mammograms yearly ever since. 

     Much time has passed since that incident, but since that time I have had several ladies who are near and dear to me be diagnosed with BREAST cancer.  I have seen them go through surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, stress, hair loss, bouts of good days and bad days, but they have all been blessed to come through their journey.

     Here are some statistics according to Breastcancer.org:

•  About 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime and about 2350 new casses of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnsoed in men in 2015.
• About 40,000 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2015 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1989.  Women under 50 have experienced larger decreases.  These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening and increased awareness.
• In 2015 there are more than 2.8 million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S., including women currently being treated and those who have finished treatment.
• About 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. 

     Social media has had a positive affect on awareness.  I believe it has opened the eyes of many who would not have been exposed to the topic of breast cancer or given people information on available resources for organizations that offer various types assistance to breast cancer patients.  There are many organizations out there, but here are a few websites to consider:

• Patientadvocatefoundation.org
• Thepinkfund.org
• Cancercare.org
• Americancancerassociation.org 

     On a positive note, DeAngelo Williams who is a running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers announced earlier this month that his nonprofit organization, The DeAngelo Williams Foundation, will pay the cost of 53 mammograms at hospitals located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Williams is a supporter of breast cancer awareness.  His Mother died at the age of 53 after battling breast cancer.  Williams also lost 4 aunts to the disease.   In 2009 Williams lead the push to allow NFL players to wear pink cleats throughout OCTOBER in reference to BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.  So, now you not only see the pink cleats, but all types of accessories on the football field.  Williams' ultimate goal is to have pink accessories worn throughout the football season, but it seems NFL's vice president, Troy Vincent is having no parts of it.  I guess we will have to accept the pink we see for now.  Kudos to DeAngelo Williams for insisting on raising awareness.  Let's be aware and keep up with our self exams and mammograms!!!
SMOOCHES!!!