What can we do to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Honoring those whom the disease has touched by donating, walking, and wearing pink are all encouraged, but let’s not forget the most important thing we can do is to be our own health advocates.
As women, especially mothers, we tend to prioritize others first. I learned firsthand how detrimental this can be when I was diagnosed with stage II invasive ductal carcinoma in 2013. Since then, I have learned to put my health first and think critically about every decision. No more missed yearly gynecologist appointments; I don’t put it off if anything concerning happens with my health. I learned my lesson the hard way after skipping two years of mammograms and I often wonder how different it would have turned out if I had gone every year.
Since early detection is so crucial, I was surprised that the American Cancer Society no longer recommends regular clinical- or self-breast exams1, for those not at high risk for breast cancer. In addition, I recently learned that cervical cancer screening guidelines2 have been changed from yearly to every three years for women 21 – 65 years old. And no screening for women under 21 years of age.
If cancer prevention is the goal (and it should be), then being proactive with your health is necessary. What does being proactive mean to me? It means eating more fruits & vegetables and less processed food, cutting back or removing sugar and alcohol, exercising, detoxing, reducing stress, having emotional and spiritual balance, being grateful, listening to my body, and continuing yearly well-woman health checkups.
I encourage you to do regular self-breast exams to help you become familiar with your body and be more likely to detect changes, such as cysts, lumps, and changes in breast density, which can increase your breast cancer risk. Learn more at areyoudense.org.
Talk to your doctor about continuing yearly exams if you don’t feel comfortable waiting for three years. If your doctor won’t work with you, find one on the same page.
In addition to mammograms, there are other screening options, such as thermography and ultrasounds. HerScan breast ultrasounds have events nationwide. You don’t need insurance, and ultrasounds can detect tumors that mammograms may miss – which is what happened to me.
The best thing we can do for Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to focus on prevention by being proactive with our health – it’s the best gift we can give ourselves and our families.
Envisioning Wellness – My Journey Back to Good 