Breast Cancer Awareness is more than just the color pink! The color pink is only a spotlight for early detection and that saves lives! While the color pink might be a spot light on the topic, Breast Cancer Awareness encourages women to take the time to do self exams and schedule mammograms.
Breast Self Examinations
Breast self examinations is not the best method in detecting breast cancer that is available. Some professionals do not even consider a self exam to be worth much. However, if I wouldn’t have done a breast self exam myself, I may not be here writing this blog today. I finally did do a breast self exam in the shower one day after neglecting it for who knows how long. I discovered a bean sized lump in my right breast. Promptly I scheduled a 3-D mammogram to confirm and get a proper diagnosis.
Breast self examinations are free. You can perform the self examination in the privacy of your own home. While it is true that a self exam may not detect every type of breast cancer, finding a lump might. My lump turned out to be breast cancer. I was blessed to have discovered it at a very critical junction. There are more options in the early stages with more treatments available. It is that hope that Breast Cancer Awareness month and the color pink is all about!
Yearly Mammograms
I once thought of yearly mammograms as a uncomfortable inconvenience that I’d rather side step. Truth be told, that is mostly what I did do, side step them. Even after passing the recommended age to begin yearly mammograms I purposely chose to ignore getting one. That all changed once I found a lump. A sense of dread came over me. I knew I had to get it looked at and scheduled a 3-D mammogram. A 3-D mammogram takes a more technically in depth image that can be thinly sliced, like turning a page in a book but on a computer.
Mammograms are simply x-rays of the breast. Regular annual mammograms are routine screenings done without any symptoms currently showing. A 3-D mammogram is a diagnostic x-ray that is done once something suspicious is found. In my case, the lump I found during my self examination. My mammogram image proved highly suspicious and a sonogram was performed the same day to gather even more information.
Breast Sonogram
Breast sonograms are high-frequency sound waves that is transferred into images. It is a painless procedure. A breast sonogram can rule out superficial lumps or determine that further steps need to be taken. An ultrasound of the breast will also rule out any calcification in the breast. Calcifications show up as small white dots on a mammogram but are usually not cancerous. Breast calcifications are common and a part of normal aging. Sonograms clarify and remove unnecessary issues to determine if breast cancer is suspected or not.
If a sonogram is ever recommended after a mammogram then follow through with it. The information gathered by this painless test is well worth the peace of mind you will receive if it is not breast cancer. Breast sonograms are also utilized by physicians performing biopsies. A biopsy would be the next step to determine whether to confirm or rule out breast cancer. Hopefully you will not have to get to the biopsy stage and only have to go as far as a sonogram.
In Closing
Breast Cancer Awareness is way more than the color pink! Whole families are affected by a breast cancer diagnosis. Lives are lost to this horrible disease. Being reminded every October through Breast Cancer Awareness month activities and fundraisers is a welcome thing to me. The older I get the more I hear of close friends being diagnosed with breast cancer. Some being as neglectful as I was and not as fortunate in their diagnosis. So go ahead a shine that pink spot light on breast cancer! A life just might be saved through early detection by being made breast cancer aware! Even just one person’s life being saved is reason enough for me to wear pink in the month of October! Stay proactive when it comes to your health ladies! So much and so many depend on it! Be blessed!
Click here to read “Pink Is Beautiful And Sometimes Even Handsome” that I wrote on breast cancer: https://reconfiguringwithgrace.com/?p=366.
Wonderful information as always. Thanks for sharing. Early detection is the key and of course self examination too!
It is a subject close to my heart that every woman should be aware of and practice. Early detection does save lives!