I have always been someone who advocates for breast cancer awareness. My paternal grandmother had Breast Cancer for a long time and by the time she passed, she had undergone a double mastectomy. While Breast Cancer was not what ended her life, it was still a large part of her struggles.
I also have maternal relatives that have struggled with the disease and that have had breast cancer scares of their own. In fact, I myself had a scare a couple of years ago that turned out to be nothing more than a diagnosis of fibrocystic breast disease. But because of this, I have been thrust into ultrasounds and mammograms to make sure there are no mutations to be concerned about.
But I never would have known any of this had I not reminded myself to do self-exams once a month or when something felt off. Maybe I am doing a little much because of my family history or because I know friends that have had to go through it. But it's better to be obnoxiously safe than sorry.
I know that as a woman, breasts are inconvenient and sometimes they just feel weird. Sometimes your hormones get thrown completely out of whack and the last thing your thinking about it why your breasts feel heavy or a little bit more sensitive than usual. I get that. But it is important to know the difference between everyday breast discomfort, and discomfort to be concerned about.
I also am well aware that after October ends and the pink rallies and fundraisers have wrapped up, it is easy to forget about breast cancer and breast health. Anything not being shoved in your face for a month straight can be easy to lose in the bustle of everyday life. But you have to remember the importance and urgency behind it. Because for the women behind these fundraisers and rallies, this is their every day.
All of the pictures, the stories, the treatments that you see on posters, are real-life for hundreds of thousands of women (and men) in the United States and around the whole world every single day.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in U.S. women and impacts 1 in 8 U.S. women and 1 in 833 men according to breastcancer.org. In 2019 alone there are expected to be 331,530 women diagnosed and 2,670 men diagnosed in the United States alone. While incidences of breast cancer in the U.S. have decreased since 2000, those numbers are still high.
I know what you're thinking, 'My family doesn't have a history of cancer. I get a mammogram once a year. I'll be fine.' But what you don't know is that 85% of breast cancer occurs in women who actually have no family history with the disease because of genetic mutations, getting older or just life. Still super sure of yourself?
In 2019 41,760 women are expected to die from breast cancer. Don't let your complacency make you a part of that statistic.
