I recently had the opportunity to speak with Kammie, a friend of my family. We had not spoken for a few months and I was anxious to speak to her and catch up on our lives. She started the conversation by saying, “I wanted to tell you, I just recently had my right breast cut off.”
“Excuse me? Your what?” I said. “What are you talking about?”
“Yeah girl” she said, “I got Breast Cancer.”
Breast Cancer Awareness
It’s not that we are UN-aware, I think that we just never believe that it will actually happen to us. The day you get the news of breast cancer delivered to your door or someone you love, you suddenly move into a new level of consciousness. The reality settles in that tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone. Life will bring challenges that can either make you or break you and no one is exempt. Rich, poor, black, white or other, there are circumstances beyond our control that we are all subject to. This month, let us all stand collectively in this battle supporting our sister soldiers on the front line. Let us declare that we will survive, we will stay alive and we will thrive!
Survivor Spotlight
On “The Spotlight is On YOU” page, I did a one on one interview with my friend Kammie. She graciously shared the details of her experience with me as she is still living through it as we speak. After talking with this warrior princess I was informed, inspired and motivated to pay closer attention to my own breast health and to do my part in educating others. Be sure to read her remarkable story and take note to a few facts about breast cancer we all need to know:
Breast Cancer Facts
Did you know?
- Breast cancer is a type of cancer where cells in the breast divide and grow without normal control. About 85 percent of breast cancers begin in the mammary ducts.
- One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer found in women, other than skin cancer.
- Doctors don’t know what causes breast cancer. Some women carry genetic mutations that increase their risk of developing breast cancer. Most women who develop breast cancer have no risk factors other than the fact that they are women.
- Only five to ten percent of all breast cancer cases are actually hereditary.
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer among African American women. It is also the second leading cause of cancer death among African American women, exceeded only by lung cancer.
- According to the American Cancer Society, the overall five-year survival rate for localized breast cancer is 98%. The survival rate for breast cancer that has spread to the chest wall or lymph nodes is in the 80% range, and at least a quarter of breast cancer patients with metastatic disease survive five years or more.
Signs and symptoms of breast cancer:
- A breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue
- Bloody discharge from the nipple
- Change in the size or shape of a breast
- Changes to the skin over the breast, such as dimpling
- Inverted nipple
- Peeling or flaking of the nipple skin
- Redness or pitting of the skin over your breast, like the skin of an orange
Tips for lowering the likelihood of developing breast cancer
Early detection is the best way to find breast cancer in its earliest, most curable stages. This is why it is so important to perform regular self breast exams, have an annual mammogram and also the following:
- Doctors recommend following a healthful diet: eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins;
- Limited intake of alcoholic beverages
- Appropriate total calories to achieve and maintain a healthy weight
- Engage in regular exercise. It helps to achieve and maintain ideal body weight and is likely to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Find a way to do your part and get in the fight for a cure to breast cancer. Here is a list of some organizations that you can partner with to get you started and I will look for you on the battlefield!
Facts Referenced from:
Mayo clinic, Susan G. Komen & National Cancer Institute websites
