February 4 marks World Cancer Day. It is a day to raise awareness about the prevention, detection, and treatment of all cancers.
I am a breast cancer survivor. One year ago today, I sat in my Oncologist's office overwhelmed and afraid about what the year would bring. My doctor laid out the plans for the rest of my 2020. I would undergo 6 gruesome months of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, lymph nodes removal, 30 radiation treatments, then a hysterectomy and oophorectomy. Even after all that, I will still be on daily medication for TEN years to prevent cancer recurrence.
It was my self-detection of the lump in my right breast that led to the diagnostic mammogram, ultrasound, and eventual biopsy that confirmed my breast cancer. The whirlwind of events got me the timely medical care that I needed. If you read my blog entries from 2020, you know the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of my treatment. I am here. I am still standing and thankful that I have been able to share my journey with you.
Early detection is key to successful treatment so please, check your breasts monthly! Don't wait for your provider to examine you at your yearly appointment. You should know your body so well by doing monthly self-checks that if/when you discover something (a change in tissue consistency or a lump), you can confidently say, "that wasn't there last month!"
For more information on how to do self breast exams:
For more information about Breast Cancer:
Main page with blog links