I work at a health-obsessed company (which I actually think is funny since I'm more of a hamburger and a beer kinda girl than granola and water kinda girl). I think the best example of this health obsession was our company-wide Biggest Loser contest that we had last winter (that I am still bitter that I lost). So since our company loves wellness as a whole, they like to put on lectures and seminars from time to time to educate their employees about health-related issues. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our company had a local radiologist and medical director of a women's center come to speak to our female (and some male) employees about the preventive measures women can take to avoid getting breast cancer.
It was a very informative meeting (and I got free lunch!) where I learned some important stats that I would like to share with you:
- About 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
- Self breast exams should be conducted monthly. The best time to do a self-breast exam is at the end of your period.
- Besides lumps look for skin irritation or dimpling, any nipple discharge other than breast milk, redness or scaliness. These are indicators that you could have breast cancer. Get it checked. You can never be too sure!
- If you have a history of breast cancer in your family (direct relatives only such as sister or mother), you should start getting digital mammograms 5 years before your mother or sister was diagnosed. For example if your sister got breast cancer at age 25, you should start getting mammograms at age 20.
One of our readers sent us a link earlier in the month to a website called Save Second Base. The term was developed back in 2005 by Kelly Rooney, a mother of 5 with breast cancer. When she passed, Rooney's sister and best friend started selling "Save Second Base" t-shirts, fleece blankets, and sweatshirts - a phrase coined by Rooney herself. The clothing line is fun, sassy, and brings a little bit of humor to a serious subject. As the women of Save Second Base say though, "Breast cancer is no laughing matter, but we can fight it with humor!" I urge all our readers to peruse their online store and support this wonderful cause.
And don't forget to regularly check yourself for breast cancer! We can fight this disease with knowledge!
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7 comments:
the 'save second base' t-shirts sororities sold back in college for philanthropy points (or whatever sororities get for doing good deeds) were most popular among the frattiest of the fratty.
at my work they mostly teach you how to binge drink, and that personality trumps work ethic.
great post. can never be reminded enough how important self breast exams are. even with a mother who is a breast cancer survivor, i have never successfully completed a self breast exam. but it is important. she found hers on her own, scratching an itch.
Love that shirt!
Great cause and great post! Kudos to you!
Not sure who came up with this... but it's absolutely perfect -- Fantastic post --
breast cancer does not affect just 40 year old + women. my cousin was 13 when she had breast cancer and her grandma was in her 30s.
it affects everyone at any age and i made sure that i give myself an exam every month. i once found a lump under my arm and thankfully, luckily it was just an infected hair folicle. it was pretty scary nonetheless.
being a cancer surivor myself (not breast but another female) and having 2 aunts die of breast cancer, and 1 diagnosed and had to have her breast removed and another doing through the diagnosing processes ----
thanks for sharing this information.
altho i don't do exams like i should or have mamograms -- i appreciate and love you getting the word out and helping educate other women. and applaud your work as well for that!!!
I love how cute some of the ad campaigns are. Like save second base? Adorable! They're really attention grabbing and bring light to a wonderful cause. It's a terrible thing women have to go through and hopefully enough awareness might help it not be 1 in 8 anymore. (Maybe 1 in 100!)
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