October is not only the month Fall begins to settle in and welcome us with cooler temps and the turning of leaves. It is also the month of Halloween. Now I'm not here to talk about all hallows eve, but to remind you that You need to be aware of a very important and dangerous trick! Yep, I mean breast cancer. It is breast cancer awareness month. Most of us upon hearing that think of the female breast and what a lump could do, the dreaded biopsy or diagnosis of breast cancer. Men, you have breast tissue as well!
Now that we have that reminder out of the way, let me offer some reminders of how serious cancer is and how you need to Check Yourself.
This is not the time to PLAY doctor! This is serious business. Your very life may depend on how thoroughly you check your breasts.
Women have all different sizes and shapes of breasts and that can make checking yourself a little awkward or even difficult. If you do a self exam and aren't confident that you have done it well, there is no shame in having a trusted friend check you as well.
BIG OR SMALL, SAVE THEM ALL
If it's been a while since you have done a self exam or you never have done one, let me offer this diagram to help you get it taken care of.
For Women:
And for the Men:
Whew! Good reminders huh? I've lost several family members to cancer, have had a lot of friends both men and women who have both suffered and had to deal with breast cancer. This post is a bit off the line from my normal posts but it is a very important topic that often goes un-talked about. In addition to breast cancer, women also risk cervical or ovarian cancer. That is not something you can really check on your own, so please make sure and have that done by your doctor at least annually, especially if you are over age 35-40.
Yes, I shared a pic of fully nude women. Here's why. I want it to be imprinted in your mind's eye by seeing the entire female body, ladies, a reminder there is more of you than your breasts that are susceptible to the evils of cancer. So take whatever preventative measures you need to, ladies. Along with diet, different food choices to help thwart cancer, exercise is helpful, plenty of rest as well as awareness.
Okay, so you are a man reading this blog post and you're thinking, " I do love boobs and I love my girlfriend or my wife, and want her to always be healthy, but what can I do?" Glad you asked, gentlemen.
1. You can encourage and remind your lady to check herself and/or go get checked.
2. You can post to social media something about Breast Cancer Awareness.
3. You can offer to help your lady with her self exam IF she needs you to.
4. And you can do what I've done in the past, and even wear a T shirt in support of saving the tatas.
Women can survive breast cancer and even if a breast or both must be removed, I want to make it perfectly clear that that woman's worth and beauty does not change!! Forget what the media says, Hollywood, fashion. You are still the wonderful, amazing, talented, loving woman you always were. Do not let anyone tell you differently, gals.
Should you have to have your beloved breast(s) removed, there are a number of cool ways to enjoy your new self as well. Many women have gotten beautiful tattoos, some as a tribute, others as adornment. It is always an option, but let's hope for the best that you never have to go down that road.
In closing, let's have a little bit of humor thrown in just to lighten the mood a bit.
Breasts are amazing in their function for nursing, and do provide a bit of confidence and sex appeal when needed. I do hope that this blog post gives you courage and confidence as you check yourselves this month, and also reminds the men, that they too need to be doing some checking!
Be well, and let's all promote cancer awareness and pray for a cure.
