85%!

Here is an interesting statistic I heard on the news today. 85% of women diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a family history of it! Lately, my blogs have been a bit egocentric focusing on me, the walk, my published pieces, etc. So I want to get back to the point of this month and all of the activity in case it's missed: BE AWARE!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, not Nicole Awareness month (although thank you for all the love and support! It is nice to hear from people who care...).  Therefore in the spirit of BCA, I want to focus today on just that. It was announced earlier today that Giuliana Rancic of celebrity gossip and reality tv fame was just diagnosed with breast cancer. She is 36 years old, and SAY IT WITH ME... "Had no family history"...

She was in the midst of infertility battles, when her new fertility specialist told her he wanted her to be screened before he would treat her. (p.s. I wonder if there is a link between people who struggle with infertility and BC. hmm. I come up with a theory a day. But I digress). And sadly, she's now going into treatment for cancer instead of trying to have a child. It's likely early stage, and she expects to be fine, but none the less, it happened. And now she will go through even more hell than she already has.

So I say it again, if you think it can't happen to you, it can. If you think you are not at risk, you are. If you think it doesn't happen to people under the age of 40, it does. If you find something, do not wait for it to go away. If it's there in a few weeks time, it's likely not going anywhere, so why not get it checked.

Don't be embarassed or shy. If a car was coming at you, full speed ahead, would you stand there a politely smile? No, you'd jump out of the way. Don't be polite when it comes to your health either! If you find something, treat it with the same urgency as the car. Know your body. Yes, that means checking yourself out. If you are embarassed about it, check yourself in the shower when no one's around. No one will know, and they will be happy if you detect something early. Ask questions. Be assertive.

Here is a good guide on how to do an exam. There! I am taking away all your excuses... http://women.webmd.com/breast-self-examination

They can do mammograms for diagnostic purposes under the age of 40. You don't have to wait if you think there is something to be concerned about! Just FYI.