Imagine your life as a Battleship board game. You are the little bitty ship in a sea of bombs coming down. That is how I have felt recently about my life. Each red peg represents a person diagnosed with breast cancer, the boat represents me. The closer to my “boat” the bombs drop the more it rocks my world.
About ten years ago (when I was 32) I went in for my annual well woman exam. The visit went as planned including our typical visit about questions and concerns. Because of a slightly questionable area on my breast and the fact that my maternal grandmother had breast cancer, I began getting an annual mammogram. The results came back negative, much to my relief, but it made me realize that I am not immune. Even I could get breast cancer.
With people like my neighbor, my grandmother and other women in my life being diagnosed with breast cancer it’s become more clear to me than ever that breast cancer is not selective… anyone is prone to it and I need to be more proactive. Joining the fight against breast cancer started for me with a local run. The entire experience: seeing groups of people running for survivors, running for women still fighting the battle… even running for women that lost their battle… it humbled me.
It takes more than a monthly self breast examine to fight breast cancer. That’s why I am proud to partner with the American Cancer Society. The American Cancer Society is doing the most in every community to help people with breast cancer today and striving to find cures to end the disease tomorrow.
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is the American Cancer Society’s nationwide series of walking events to raise funds and awareness to end breast cancer.
Disclosure: Compensation was provided by the American Cancer Society (ACS) via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of the American Cancer Society (ACS).
I am glad you are fine! I have had to go in a few extra times for unusual changes but so far ok even with extra mamograms! I hate them. While in the waiting area there was some women who weren’t so lucky. I also have a friend who had to have a breast removed. She wants them to take the other one off. They will do reconstruction for her but she doesn’t want that. I think she is afraid it will come back somewhere else. This is so common for women.
Battleship is such a great comparison. I lost my mother to breat cancer in 2007, so I know 1st hand
glad your doing ok.. love the battleship idea..
My best friend died from breast cancer, and she was only 50 years old! I always get my yearly mammogram, and every women needs to know that this is a very important test! It is so true that breast cancer can strike anyone at any time!
Breast cancer touches all women – if they don’t have it, someone they love does.
I am glad your test came back negative. At just 22 I had a questionable spot and mine came back negative as well, thankfully, but it is so imporant to stay aware of our bodies.
I too had a real scare a few years back. I had to go back in and have more scans and even an ultrasound done. After 11 different pictures and 2 ultrasounds, they determined it was a fatty tumor. Glad yours came out well.
Glad the results were ok for you. I had an Aunt die from breast cancer about 10 years ago. Very insidious disease. ACS is doing a very good job with their PR work