It is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! If you a woman over 50 and have not scheduled a mammogram this year, do it. Save those Ta-Tas!!
Today on the podcast I am talking with my step-mom, Vicki Lindsey, who is a 17 year stage 4 breast cancer survivor. She shares her story of discovery, diagnosis, plan, and treatment while giving her best advice on how to best deal with the news of a cancer diagnosis when and if you get one.
Here are the takeaways from today:
- 1 in 8 women develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
- 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of the disease.
- The most significant risk factors for breast caner are being female and our increasing age.
- In the event of a center diagnosis, after getting through your initial fear, you need to make a plan.
- Telling friends and family and developing your community around you is very important in how you will deal with your diagnosis. Everyone brings something to the table.
- Also having a “medical team” in place at the start of your treatment is helpful.
- Finding and being part of a survivor group is a great way to deal with your diagnosis. Other women can answer all types of questions you may have and most important they will give you confidence and HOPE.
- Try to keep a sense of normalcy throuhout your treatment. Humor always helps.
- If you know someone dealing with breast cancer - and you don’t know what to say, invite them to lunch or a movie, or coffee - anything to just help bring a sense of normalcy. If they want to talk about it, they will.
- There can totally be more FEAR about the chemo than surgery. Talk to others about their experience, knowing that yours may be similar or could be different.
- If you can, continue to work to help keep your mind and life in a normalcy state.
- There is so much support all around - wig makers, tutorials on how to apply makeup, support groups - use everything that is available to you.
- Go get your mammogram every single year, especially after you turn 50. Every normal mammogram is a baseline for the next year to see if there are any changes. If you catch anything early from any of your yearly appointments, the treatment will be much more effective.
There are chapters of the Bosom Buddies support group all over the country and you search the internet via your location to find one.
For more information on breast cancer or how you can support funding to find a cure:
American Cancer Society: https://www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-statistics/breast-cancer-facts-figures.html
Susan G. Komen - You are not alone.
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