Wednesday

do as I say not as I do

I always thought mammograms were so scary and yukky that I convinced myself to ignore the standard practise of annual screenings. I had one in my late 30's so I knew what to expect and didn't much like it. I visited my family practitioner yearly and would always get that little referral slip and I would tuck it in my day timer and try hard not to think about it again......skip ahead 14 years (yeah yeah save your lectures, just go get a mammogram). But last December my Dr. felt something that bugged her on my left breast and urged me to get a mammogram. Something in our conversation told me to do it and I made the appt the following day. There starts my roller coaster ride marking my 50th year. A winter filled with weekly trips to the Breast Center at Evergreen Hospital for mammograms, ultrasounds & MRI's. During one of these early visits they found another suspicious lump on the right side. WOO HOO - I got to learn the term Bi Lateral! After the battery of tests, the decision was made to surgically remove and biopsy both sides. You see, since I had no prior mammograms to compare to, they just couldn't be sure if these were my normal changes or something to worry about. My story has a happy ending and I am not afraid of getting mammograms any more. They aren't fun but they are nothing compared to the other tests & I want to believe that most Breast centers are filled with the same care taking angels of empathy that took care of me. So do as I say not as I do: please have regular mammograms. Key word - Regular.

This morning Dr. Susan Love (Avon Foundation) is launching a new campaign called Army of Women. Dr Love is creating a network of women across America for the purpose she explains below:


"To recruit one million healthy women of every age and ethnicity, including breast cancer survivors and women at high-risk for the disease, to partner with breast cancer researchers and directly participate in the research that will eradicate breast cancer once and for all."

"To challenge the scientific community to expand its current focus to include breast cancer prevention research conducted on healthy women."


You can read more about this movement and how you can get involved here:

http://www.armyofwomen.org/

I have joined cause and hope you do to. How incredible would it be to have a tiny little hand in the cause by joining the Army to find a Cure for Cancer.

We have to do this..... Find a Cure......We have to do it for our little ones.

We have to do it for little Nora who we welcomed to our family this week......

My brothers 3rd grandchild and first little girl..... so very pretty.

I WANT ONE aka "ME TOO"

4 comments:

Unknown said...

That is a beautiful scrapbook page (not that I am biased or anything), thank you for the reminder to take care of ourselves. We do have a lot to stay healthy for in our family!

Jenn O said...

An inspiring post, for sure. Thank you for sharing your story with us!

Kelly said...

So glad that it all turned out ok for you. Very Lucky!!

Rita said...

Such a great message, and so very important! Beautiful LO!