OK, FIRST I WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING.. MY YOUNGER SISTER HAS LOST BOTH BREAST TO CANCER.. WHAT A SHOCK..IT WAS SO DEVASTING TO LEARN THAT MY YOUNGER SISTER HAD BREAST CANCER..
WHAT A BRAVE WOMAN SHE WAS AND IS..I DO NOT KNOW HOW SHE DONE IT.. WELL I DO,IT WAS HER FAITH IN GOD MOST OF ALL.. AND HER FAMILY..
SHE HAS A GREAT HUSBAND,AND 2 GIRLS.. AND HER CHURCH FAMILY.. EVERYBODY WAS SUCH A GREAT HELP.. ANYWAY IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH OR SEE SOMEONE ELSE GO THROUGH IT..
Breast cancer affects an estimated one in eight American women.. The outcome of this common disease can vary widely, but when treatment begins following early detection, the result is a cure in most cases.
Breast cancer kills more women than any other cancer except lung cancer.. The disease is the leading cause of death for American women in their 40s.. There will be an estimated 183,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer occur annually in the United States, and about 41,000 American women die of breast cancer..
About 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancers are inherited. Defects in one of two genes, Breast Cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) and Breast Cancer gene 2 (BRCA 2), may lead to breast cancer.. The remaining cases of breast cancer are nonhereditary and of unknown cause.
The way breast cancer behaves varies greatly.. Cancer may stay confined to your breast for years.. Or,it may spread to nearby lymph nodes or more distant areas even before you can feel a lump..
The most common type of early breast cancer begins in cells lining the ducts of your breast. The ducts connect milk-producing glands to your nipple.. Less often,cancer begins in milk-producing tissue, which is made up of lobes and smaller sections called lobules.
Early:
This cancer is confined to the ducts or lobules.. Its curable more than 95 percent of the time..Even though a tumor is removed,however, theres a small chance cancer cells have already spread.
Invasive:
This cancer has spread beyond ducts or lobules into surrounding breast tissue and perhaps nearby lymph nodes.. Detection of a hard lump in your breast may be the first sign of invasive cancer..Most breast cancers have been present for several years before you can feel a lump..
Metastatic:
This is cancer that has spread to other parts of your body,such as distant lymph nodes,bones,lungs,liver or brain.
STEPS TO BREAST HEALTH
1.) GET REGULAR EXAMS..THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WAY YOU CAN PROTECT BREAST HEALTH.. GET A BREAST EXAM FROM YOUR DOCTOR WHEN YOU GET YOUR REGULAR PHYSICAL EXAM...
GET A MAMMOGRAM AS OFTEN AS YOUR DOCTOR RECOMMENDS.. ASK YOUR DOCTOR WHEN TO SCHEDULE YOUR NEXT MAMMOGRAM.. CHECK YOU BREAST EACH MONTH..YOUR DOCTOR CAN SHOW YOU HOW.. THESE EXAMS CAN HELP YOU AND YOUR DOCTOR LEARN WHAT IS NORMAL FOR YOUR BREASTS AND WHAT SIGNS OF PROBLEMS..
CALL YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU NOTICE:
1.) A LUMP OR THICKENING OF THE BREAST.. A DISCHARGE FROM THE NIPPLE THAT STAINS YOUR BRA OR BEDCLOTHES.. SKIN CHANGES IN THE BREAST.. THESE CHANGES MAY BE NORMAL,BUT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE THEM CHECKED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE..
2) CHOOSE A QUALITY FACILITY.. MANY HOSPITALS,CLINICS,AND IMAGING OR X-RAY CENTERS PERFORM MAMMOGRAPHY..MOBILE UNITS (OFTEN VANS) OFFER SCREENING AT SHOPPING MALLS,COMMUNITY CENTERS, AND OFFICES... ALL OF THESE FACILITIES MUST MEET THE SAME QUALITY STANDARDS.. YOUR DOCTOR MAY REFER YOU TO A MAMMOGRAPHY FACILITY OR YOU SELECT THE ONE THAT IS MOST CONVENIENT FOR YOU.. IF YOU NEED HELP FINDING A CERTIFIED PLACE, PLEASE CALL..
3) SCHEDULE THE MAMMOGRAM FOR WHEN YOUR BREAST ARE THE LEAST TENDER..DURING MAMMOGRAPHY THE BREAST IS PRESSED BETWEEN TWO CLEAR PLASTIC PLATES FOR A FEW VIEWS... THIS CAN BE A LITTLE UNCOMFRTABLE SOME WOMEN COMPLAIN OF PAIN.. TRY TO AVOID THE WEEK RIGHT BEFORE YOUR PERIOD THIS WILL HELP TO LESSEN DICOMFORT..
4) GIVE AND GET IMPORTANT INFO WHEN YOU SCHEDULE YOUR MAMMOGRAM.. NAME,ADDRESS,AND PHONE NUMBER OF THE FACILITY WHERE YOU HAVE HAD A MAMMOGRAM DONE BEFORE.. TELL THEM OF ANY BREAST CANCER IN THE FAMILY.. YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE MAMMOGRAM.. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS..
5) KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT..UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAPPENS DURING A MAMMOGRAM WILL HELP REDUCE ANY ANXIOUS FEELINGS YOU MAY HAVE.. WITH A MAMMOGRAM YOU ONLY GET A SMALL AMOUNT OF RADIATION..
6) COME PREPARED..WEAR A TWO-PIECE OUTFIT SO YOU WILL ONLY HAVE TO REMOVE YOUR TOP.. DON'T USE DEODORANT,TALCIUM POWDER,OR LOTION UNDER THE ARMS OR NEAR THE BREASTS THAT DAY.. THESE PRODUCTS CAN SHOW UP ON THE X-RAY PICTURE.. IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE TROUBLE HEARING AND OR UNDERSTANDING, CONSIDER BRINGING A FAMILY MEMBER OR A FRIEND.. AND DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS....
7) FOLLOW UP ON YOUR RESULTS.. LEARNING THE RESULTS OF YOUR MAMMOGRAM IS VERY IMPORTANT.. CHANCES ARE YOUR MAMMOGRAM WILL BE NORMAL.. " JUST DO IT"
WELL I HOPE SOMETHING I WROTE HERE MAKES YOU STOP AND THINK..
"WHEN IT'S TIME FOR THAT MAMMOGRAM GET IT"..
