Authored by Jamie Hall, M.Ed., LPC, NCC
1 in 8 women develop breast cancer.
1 in 39 women die from breast cancer.
My grandmother became both of these statistics. She was also 1 in a million.
This story isn’t going to meet the typical “blog-writing” standards. You probably won’t feel all gooey inside after reading it. I won’t be providing you with a heartwarming comeback story about a woman who fought hard and overcame. Those stories are out there and they deserve all the praise and admiration. But this story isn’t that. In fact, this story is a short one about an incredible woman who overcame many things in her life, but breast cancer wasn’t one of them.
At the early age of 66, my grandmother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She opted not to do chemotherapy and received a lumpectomy and completed radiation. It was a year into remission when they found the lump in her stomach. Her cancer had metastasized and spread to her bones. Two months later, she was gone.
Growing up, my grandmother was my best friend, and it was no secret that I was her favorite of all the cousins. She had a way of making you feel like you were the only person on the planet. She was so loving, so bright, and so f**king cool. Her pot roast was to DIE for. She was wicked funny. And she knew her way around a card deck like nobody’s business. To know her was to love her. And we all loved her.
Keep reading for what YOU can do for yourself and for the women in your lives.
What you need to know:
Women with close relatives who've been diagnosed with breast cancer have a higher risk of developing the disease.
If you've had one first-degree female relative (sister, mother, daughter) diagnosed with breast cancer, your risk is doubled. If two first-degree relatives have been diagnosed, your risk is 5 times higher than average.
Lifestyle choices you can make to keep your risk of developing breast cancer as low it can be:
maintaining a healthy weight
exercising regularly
limiting alcohol
eating nutritious food
never smoking (or quitting if you do smoke)
More frequent screening: If you're at high risk because of a strong family history of breast cancer, you and your doctor will develop a screening plan tailored to your unique situation.
Recommended screening guidelines include:
a monthly breast self-exam
a yearly breast exam by your doctor or nurse practitioner
a mammogram every year starting at age 40
Breast cancer sucks. Cancer sucks. Losing loved ones far too early sucks. Don’t become another statistic. Be sure to check out the references below for more information on how you can decrease your chances of developing breast cancer.
References: