October is traditionally breast cancer awareness month. We are inundated with images of pink ribbons and placards designed to encouraged us to donate and participate in a run/walk for the cure. As the saying goes "it's all good" but personally I don't need a specific month to become more aware of breast cancer. It's on my mind every month and I dare say practically every day! Sigh.
My mother is nearing her 20th year as a breast cancer survivor. In the early 90's she found out the regional hospital had their first mammogram machine and she didn't want to wait for the recommended age of 50. She said something was nagging at her and it was a good thing she insisted on the test. Call it intuition, a hunch or just plain worry, at age 47 they found cancer after her routine mammogram. I watched helplessly as my mother went through a lumpectomy, radiation therapy and over 5 years of drug treatment. My problem is I'm 42. If you do the math things don't look good and anxiety doesn't even begin to describe my feelings about my ever present threat. I feel as if my BOOBS are ticking time BOMBS! All the time, tick, TICK!!! Aside from monthly self exams, yearly mammograms and ultrasounds what are my options to get ahead of this threat? Gene testing? Preventative drugs? Drastic prophylactic double mastectomy? Too many questions and not enough answers. Recently I went on a phone rant with my mother. I was fretting about all my testing issues and my common sense mother tells me to "get a grip, just live my life and stop worrying so much." Advice can be like medicine, sometimes it's hard to take.
Back to sighing.
My mother is nearing her 20th year as a breast cancer survivor. In the early 90's she found out the regional hospital had their first mammogram machine and she didn't want to wait for the recommended age of 50. She said something was nagging at her and it was a good thing she insisted on the test. Call it intuition, a hunch or just plain worry, at age 47 they found cancer after her routine mammogram. I watched helplessly as my mother went through a lumpectomy, radiation therapy and over 5 years of drug treatment. My problem is I'm 42. If you do the math things don't look good and anxiety doesn't even begin to describe my feelings about my ever present threat. I feel as if my BOOBS are ticking time BOMBS! All the time, tick, TICK!!! Aside from monthly self exams, yearly mammograms and ultrasounds what are my options to get ahead of this threat? Gene testing? Preventative drugs? Drastic prophylactic double mastectomy? Too many questions and not enough answers. Recently I went on a phone rant with my mother. I was fretting about all my testing issues and my common sense mother tells me to "get a grip, just live my life and stop worrying so much." Advice can be like medicine, sometimes it's hard to take.
Back to sighing.
Wanda Lynne Young
If you want to see actress Christina Applegate's breast cancer story then visit the link below:
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/20080911_tows_breastcancer/1
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