I hope you only get Breast Cancer in October

Welcome to October, National Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Given that 1/3 or 4/10 will get cancer, 1/8 US women (and 1 in 1,000 men) will get breast cancer.  Is awareness the real issue any more?  Do you not know about cancer? Specifically Breast Cancer?

Maybe "awareness" is a term that has been outgrown.  Maybe it is time for action, but not National Breast Cancer Action Month.  Awareness and action need to be daily, monthly, part-of-life things.

Well, if we truly only pay attention to breast cancer during the month of October, I hope you get it in October.  That way you will get it during the only time of year you have a chance of finding it.  And, since you will find it early you have the power of statistics on your side.  You are more likely to survive, you are more likely to avoid the more brutal treatments, because you are more likely to be able to control your cancer early and more easily regain control! I hope no one gets cancer next month when the ugly little curmudgins have the chance to set up house in your body for 11 months before you do anything about it.

BETTER YET - I hope you realize October and pink ribbons have nothing to do with saving you from  a battle with breast cancer UNLESS the month of October teaches you very early to be aware of the signs and threat of cancer young, early and always.

I often speak with women who are nervous to get a Mammogram.  Some have had false positives before, other are nervous about the unknown.  I wish I could make them understand - a mammogram won't kill you.  Not getting a mammogram won't prevent cancer.  There is a 50/50 chance that what you are worrying about is a waste of energy.  And, sorry, but which ever side of the 50/50 you are on - no procrastination or denial will change the chemical reactions of your body.  Either it is erratically reproducing damaged cells or your immune system controlled the damage.

Stand up and act!  Take that bull by the horns and regain control of your life.  Getting tested is the thing that will save you.

Let's not mix words here.  If your body is choosing to play hostess to nasty, self-imposing, loathsome cancer cells detecting them is vital.  Detecting them early can be the difference between the life and death fear you attribute to the test- not the disease.  Early detection - the kind of detection you are the master of with self exams and faithful professional testing- can be the difference between horrible suffering from extreme treatment and something much more palatable.  Even if the treatment is terrible, early treatment from early detection is going to buy you time.

So, I really don't care if you don't cover something in pink this month.  I do care about you getting over the fear of the test.

PLEASE! be active in your personal health quest.  I promise, a mammogram is WAY easier than loosing weight, cutting out sugar, waking up early.  Just Do IT!