In October 1985, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month was started by the American Cancer Society and Imperial Chemical Industries Pharmaceuticals to raise global awareness of breast cancer. Betty Ford, wife of President Ford, and a survivor of breast cancer helped launch the campaign. It was meant to educate people about methods of early detection and raise money to support research. Since then, it has become so much more. Educational programs, nonprofits, special events like National Mammogram Day, conferences and meetings of international organizations plan events around the world.
The exact cause is not known, but risk factors include family history, hormonal changes, lifestyle including excess alcohol consumption, environmental factors like exposure to radiation, obesity and overweight, having periods start at a younger age and menopause at an older age, being pregnant at an older age or never being pregnant, and hormone use such as long-term contraceptive or post-menopausal therapy. The CDC suggests that to prevent breast cancer, you can eat healthy, nutritious food, avoid alcohol, exercise, breast feed your children (if it applies) and take preventative screening measures like mammograms.
The worst thing about cancer (and there are SO MANY bad things about cancer) is that you can do everything right (see list above) and you can still get cancer.
Last year, my son’s teacher's cancer came back. She had stage four breast cancer before she turned 30 years old and was cancer free for 4 years. And now she’s facing the reality where she is living with cancer for the rest of her life. She will always have some sort of treatment to do. Chemo. Radiation pills. Infusions. She has a separate calendar for the treatment schedules. It’s now a part of her life until it is not a life anymore.
But she has chosen to live with, not die from, cancer. She is still teaching. She is still a mother and a spouse, a daughter and a sister. She doesn’t ask to be treated differently, and in fact, she doesn’t share her journey with many people. I think she is one of the strongest people I have ever met.
And while there is so much we cannot control, its up to us to control the things we can. Go to the doctors’ appointments for early detection. Get your mammogram. Get your colonoscopy. Just go. And though I am not one for “celebration” themed months, this one’s a good one. Go get it done.
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