October 1 is National Hair Day
October 2 is National Custodial Workers' Day
First Tuesday in October is National Taco Tuesday
October 3 is National Boyfriend's Day First Friday in October is National College Radio Day
October 4 is National Cinnamon Bun Day
October 6 is National Orange Wine Day (I've never even heard of orange wine!)
October 7 is National Chocolate Covered Pretzel Day (THIS is a day I can get 100% behind)
October 8 is National Pierogi Day
October 10 is National Handbag Day
October 13 is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day
October 14 is Indigenous Peoples' Day
October 15 is National Cheese Curd Day
October 16 is National Dictionary Day
Third Friday in October is National Mammography Day
October 20 is National Chicken and Waffles Day
October 22 is National Nut Day
October 25 is National Greasy Foods Day
October 27 is National Black Cats Day
October 28 is National Chocolate Day (also National Oatmeal Day)
October 31 is National Doorbell Day (I wonder why?!) (also, National Knock-Knock Joke Day)
I list these days for you because some of them are absurd. Like what life hands us sometimes, there is absolute absurdity among the serious. As most people know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is the month where pink ribbons are usually within our peripheral vision - whether it be on a walkathon sign on the side of the road, a mammography reminder advertisement on a tv show or a news article you reading on your phone while you wait for your coffee to finish brewing.
5 years ago, it would have been annoying to see these ribbons. It is hard to be constantly reminded of something you have while you are going through treatment. You don't need a reminder. But it has been long enough for me to finally not be annoyed by pink ribbons. They are now a reminder that I did the right thing by getting my mammogram. They found the cancer. It's gone.
The Center for National Health Statistics states that 69.1% of women over the age 40 have a mammogram within the past two years. The CDC (Breast Cancer Risk Factors | Breast Cancer | CDC) lists the risk factors of breast cancer that you cannot change, and the risk factors you can change. The main factors of breast cancer are apparently "being a woman and getting older." Way to set us females of the species up for failure. I wonder why our society has such anxiety when it comes to health risks of all kinds.
So, what is up with the other 30.9% of women who have not gotten a mammogram in the past two years? My hope (also my regret) is that they don't have breasts to test. Otherwise, there are too many women not being tested. Which means more women who are not finding cancer early enough to have their lives saved.
You won't ever find me on a walk to end cancer. You won't even find me wearing a pink ribbon. But you better believe that I have women in my life that say "Hey, I just got my mammogram and I wanted to let you know." Because I share my story and encourage preventative treatment.
Go schedule your mammogram. Or remind politely a female in your life to do the same.
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