NAUTI THOUGHTS: Save the Boobies

H A P P Y  W E L L N E S S  W E D N E S D A Y

"In the US, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime."

"Each year it is estimated that over 220,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die."

"Every 19 seconds, someone in the world is diagnosed with breast cancer."

Although October is coming to an end... it is still BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. This week's post is all about showing the impact breast cancer has on the lives of people around us and what we can do to make to help.

Unfortunately, I have personally been affected by breast cancer. My aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011. Luckily, she was able to beat it but it was a difficult time for our family. I asked her to share her story and here is what she had to say:

Having cancer truly changes your life forever. When you get the diagnosis, it’s unlike the flu or a knee scrape which has an easy fix. Breast cancer is a quiet cancer with very few signs until the outward tumor appears.  Monthly breast checks are the best way to find a lump early.  They are easy to do and can save your life.  I found my lump one evening in the shower. The doctors got me in the following week for lots of tests and confirmed it was indeed cancer. Lots of treatment and a year of recovery took place. During the episode, I definitely spent a lot of time reading about things I could do to prevent a future occurrence.  In 2009 (2 years prior to my diagnosis) my husband and I had changed our lives for the better in making healthy food choices and doing lots of exercise. Unfortunately, I was told that the tumors had likely been developing for 7 years before they express themselves beyond the surface.  It makes you very aware of how important it is to live a healthy life, eating tons of fruits and veggies, and exercise. Since this time, I’ve tried to continue living my life in a full way.  My oncologist once told me that people either spend the rest of their life looking over their shoulder expecting something bad to happen or you can chose to move forward. I do my best to chose to move forward and leave this chapter behind me.

Along with speaking to my aunt, I also reached out to my sorority and asked my chapter if there was anyone who had a connection or story they wanted to share and it was crazy how many girls reached out to me. Here are some of their stories:

Claire's story:

My sophomore year of high school my close family friend passed away from (I believe, stage 3) breast cancer, however by this time it had spread and cancer was all throughout her body. The first years are hard because you always have hope. And for many they do go through remission and live but obviously not every case. It was always hard though and to be honest it never got better. But towards the end, she was so sick and weak that when she passed we knew she really was in a happy place and the cancer was gone. Her daughter, who was my childhood best friend, is at really high risk and gets checked regularly, which is really important. Her mom was diagnosed late and the earlier you are checked, the better chance you have of fighting the cancer. 

Tahlia's story:

I remember being in the car, driving with my mom to get our morning cup of coffee and she says to me “All the information is new, and there is lots we don’t know. But your aunt Carrie has just been diagnosed with breast cancer and she is starting chemo therapy.” 

I wasn’t really sure why I was crying, it’s not my cancer. But, that’s where I was wrong. Cancer is now personal to me. It’s affecting Carrie who is my family, I am allowed to be scared, upset and sad all at the same time.

The thing about breast cancer is that it presents itself unpredictably and it rapidly takes over you and your life. It is so important to bring awareness to breast cancer and promote examination because even the smallest abnormal lump can be the difference in finding someone in stage 1 with high survival rates and stage 4 with very low survival rates. Luckily my aunt’s cancer was caught early on, and she is in stage 1. She will be going through months of chemo therapy and then ending with a double mastectomy. There is a lot of information that we don’t know, but if you ask my aunt Carrie she will say she is “kicking cancers ass”.  

Krista's story:

When I was a sophomore in high school my mom got diagnosed with breast cancer and had to get a single mastectomy and chemo for probably around 9 months. I think the main thing that helped her beat cancer was her positive attitude. I think a healthy lifestyle also includes putting your mental health as a priority. Although my mom read every book there was about diets for cancer and tried to stay as healthy as possible with what she was eating, I think her mindset was what helped her the best. I’m sure she suffered more than she let on, but she never looked sick. That was something she did really well, she is the strongest woman I know and I aspire to have her drive and determination every day. She really made an effort to think positively even on her darkest days, even when she was in pain, and even when she looked in the mirror and didn’t see beauty in herself. A lot of people might think that losing the hair on their head is easy compared to all of the other things you go through with cancer, but I think that it really lowers someone’s self esteem and makes it hard for them to show love to themselves. When you don’t put love into your own body, it can be hard to recover. I think my mom is an incredible woman and I can’t imagine my life without her. I am so proud of her everyday.

This post isn't supposed to make you sad or helpless but quite the opposite. It should open your eyes and make you want to proactive. This means staying active, getting mammograms, and overall maintaining a healthy lifestyle. When I was in elementary school my mom participated in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. This is an amazing way to help spread awareness for breast cancer AND help find a cure. 

SAVE THE BOOBIES

L I V E  N A U T I

♡

Ashlyn