As October comes to an end and the month long obsession and commercialization with pink ends, I just want to remind everyone of a few things about breast cancer.
Women get checked annually. No excuses. Get it done. If something doesn’t feel right, get it checked. Don’t ignore anything that doesn’t feel normal. This doesn’t just apply to anything cancer-related, but with anything tied to your health or body.
I want to remind everyone that there are a lot of warriors out there, who are either fighting or have beaten this terrible disease. It affects 1 in 8 women and odds are you know at least one person who has had breast cancer. There are a lot of really strong and amazing people out there.
I want to remind everyone that it’s not about me or my story. I don’t share for the attention or the wow look at me, though I will admit undergoing chemo while pregnant and while raising five young children is pretty bad ass. I share to educate. I share so people better understand the disease, the treatment and the process.
I want people to know that treatment doesn’t have to be linear, it can have ups and downs. I want to be honest and open, in part because I’m a terrible liar and wear my emotions on my sleeves, but also so people understand that it’s a long process and it’s not easy and you’re never fully over it. There’s also areas between very sick and remission, it’s not just extremes which I feel like is what we think of when we hear about cancer.
I share my story so people realize it can happen to anyone at any time. I thought I was healthy. I work out a lot. I breastfed my first four children. I did things that I thought lowered my risk but it didn’t matter. Cancer doesn’t care.
Learn your family history. Learn if you are at an increased risk and if you need genetic testing done.
Find a good doctor. Find one you trust that will help you when you need it most.
These are all the things I want you to take away not just in October but for the year. It’s not about me but about we. Here’s what you need to do to stay healthy. Here’s what I want you to know so you hopefully don’t have to go through what I did. And if you do, here’s what I want you to know as you go through this process.
Do I have a pretty incredible story to go with all this? Yes, but that’s not why I share my journey. It’s not for the praise or the sympathy or attention. It’s for the information that I hope helps someone. And if I help at least one person than it’s been so worth sharing because it’s not about me but we.
#breastcancerawareness #breastcancerawarenessmonth #thinkpink #breastcancerbattle #pregnantwithcancer #chemo #chemotherapy #itsaboutwenotme #getchecked #mammogram #knowyourrisk #onetoughmother
