It’s that time of year. Pink ribbons, walkathons, and T-shirts with feisty sayings like “Fight Like a Girl” are just a few of the things we associate with Breast Cancer Awareness month. They’re a great way to grab our attention for a bit, but then most people move on and don’t think about breast cancer again until the next year when the ribbons, T-shirts, and fundraisers start up again, and a whole new host of survival and heartbreak stories are shared.

Don’t let this be the year you blow off monthly self-exams or ignore mammogram reminders from your medical professionals. Please don’t disregard signs that something is wrong in your body just because there is no history of breast cancer in your family. If I’d done that, chances are I wouldn’t be here.

In 2016, at the age of 40, I was diagnosed with two types of cancer in my left breast, and one of them was aggressive. The twelve months that followed were the toughest I have ever endured, and the battle will never be over. Chemotherapy and radiation have lasting side effects that I will battle for the rest of my life, and as challenging as they can be, I’m grateful for the opportunity. Earlier this year, there was a fear that my cancer had returned and metastasized in the form of IBC, a rare and dangerous form of breast cancer that no one wants. Luckily, I was diagnosed with a retro reaction to radiation that mimicked the symptoms of IBC. It’s important to note there is no history of any type of cancer in my family dating back for three generations. Someone is always the first in the family to break the mold. Cancer has no bias, and no one should ever let their guard down.

While breast cancer conversation is predominantly aimed toward the ladies, I’d like to take this chance to remind the fellas that men are diagnosed with breast cancer too. The mortality rate is often higher because men aren’t doing self-exams to screen for it, and breast cancer commonly shows up as a secondary form in men. By the time they realize it, cancer has often metastasized in the body and is present in their lymph nodes. I knew a dear man who beat lung cancer but died from breast cancer a few years later. According to my breast surgeon, a person who battles brain, lung, breast, or bone cancer is at higher risk to later experience one or more of the others.

Knowledge is power, and early detection saves lives. You are loved, you are needed, and you are worth the few minutes it takes each month to check your boobs, pecs, and pits for suspicious lumps.

Until next month, happy reading!

xoxoxo

Aimee