Cancer | outrunningthefork

Archive | Cancer RSS feed for this section

October – More than Just Candy

So, we all know that October brings Halloween which brings candy which brings happiness and fulfillment..Or a close facsimile thereof.

October also brings us…Boobs.

All boobs, all the time.

It is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. That is why everything you see/eat/drink/wear is pink! I’m not against bringing awareness at all. And a random Facebook conversation this evening made me decide that I’d do a “Fact a Day” about breast cancer.

This means lots of random, short posts that may or may not have breasts in them!

Seriously, I know way too many ladies who have had an encounter with breast cancer – either themselves or family. Way. Too. Many.

And I bet there is a lot we don’t think about. I know I have learned a thing or two.

So let’s start with the facts. In no particular order of importance, and I may or may not go back to days 1-6 so you’ll get 31 facts or you’ll get 25. We don’t know.

Fact 1: (ps, I’m gonna call them facts…they may be…accepted practice, random ideas, ….whatever. Hey, I’m not a doctor, just a PoliSci grad trying to make people laugh. And maybe think. And do. Sometimes I want people to “do”

So, fact 1: Get the freakin’ mammogram!! Per the new and “amazing” Affordable Care Act – it should be free!! FREE!!! (More on that later!) We love free stuff right?! So…go get one! One a year.

And, lot of people talk about the “pain” — I’m betting it hurts way less than a late cancer diagnosis!!!

If you haven’t put them on the glass in a while, call your doctor and I bet they can set something up! And if it’s been more than a few years, times have changed…or…I’ve gotten used to the pain…;) Results are nearly instantaneous and even if you’re worried about what they’ll find, it’s way better than finding out too late.

Tags: breast cancer, exam, mammogram

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Cancer, Health

There’s Something About Mary

7 May

Pardon my language

I have a sister. She’s 4 years older than me and lives ….maybe 1300 miles. I see her when I visit Texas – usually on her day off from work. So I don’t see her very much.

Last month she was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. A couple of weeks ago she had surgery. Tomorrow she starts chemotherapy.

As one can imagine, she’s kind of scared of the whole thing. Unfortunately, I have too many friends who have been through this (one is too many, in case you were trying to figure where to draw that line). Fortunately, I have friends who have been through this, so I’ve hopefully been able to pick up some helpful information to share with her.

I’m making plans to go down, the timing is tough…there will definitely be more than one trip. This isn’t something she and my dad need to go through on their own.

It’s hard to know what to say, what to talk about. It’s hard to know what NOT to say (in the best of times this is always a tightrope I walk!!) So, I’ll play it by ear.

And pray. Praying helps.