The Importance of Early Detection in Breast Cancer
The first time I found a lump on one of my breasts, I was in my early twenties. Actually, I didn’t find the lump, my doctor did. It was during a routine annual exam. It was a little scary going for my first mammogram at such a young age.
Fortunately, everything turned out fine for me.
It turns out I have dense tissue in my breasts. This means I develop lumps fairly frequently. They’re usually nothing to be concerned about. But the only way to know for certain is to have a mammogram.
A mammogram is a breast exam used to screen you for breast cancer. They squeeze your breast between two cold, hard, flat surfaces. Then they take x-rays of your breasts at various angles. It’s sometimes painful but mostly uncomfortable.
How to Prepare for a Mammogram
There isn’t very much preparation for a mammogram. It is recommended that you avoid chocolate, coffee, or caffeine before the test. The caffeine can make your breasts more tender making it more uncomfortable during the exam. You should begin to avoid them about a week before your exam.
Hopefully, where you for your exam will be as cool as mine. They have coffee readily available and giant jars of Hershey kisses in the waiting rooms. To make up for all the chocolate you gave up
On the day of the exam, do not put on deodorant, lotion, perfume, or anything else on your breasts or under your arms. If you do, you should thoroughly wash it off before the exam. It could alter your test results or prevent the x-rays from being clear.
After checking in for your exam you will be asked to undress from the top up and put on a gown. You should wear a skirt or pants so you can at least have your bottoms on when they remove the gown during the exam.
The worst part of a mammogram is trying to hold still while they take the x-ray. If you move while they are taking the x-ray, it could come out blurry. Making it difficult for the doctor to make an accurate assessment.
Then you have to do it again. Which is a little more painful now that your breasts are already tender. After years of experience, I’ve mastered the art of holding my breath while they are taking the x-rays.
When Should You Have a Mammogram?
Your doctor will recommend a mammogram if there is something unusual or suspicious about your breasts. Like a lump, tenderness, pain, unusual changes or discharge from your nipples; or any other unusual changes to your breasts.
If you’re old (like me) it is recommended that you have a mammogram once a year. Typically if you are over the age of 40 or if there is a history of cancer in your family. Speak to your doctor if anything seems unusual about your breasts or to find out when you should have your first mammogram.
If you have any of the above mentioned symptoms, schedule an appointment with your doctor immediately. Early detection could mean the difference between life or death.
After they take the x-rays you will be sent to a waiting room. They recommend that you keep the gown on in case the doctor recommends more testing. Then you sit in a room with other women all a little nervous while waiting for their test results.
The doctor will call you into a room where you go over the x-rays together.
If everything looks good they send you on your way. You can breathe easy now knowing you’re okay.
If something looks suspicious, then further testing is recommended. They typically start with more x-ray taken from multiple angles and more advanced technology like 3D images.
If something warrants concern, the next step is to have a biopsy. Where they extract samples from the breast tissue to run more tests.
After your mammogram, you will most likely be offered a choice whether to stay and wait for your results or to leave. If you decide to stay you will wait to see the doctor and go over the results together. If you decide to leave they will call you with the results.
Keep in mind, if you are called back it is no longer considered prevention. Your health insurance may charge you differently for your follow up visit. I learned this the hard way by having to pay out of pocket. Apparently, had I stayed the entire appointment would have been covered under prevention saving me money.
I usually wait since I want to know the results as quickly as possible. One year when I was there for a routine visit, it was kind of busy and I didn’t feel like waiting. Since I was there for a routine visit and not because of any unusual changes I wasn’t too concerned.
As Murphy’s Law would have it, things looked suspicious.
I was surprised when I received a call to come back for more testing.
This time when I arrived at the facility, they sent me to the other side. This side is where the women go who failed the initial breast screening. I call it the scary side. It was not fun sitting in the waiting.
You can’t help but people watch while you’re there. Wondering who has cancer. It makes me happy to see women come out of the doctor’s office with expressions of relief and joy. I too felt relief on that day. It turned out to be nothing.
My sister Natalie wasn’t so lucky. She died of breast cancer. She had been struggling with her weight and was taking high blood pressure medication.
She was only 46 years old when she died. She found the lump between her regular checkups and annual mammograms. Only 7 months after having a routine mammogram. She wasn’t scheduled for another one for 5 months.
It turned out to be the most aggressive form of breast cancer. After careful consideration, she decided to have the most aggressive treatment. Her doctor scheduled a double mastectomy and both her breasts were removed only 2 weeks after she was diagnosed with cancer.
Six weeks later, she went back to have her stitches removed. Another cancerous lump had already formed on one of her scars. She went back to surgery to have the lump removed. Then she went through chemotherapy, radiation, and chemotherapy again. Despite the early detection, cancer spread rapidly into stage 4. Once in her lymph nodes, cancer spread everywhere including her lungs. She died exactly one year after having her breasts removed.
My sister Natalie didn’t win her battle with cancer but many do.
Her overall health wasn’t very good, to begin with. She was overweight, was taking high blood pressure medication (which completely killed her sex drive), and she smoked.
Your health and choices can significantly impact your treatment. Including your chance of survival and risk of contracting other deadly diseases and breast cancer.
There are many cancer survivors who are alive today because of early detection.
As well as their overall health and choices.
It’s scary to think about but extremely important. Early detection and immediate treatment is the best way to battle this deadly disease.
Check your own breasts every month. Only you know what your breasts feel like. What is normal for you and what is not. If you have any unusual symptoms or any of the above mentioned symptoms, it is critical that you call your doctor to have your breasts examined.
As quickly as possible.
On a side note, my sister was an organ donor. Because cancer had spread throughout her entire body, only her corneas could be donated. I learned shortly after her death that two people can now see because of her. An eighty year old woman in WNY and a 44 year old man in Tennessee.
Knowing her death at least allowed two people to use their eyes helped make the healing process and loss of her death a little bit easier.
Being overweight increases your risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Discover how you can lose weight fast and keep it off for life.
When my youngest daughter was two, she refused to wear pull-ups.
You know, those diapers that are designed so you can pull them up and down. Like panties. So every time your little one goes potty you don’t have to throw away an expensive unused diaper.
Nope.
Not my little Miss Independent. Who I sometimes call “Mini Me.”
Now keep in mind, she hadn’t needed a diaper in months. I knew she was ready to go to big girl panties and had even bought her an assortment of really cute ones. To try to convince her to give up diapers.
I guess she wanted to stay little.
So here we had a box of pretty pink pull-ups that she refused to wear. As well as a drawer full of cute little underwear. Yet we were still throwing away expensive diapers. Every single day.
One day, she was going through one of the many toy catalogs that arrive by the boatload just before Christmas. She had circled a doll stroller along with many other toys.
There was this one particular stroller that she really wanted.
This one stroller, she had circled many times and kept showing me. Making sure I KNEW this was absolutely the one she wanted. We were sitting on the couch one day, when suddenly the wheels in my mind started churning.
This seemed like the perfect opportunity.
It was bribery, yes. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Christmas was coming and we couldn’t afford to keep throwing money away. Especially on unused diapers.
Then I asked her one question.
And it went something like this, “Sara.” I said to grab her attention. “If I buy you this stroller right now, and you have it in a couple of days, would you start wearing the pullups?”
Suddenly, she flew off the couch and took off running!
She ran up the stairs to her bedroom and pulled out a pair of panties. Completely bypassing the transitional pullups. She put them on, came right back downstairs and said, “Done.”
I actually don’t remember what she said. It was probably more like, “Alright Mom. Order the stroller.”
What I do remember was the determination in her eyes.
And the way she stood there looking at me. So confident with her hands on her hips. I knew at that moment that our diaper days were over. I confirmed with her that she would never go back to diapers. Once she agreed, I ordered the stroller.
That was unquestionably one of the best investments I have ever made. If you’re a mom (or a dad) you understand the joys of the end of diaper days.
Forever.
She never ever had an accident. And she never went back. Because once you put your big girl pants on, there is NO going back.
For the past several months or so, I have been learning everything possible about course creation, testing, marketing and selling online courses. Despite the fact that I already know quite a bit. I’ve been selling them for a while now.
I needed to learn how to scale my business and fast. Because it’s something I really want. To live a life filled with abundance, joy, freedom and wealth.
The training sessions I have been taking (and the people I am surrounding myself with) are experienced experts who are making millions of dollars selling online programs and are teaching course creators (like me) how to do it right. However, despite everything they are teaching me I still haven’t been doing it.
I guess maybe we all need a little incentive. Or bribery.
One of the things about starting a business is that we have a tendency to devalue our time. Most of us normal folks anyway. Which only hurts us in the long run. You see, if you don’t charge what your program is worth then people often don’t see the value in it.
When you charge a premium price, people have more of an “investment” mindset. They are serious about completing your program. Making it a “no brainer” to pull out their credit card and enroll.
Also making it a huge win/win for everyone.
Your students succeed by showing up and doing the work. Then they give you a raving testimonial. Making it easier for you to sell more high-end courses.
Then you can help even more people succeed.
I realized this morning that I’ve been kind of “staying little” too. Instead of joining the big leagues. Even though I have written over a dozen books just this past year alone.
Even though I became the Health & Fitness Expert on the award-winning radio show The Queen Silvy Show. Only two months after publishing my first book. Where I went live in front of millions of listeners each and every month.
Even though people were calling me “famous.”
And “You’re a Star!” Including my friend Chris (from my LA Mastermind group) who’s a real estate broker selling multi-million dollar listings in San Francisco.
Even though I am co-writing a book with Jennelle Gordon. A book about how Tony Robbins helped a brave young woman. Who as a young girl was sold into sex trafficking and escaped after 10 years of captivity. And how she has started her own business, created Beyond Freedom, a non-profit organization that helps young survivors get back on their feet.
To finally going live on stage delivering her very first TED talk.
A true inspirational story that can show you how you can overcome any obstacle in life. To go from surviving to thriving regardless of any circumstance.
What I realized today is that I am already in the big leagues.
It’s time to put my big girl pants on. And never look back.
So, I raised the price on my upcoming writing course. A LOT. A program where I am teaching entrepreneurs like you how to go from blank page to published in only 5 weeks.
To grow your business, get higher paying clients, land higher paid speaking engagements and easily get into the media.
Because once you put your big girl pants on there is no going back.
Not for my baby girl and not for me.
If you are ready to join the big leagues, by becoming a published author, to scale your business and take it to the next level, you can start today.
Don’t you think it’s time you put your big girl (boy) pants on?
Download your FREE guide to becoming a published author. Take off running now and head on over to The Power of Writing.
I am re-posting this in honor of the “Not Me” Movement and my guest appearance on “Safety Talk” with Personal Safety Expert Pete Canavan.
One of the decisions we face as parents is when to buy your child a cell phone. Their level of independence can be more important than their age.
I gave my daughter her first phone on her tenth birthday.
She kept asking me when she could have one. Since I wanted it to be a surprise I told her she couldn’t have one until she turned eleven.
She cried when she opened the box. Yes. I lied. But it was so worth it to see her happy face on her birthday.
Moments like these, you’ll always cherish and remember.
A few months later, my daughters and I went out for ice cream after a school concert. We met up with some of their friends and their moms. I was really surprised when one of the moms said to me “I couldn’t believe you got your daughter a phone. I didn’t buy my oldest daughter a phone until she was thirteen.”
Then another mom chimed in,”I know. I couldn’t believe it. Now my daughter keeps asking me for one too.”
Yep. I was “that” mom. I had no idea.
And quite frankly, I didn’t really care. What the other kids had and what other parents thought, wasn’t a factor in my decision.
It was fear.
Hannah was at the age where she wanted freedom. She would ask me if she could go for a ride on her bike. At first, I would only let her go around the block. Then a few blocks. Then the playground.
All I could think about while she was gone was the dreaded white van pulling up to her. Asking for directions or anything that would bring her to the car. Then zapping her with a Taser gun and throwing her into the van.
Extreme?
Maybe. But it’s how I felt. I would have let her take my cell phone but it was my business line. At the time I was a single working mother and couldn’t afford to miss a call.
I didn’t buy her a cell phone to spoil her.
It wasn’t even for her, although she loves it. It was for me. As a concerned parent I can now have peace of mind. Now I can stay connected at all times. She calls me or texts me to let me know where she is and when she will be home.
Now I can breathe a little bit easier.
Here are 5 questions to help you determine if you and your child are ready:
Is your child ever alone without parental guidance?
Does your child walk home from school or anywhere without an adult?
How responsible is your child?
Can you communicate openly with your child about internet safety?
Does the cost of another cell phone fit into your budget?
There is no “right” age or time to buy your child a cell phone. Do what you think is best for you and your family. Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing or what the other moms say. It all depends on your child’s level of independence, your comfort level and what you can afford.
“Charlie Brown, you’re the only person I know who can take a wonderful season
like Christmas and turn it into a problem.” – Linus in A Charlie Brown Christmas
One of my favorite parts about Christmas is watching the holiday specials. I haven’t seen good old Charlie Brown in a while but the story still sticks in my brain.
Every time I see a scrawny, scraggly little tree I think of Charlie Brown.
Funny how things stick with you.
Just like the memories of lost loved ones. Which can be horribly depressing this time of year.
In fact, it’s one of the main causes of the Holiday Blues.
Another reason is that no one likes to be around depressed or complaining people. So instead of reaching out for help, they begin to isolate themselves. Making things even worse.
Which is one the reasons why people have a hard time coming out of it.
And quite frankly, fair feathered friends should be shot.
Or thrown off a cliff.
Okay maybe that’s a little harsh. C’mon even the Grinch came around. His heart even grew 3 sizes that day!
And Charlie?
Why he didn’t steal Christmas!
Just because his tree was not very tall.
He did not steal Christmas.
He did not at all!
Thankfully, for Charlie, his friends didn’t give up on him when he was depressed.
And I would never give up on you.
That’s right Charlie, I got your back.
If you or anyone you know is feeling a little a depressed this holiday season watch a good movie or holiday show. Laugh, cry, eat a pint of ice cream if you have to.
But do NOT isolate yourself. And if you suspect someone you know is feeling depressed this holiday season. Don’t be a Grinch about. Don’t be a fair feathered friend.
For more fun ways to make this holiday season a happier time for you and your loved ones, read my recent article I wrote: How to Beat the *Post* Holiday Blues.
P.P.S
It’s through your loving support, purchasing my products and services, and through the affiliate links that I can maintain my health & wellness blog. To help as many people as possible live happier and healthier lives.
When I was a little girl, whenever there was a thunderstorm, my mom would say, “The Angels are bowling.” She had a way of calming us during the storm.
She was born in Ukraine and grew up on a farm. Where they were taught not to waste food and use every bit of fat possible. Even going as far as to use bacon grease for cooking.
Delicious, yes. Healthy?
Not so much. As you can see in my mom’s picture, she was overweight. She suffered from Type 2 diabetes and died when I was only twenty.
Lack of exercise, unhealthy eating and being overweight increases your risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer and death.
Which is why I started this blog. To share my experiences. To encourage you to live a healthier, longer and happier life.
Now when I get stressed, the thing that keeps me calm? A good run. Making healthy food choices. And sometimes a little chocolate.
Yoga, a spin class, a run, a walk around the neighborhood or any form of exercise will help you reduce stress. Avoid debilitating diseases, taking medication and can help you live longer.
It heals the mind and the body.
Eating Healthy Can Change Your Attitude
When you eat healthy and take care of your body, your whole attitude changes.
Making healthy choices helps you deal with day to day stress. I feel happier and I am able to react to things in a more positive way. Sometimes I even feel like…
I can conquer the world!
That’s what eating healthy and incorporating daily exercise into your life, can do for you.
Wouldn’t you like to face the day feeling like you can conquer the world? Don’t let the hectic day to day stressors get you down. We all have hectic lives that are filled with deadlines, appointments, running errands, sick family members to take care of. Just to name a few.
Our To-do list never ends.
Eating healthy, getting enough sleep and exercise not only reduces stress but they are the KEY to living a happier and healthier life.
Aren’t you worth it?
Discover how you can squeeze in more exercise (even on the busiest days) and eat healthier here.
A couple of weeks ago, cross-country running season started at my daughter’s school. I love going to the races to cheer on her on. The team too, of course. It was the first race of the season so it was really important to her that I be on time.
The races begin at 5 pm every week at various locations. Not the best time of day because of rush hour traffic. Despite anxiously sitting in my car during stop and go traffic we have to show up for our kids, right? Even at the risk of getting there too late and missing the race.
Luckily, there was only a little traffic that day and no car accidents so I was there in plenty of time to wish her a good race and cheer her on. Most importantly, though, is that I was there for her.
There are many ways we can show up for our kids. But the absolute best way to be there for our children is to take care of ourselves first. Not only do we demonstrate the importance of living a healthy style, but we’ll live longer and healthier lives.
This can often be hard to do. We live in a world filled with work deadlines, car pooling and rushing around to sporting events, dance classes, music lessons and other extra curricular activities.
So you can be there for your kids too, here are 5 simple, no brainer, things you can do to live a longer and healthier life:
1. Eat a healthy and well balanced diet. A healthy diet consists of a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and protein. It’s okay to indulge in a treat now and then. Depriving yourself can lead to binge eating so just think in terms of moderation. Most importantly, try to stay away from processed foods such as fast food and prepared frozen meals that are high in saturated fat and sodium.
2. Get enough sleep. I read an article recently that sleep deprivation will shorten your life. Getting a good night’s sleep helps keep you focused. You can think more clearly and accomplish more in less time. It also prevents you from overeating. Sleep fuels your body in similar ways as food. If you’re tired you’ll need to eat more to keep up your energy.
3. Exercise. Regular exercise can help protect you from heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, noninsulin-dependent diabetes, obesity, back pain, osteoporosis, and can improve your mood and help you to better manage stress. It will also help you sleep.
4. Reward Yourself. Reward yourself for your accomplishments. Whether it’s a decadent treat or picking up a new page turner to lose yourself in. Rewarding yourself will help you feel good about yourself and inspire you to conquer new goals.
5. Spend quality time with those you love. It’s easy to get wrapped up in everyday life. Things are very different from when I was a kid. Going for a bike ride and hanging around the schoolyard seem to be a thing of the past. Our days are now filled with car pools and activities. Plan an evening at home with just the family. No sleepovers or friends. Dust off an old board game and make some popcorn. Or plan a family movie night. It’s a perfect time of year to turn on the fireplace and cozy up on the couch in your favorite fleece blanket.
