Breast Cancer Awareness: Taking it Personally

Its Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Im not asking you to buy or wear pink ribbons. Or pink hats or pink tee shirts or pink wristbands. Im not asking you to post a strange status to your Facebook profile. Im not asking for donations or for you to hang your bra out the window. Not that theres anything wrong with that.

Whether or not you do any of those things, I hope you do something else to make it a little more personal.

You can start by checking your breasts. It doesnt matter if youre a woman or a man, or what age or race you are. Whether you have a family history of cancer or not, make good lifestyle choices or not you should still be familiar with your own body so you recognize unusual changes and can act upon that knowledge.

Theres been a lot of controversy in recent years about the benefits and potential risks of mammograms, and even over the usefulness of self breast exams. Like many of my fellow breast cancer patients, I discovered my own breast lump. It certainly doesnt hurt to perform a self breast exam.

You can vow to make any number of lifestyle changes to help prevent cancer of all types. Vow not to smoke, to improve your diet, to get more exercise. Make one change for the better today.

Do it for yourself. Do it for the people who love you. Do it in the true spirit of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Take it personally.

Related:
5 Things about Breast Cancer You Should Take to Heart
Man with Breast Cancer says, Dont be embarrassedits too important
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Series
Video: What the Heck is Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Profiles
Carmelita P: Grieving Son Recounts Moms Battle with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Nancy Steiler: Searching for Normal After Cancer
Eileen Z. Fuentes: Living with a Grateful Vibration
Meagan Farrell: Cancer Survivor Says Let Go of the Little Stuff
Melissa Stukenborg: When Worst Fear Becomes Reality, Find Your Inner Strength
Related Profile: Alyssa Phillips: Inspiration, Survivor, Miracle: An Amazing Life

Image copyright: istockphoto.com

Ann Pietrangelo is the author of No More Secs! Living, Laughing & Loving Despite Multiple Sclerosis. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors and a regular contributor to Care2 Healthy & Green Living and Care2 Causes. Follow on Twitter @AnnPietrangelo


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