October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I’m doing my part to make you all aware of 
this deadly disease. This past year I had a scare of my own after having my annual mammogram. There was a lump in my breast that showed up in the mammogram x-ray, and it was one that I wasn’t able to feel or find myself. My doctor ordered a sonogram on the area to make sure that the lump was benign, but during that three day wait until my appointment it really weighed heavily on my mind. Also, Carly had a similiar kind of scare. She felt her lump in her breast and immediately went to the doctors to get a mammogram done. Thank God both of our lumps were benign and we’re okay.
Some women aren’t so lucky. And even worse, there are many women out there who don’t have the medical insurance to get a yearly mammogram, or just can’t afford the cost on their own. The best and earliest way to detect breast cancer is by having a mammogram, and it’s imperative that it’s done yearly. Especially after the age of 40.
Each year, 182,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,300 die. One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. In addition, 1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die this year. If detected early, the five year survival rate exceeds 95%. Mammograms are among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million US women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram.
That said, I would like each and every one of you to go to The Breast Cancer Site, where you can click on the “Fund Free Mammograms” button to help fund free mammograms to low-income, inner-city and minority women, whose awareness of breast cancer is often limited. This is a very legitimate site, and you are allowed to visit The Breast Cancer Site daily and click once.
Here are a few other ways to help fund those free mammograms. Tell your friends and family about The Breast Cancer Site. By spreading the word, you’ll help increase the number of visitors to The Breast Cancer Site and the amount of funding they generate for mammograms. Word of mouth – telling 5 friends who tell 5 friends – is a powerful way to fight breast cancer. And remember, you can click on this link once a day!
Make The Breast Cancer Site your home page and visit daily as soon as you log on to the internet! This is a great way to remind yourself to click each day, while spreading the word to others.
Lastly, if you haven’t had your mammogram this year, MAKE AN APPOINTMENT NOW! It could save your life!
Be sure to stop by tomorrow (Janelle’s Jungle Madness Friday!) where I’ll be giving away a very special prize ($50 value!) to help raise awareness of Breast Cancer Awareness month!
Janelle Denison finds it hard to believe that it’s been nearly 25 years since she first started writing romance novels. At first, it was a way to pass idle time while her husband worked swing shift, but before long it became an obsession to get published. Luckily, she kept at it (it took her over 5 years to get that first book published!) and is now a Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and USA Today Bestselling author! Now, after selling over 45 plus novels, she finds that her Plotmonkey pals help to keep her stories fresh and unique, and she can’t imagine writing a story without their input. Janelle lives in Oregon with her husband, Don, along with two teenage daughters that keep life interesting.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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Thanx for the reminder, and the link. Going to go click on it right now….
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OH shoot, I forgot to add that I am so glad and relieved that both you and Carly came through with good results. Sending prayers out there to all women battling this disease.
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Great post, Janelle. I had a similar scare in February. Mine was also benign but, like you said, the wait to have the ultrasound was horrible. After I found out the results I told a few of my friends about the scare. ALL of them said, “Wow. I haven’t ever had a mammogram,” or, “I really need to make my appointment, I just keep putting it off.” :wallbash: Cost is not an issue to these ladies, its just a matter of doing it and that makes it even more frustrating to me because I don’t think any of them have done it yet!!!
Thanks for the link and the reminder – and the reminder to call and harrass those I love.
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You know, here in Finland Fiskars has made some pink scissors and part of the money you pay for them goes for the research of breast cancer.
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My scare came 2 years ago -also benign. I have been clicking on that very site now for over a year. Thanks for sending out the reminder to everyone. I’m so very glad all is well with you and Carly.
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This is a very scary disease. My poor grandmother had once in her 40′s and then would you believe got it in the other breast 20 years later! She is a trooper though and is still with us because she is a fighter. Thanks for spreading awareness Janelle. :)
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On my 35th B’day my dr. did a base line mammo. It showed a lump no one felt too. When I went to the specialist, he had me quit wearing an underwire bra. Within 6 months, the lump was gone. He said that with women with big boobs (that would be me) he found that the wires would rub and cysts would develope. Now I don’t wear one full time,only special occassions, and I haven’t had any more lumps. or nasty wires that rub either. Not that this is a reason to ignore findings, but it was nice to know it wasn’t serious. I still get one every year. Someday I will find the man who invented this thing and hurt him.:devil:
I am so glad that both of you ended up with a good result in the end.
Minna- I want a pair of pink Fiskars!! They are the only scissors I ever use- I have tons all over the house- sewing, crafts, kitchen, etc… they go well with my Viking!!
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:)Great reminder, Janelle. My mom had a scare a few years back (fortunately, it was nothing). Now, she is on a mission. My parents’ friend’s daughter has breast cancer (she’s only 42). It’s sad because the family has had a tough year already (losing the mom). It’s so important to get the mammy ‘o grams (as my mom lovingly refers to them), even at young ages (my mom knows of three ‘young people”, late 30s/early 40s who have had breast cancer). I tried to get one done, but my doc wouldn’t do a baseline (I am 36).
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Thanks for the reminder, also it is really important to do the breast exam every month. i can tell by my own experience. Mammogram are usually offer when you 35 and over. :wink:
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Just had a mammo this week. Sad to say it was only my second, the last seven years ago. I’m committing to annual now. My niece, 17 years old, had a biopsy last week. Third niece under 21 in last four years. I clicked and I’ll keep clicking.
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Katie- I would find another Dr. or go to your family one. It is your choice and your body. Don’t let them tell you that they won’t do it. They just don’t want to. Also, if there is a women’s health center where you live, go there. Check with your insurance. Bet they wouldn’t tell a man he didn’t need a prostrate exam if he asked for one (unless of course it’s a gyn- then they would!!):soapbox:
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Thanks for the reminder. So glad that you and Carly are okay. And I go every day to the site and click, it is one of the first things I do when I sign onto the computer in the morning………… :thumbsup2:
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A friend of mine just had a double mastectomy. I really appreciate your post. Thanks for helping the cause!
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thank you and i will remember. it has touched someone in their lives. Think PInk as in Grease.
everyone should read Afternoon delight by Mia Zachary it is about a breast cancer scare and Woman survior. Get it everyone the best blaze this year well next to Leslie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
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Ev, I don’t know if they sell pink scissors anywhere besides Finland, but you might ask if they would send them to you. Here’s the e-mail address:
info@fiskarsbrands.fi
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Thanks for the reminder! Just wanted to comment that I had a scare a few years ago when I was in my later 20′s! Found a lump during my monthly check so my doctor did a manual examination and found it too. He sent me for a mammagram. What was even scarier was that when the technician got the results, she led me to a special room to do an ultrasound and after she was done, she asked me to wait and called the specialist in right away. I guess the images were blurry or something. Fortunately it was just a fibroid and I’m ok. My doctor said not to worry but I think I’ll go ahead and have another mammagram every year or so just to be safe. After all, you can’t fight it, if you don’t know about it.
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ev, I asked at my physical if I needed one and he said no, not for another couple of years as a baseline. Don’t even get me started about our insurance. Our insurance probably won’t pay. They wouldn’t pay to get my sons’ hearing tested (two of the three of them needed tests…one because he has autism and couldn’t do the test at school and they thought he might have a difficulty and the second because he isn’t talking as much as he should and we thought he might have either a hearing problem or autism). The insurance gave some lame excuse.
As soon as the insurance says it is okay, I am there, trust me and if there are any problems. I check every month myself (since I was about 18). My mom keeps asking me to get one everytime I see her.
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My aunt recently (in the last couple of weeks) had her own scare when she found a lump in her breast. She was able to get the tests done and they believe it is only a cyst and she will be fine. She still needs to see the surgeon to see what they want to do about the cyst.
I am glad y’all are okay!
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Katie- keep after the drs- on both issues. Especially if they deny treatment to one of the kids who has a special need. Been there, done that. :wallbash:
Minna- thanks for the link!!!!
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Katie, I’m so sorry that they’re aren’t being helpful – and responsible. My doctor actually did my baseline at 35 so that he would have something to compare it to once I turned 40, and he wanted to do it annually. At 35 all was fine. At 40 is when they found a “family” of fibroids in both. Now its every 6 months for me
. I complain about it, but I’m glad that he’s being safe and making sure I’m healthy.
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What a wonderful way to reach so many people on such an important subject! Thank you!
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I could go on and on about our insurance….LOL! Thanks for all of your support!
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Thanks for reminding all the “Plotmonkey” fans to visit The Breast Cancer site everyday. I visit there everyday before I check your blog & Jill Shalvis’ blog. From the Breast Cancer site you can also click on the Literacy site & Child health & click to help those organizations.
I’m so glad you & Carly are both okay. :love2: A few years ago something was detected on my mammogram & I had to have a biopsy. I had to wait 3 months to get the biopsy–the medical world is nuts! It is a good thing I wasn’t worried about what they found! After my experience with the biopsy I never complain about my mammogram–they are a must. Several people I know are breast cancer survivors & one of them got her diagnosis the day before her 35th birthday. Ladies, get your mammograms, there is no excuse not to have one every year–no one is that busy!! :)
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Ok, funny mammo story- since we all hate the stupid things anyway and without humor, you might as well shrivel up and blow away. :happy2:
The place I used to go would have to put a bigger plate on the stupid thing to get all of me in. Personnally, I think god hates me. Why someone would want to make them bigger I have no clue.
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Part of me got deleted. Part 2.
The new place doesnt’ have bigger plates- so they ended up putting both in at the same time to finally get everything. The Xray looks like the Grand Canyon with the Big Valley in the middle. I wanted a copy for myself but they wouldn’t give it to me.
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Thank-you for the reminder! I am a 2 time cancer survivor. Everything about it was scary. The scare involves everyone who love you. Please get an annual mammogram. The earlier you detect this disease the more likely you will beat it. The first thing I remember doing was my husband from the place I had my mammo, I got the news right there. When he came to get me (the first time in my life I dared not to drive) was to head to the internet and library. No excuses breast cancer is something you should read up on and know how to self examine monthly. The life you save will be your own.
Thank-you Plotmonkeys, I love you gals.
Hugs and prayers,
jeannie
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As a breast cancer survivor I go to the Breast Cancer Site daily. Women nowdays are lucky there are mammograms. They weren’t available in 1968, when I had a double mastaectomy at age 26.
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Best wishes to all the Breast Cancer Surivors out there.
I had my mammogram several months ago and do go yearly.
Re tomorrow’s post of a prize, can’t wait to see what it is. Whatever it is, I think it would be a lovely gift for my 60th bday on Sunday.
:present::thumbsup2::D