Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Since the mass was so small, there wasn't much worry on the doctor's end, but our family is full of cancer stories that don't end well. My mother's grandmother died from breast cancer, and we have had several other family members die from different kinds of cancers as well.

My mother almost skipped her mammogram that year, thinking that since her previous mammogram from the year before had been normal, she could skip it. If she had, she would have most likely been dealing with something other than Stage I breast cancer.

My mom had a lumpectomy, and since her lymph nodes showed no signs of cancer, her next course of treatment was a round of radiation therapy. She will be the first to tell people that she had it easy. She will also be the first one to tell others that they must be responsible for their health. Get the necessary tests. Early detection is so important when dealing with cancer.

In our community, several hospitals, clubs, and businesses honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month. St. Luke's Hospital at their Marion, Iowa, campus location will be offering walk-in mammograms starting October 1st. This is a new service that they plan on offering on a regular basis. Women can take in their doctor's order on Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4:30 pm. Appointments will be honored first, but walk-ins are wanted and welcome. St. Luke's wants to make it more convenient for busy women to get their mammograms. For more information call 319-369-4344.

On October 11, the Junior League of Cedar Rapids will be hosting their 19th annual "Especially For You Race Against Breast Cancer". Proceeds from this event help fund free mammograms. It starts at 8 am. For more information visit www.juniorleaguecr.org.

Businesses like Panera will be selling their Pink Ribbon Bagel. In Iowa, they donate twenty five cents from each sale to a local breast cancer group. I usually stop at Panera once a week, so grabbing a yummy bagel to help out the cause is convenient and tasty.

I will also be shopping at my local Hy-Vee store this weekend. They have a six hour sale on October 3 from 8 am to 2 pm. There will be exceptionally low prices on a few of my favorite items. Hy-Vee will be donating over $160,000 to the Susan G. Komen foundation. During this year, Hy-Vee, along with their suppliers, have donated over $640,000 to Susan G. Komen For the Cure and Breast Cancer Awareness.

According to the CDC, breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. The statistics in 2005 showed that 186,467 women and 1,764 men were diagnosed with breast cancer and 41,116 women and 375 men died from it.

Honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and most importantly, honor yourself. Get a mammogram. Go with a friend or family member. Save a couple of lives.