Breast Cancer Rant

I don't usually drone on and on about things like Cancer. I don't wear those pink pens or have a pink magnet on my car or walk in the Relay for Life. But I see things in my job that scare me just the same and it's important to me to remind those I care about that it is so careful to take care of yourselves.

A woman’s chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer in the United State is:

from ages 30 to 39. . .0.44 percent (often expressed as "1 in 229")
from ages 40 to 49. . .1.46 percent (often expressed as "1 in 68")
from ages 50 to 59. . .2.73 percent (often expressed as "1 in 37 ")
from ages 60 to 69. . .3.82 percent (often expressed as "1 in 26 ")

Most breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50. The number of cases is especially high for women over age 60. Breast cancer is relatively uncommon in women under age 40. The NCI fact sheet Probability of Breast Cancer in American Women provides more information about lifetime risk. This fact sheet is available at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Detection/probability-breast-cancer on the Internet.

Those stats are staggering. Think about the population of the town you live in and then calculate how many women in their 30's are probably being diagnosed with breast cancer every year. We think that because we are under 40 or because our mothers haven't had breast cancer that we are probably safe. But the statistics make me think we are not as safe as we would like to think.

1) Do your self breast exams if nothing more, do it when you are in the shower. They say that women rarely find a lump that way (normally they find them on a mammogram) but what women do notice is breast tenderness that is not around your period, nipple discharge, skin thickening, a change in density in the breast, or sometimes a lump.

2) Get your annual paps and make sure your doctor does a clinical breast exam with the pelvic exam.

3) Women over 40 should have a mammogram every 1-2 years, preferrably every year.

4) Women who have a higher risk should talk to their doctor about having a mammogram before age 40.

5) Risk factors such as personal history of breast cancer, family history of breast cancer, long-term use of hormonal therapy (such as hormones after menopause or hysterectomy) etc. might mean that your doctor would want you to have a mammogram before you turn 40.

6) Studies show the more a woman drinks, the higher risk.

7) Physically innactive women have a higher risk.

8) Overweight women have a higher risk.

9) Women who had their first child after 30 or who never had a child are at a greater risk.

10) Women who started their periods before age twelve may have a higher risk.

11) There is a test that women can take to find out if they have a gene that make them have a much higher risk of breast cancer. The genes are BRCA1 and BRCA2. Ask your doctor about whether he suggests testing for you.

12) Have a good relationship with your doctor. Ask questions. If something doesn't seem right, don't take no for an answer until you are satisfied. If you are still not satisfied get a second opinion. Take charge of your healthcare!

13) You know your body, listen to what your body is telling you.

14) And don't neglect your health because you are afraid of what you might find out! I hear so many people say that they don't want to have a certain test run because they are afraid of the results. Are you more afraid of the diagnosis or the death that could result because you were afraid to get checked out?

Two Things I Love Today

Love St. Pauli Girl Lager. Haven't tried the Dark yet, but love, love, love the lager. Have to watch out though because it's pretty strong and will sneak up on you if you're not careful.

Pravanna sulfate free shampoo and conditioner is awesome. The lather in most shampoos is what makes color fade faster. This shampoo doesn't lather and is really sort of thin. But it does clean really well and leaves my hair very conditioned and very shiny afterward. When I first tried it I was afraid that I would have oily hair, but I don't have any trouble with that. This is really great stuff! I haven't done any lowlights on my hair since I've started using this, so the real test will be to see if my color lasts a ton longer using this, but so far I really love this stuff!

Three Things I Love Today (Tuesday)

First of all if it weren't for coffee in the mornings, I would not be fit to have contact with any life forms before noon. That said, I bought some Maxwell House Breakfast blend a few weeks ago and it is really good. You wouldn't know that it's not fresh ground fancy something or other that costs way more than coffee should and it's cheap. I would pick the flavor over Starbucks anyday and I really like some of the Starbucks blends.

Mary Kay oil free eye makeup remover is awesome. How many times do you use cold cream or baby oil or something to take off eye makeup and then your eyes are so oily that you can't wash your face and put on makeup again because your eyes are so oily? Well this stuff works great and you can immediately put makeup back on. Perfect for those days when you forget to wash your face before bed and need to get up and slap on some makeup before work! Works great on waterproof mascara.

Lastly I love Chi silk infusion. It's a little pricey, but it just takes a little bit and the bottle lasts forever. I use about a dime sized amount on my hair after towel drying after washing my hair (don't forget my hair is about down to my waist). It makes a great leave-in conditioner to help prevent split ends. Then I use anti-snap along with the Chi. Then when I flat iron, I use just a little more and rub between my hands and smooth on hair, mostly on the ends. Combine that with just a little flat iron spray to help the iron slip over the hair and you have a perfectly sleek hairdo. I use it everyday though as a leave-in whether I'm doing hot rollers, straight or naturally curly. Good stuff and smells GREAT!