TAKING CARE OF SELF

On the eve of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer “walk for the cure”, I have started to think about my health more. I have always been aware of my body, but I don’t do breast exams monthly as I should.

To my knowledge I have never been close to this disease before but recently it hit a little closer to home. A co-worker whom I communicate with but we do not have much day to day interaction confided in me that she has breast cancer. I only meet her about 6 months ago but I believe that she is a very genuine person and is having a rough time. I have offered many encouraging words to try and keep her in fight mode, because we as women are born fighters.

So I wanted to take this opportunity to do a couple of things. One is to share the need for you to be strong and supportive for the person that is faced with a life changing moment. The worst that we can do is to fall apart no matter how taken back we are. This is a time when our unselfish human nature takes over and we have to be the rock for the one in need. It doesn’t help the patient at all for them to become our support system. The focus must be on them to continue to fight and focus on recovery and that can’t happen if the energy is being wasted on us.

The second is to share with you on how to do a self exam if you are unaware or need a refresher. Here are the steps provided by the American Cancer Associations at this link http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_6x_How_to_perform_a_breast_self_exam_5.asp

How to examine your breasts

Lie down and place your right arm behind your head. The exam is done while lying down, not standing up. This is because when lying down the breast tissue spreads evenly over the chest wall and is as thin as possible, making it much easier to feel all the breast tissue.

Use the finger pads of the 3 middle fingers on your left hand to feel for lumps in the right breast. Use overlapping dime-sized circular motions of the finger pads to feel the breast tissue.

Use 3 different levels of pressure to feel all the breast tissue. Light pressure is needed to feel the tissue closest to the skin; medium pressure to feel a little deeper; and firm pressure to feel the tissue closest to the chest and ribs. A firm ridge in the lower curve of each breast is normal. If you're not sure how hard to press, talk with your doctor or nurse. Use each pressure level to feel the breast tissue before moving on to the next spot.

Move around the breast in an up and down pattern starting at an imaginary line drawn straight down your side from the underarm and moving across the breast to the middle of the chest bone (sternum or breastbone). Be sure to check the entire breast area going down until you feel only ribs and up to the neck or collar bone (clavicle).

There is some evidence to suggest that the up-and-down pattern (sometimes called the vertical pattern) is the most effective pattern for covering the entire breast, without missing any breast tissue.

Repeat the exam on your left breast, using the finger pads of the right hand.
While standing in front of a mirror with your hands pressing firmly down on your hips, look at your breasts for any changes of size, shape, contour, or dimpling, or redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin. (The pressing down on the hips position contracts the chest wall muscles and enhances any breast changes.)

Examine each underarm while sitting up or standing and with your arm only slightly raised so you can easily feel in this area. Raising your arm straight up tightens the tissue in this area and makes it harder to examine.

This procedure for doing breast self exam is different than in previous recommendations. These changes represent an extensive review of the medical literature and input from an expert advisory group. There is evidence that this position (lying down), area felt, pattern of coverage of the breast, and use of different amounts of pressure increase a woman's ability to find abnormal areas.
REMEMBER TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND BE STRONG FOR THOSE THAT NEED US.

Much Love

Chanel

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