Feel Your Boobies!

Me, Grams and Mom celebrating Grams' 80th!

Today my beloved and very brave Grandma Susie is having a double mastectomy. She's 80 years young, already a breast cancer survivor, and today she'll begin her path as a second time survivor to the disease.  Let her story, and the story of too many others, be your inspiration to stay ahead of the game! Feel your boobies!!

My Grams had a lumpectomy about 15 years ago. I still remember the day she came home after learning the doctor had found a tumor in her breast. It was a conversation of hushed tones around the kitchen table between her and my grandfather, my parents and my uncles, while my brother and I tried to understand what was happening. Why was Grandma crying? What was a lumpectomy? What did this mean for us as a family?  Thankfully, she had the tumor removed, and after several rounds of radiation was eventually pronounced in remission.  But that fear that something bad could potentially take my Grandma away has stayed with me since.

It's recommended that women begin getting regular mammograms at the age of 40.  In fact, it's rare that insurance policies will cover them beforehand.  But breast cancer can hit you at any age.  Look at Giuliana Rancic, Christina Applegate, Kylie Minogue...all diagnosed with the disease at least 3 years before the big 4-0.  And those are just the famous survivors. I'm pretty sure if you ask friends and family, someone knows someone younger than 40 who has battled the disease.  So it's up to YOU ladies to be proactive and feel yourself up!

Courtesy: CityofChicago.org

Take matters into your owns and give yourself a self breast exam. I do mine in the shower because hey, I'm already naked, and to me, the slippery smoothness of my shower gel makes it even easier to prod around and see what's happening with my rack.  But, if the shower's not for you, then here's a few other options from EHow.com that give you great step by step instructions on looking for lumps.  Now, my slightly hypochondriac side seems to always think I feel something, and maybe my doctor thinks I'm crazy for the number of times I've asked her to check out my knockers even though my appointment is just for a prescription refill, but I firmly believe in being safe than sorry.  None of my "scares" have panned out to anything, but I'd rather have that relief that I'm fine than the scare of the unknown.  And, while I haven't yet had a mammogram (still more than a few years from the big 4-0!), I do plan on telling my doctor of my maternal grandmother's second diagnosis to see if one is recommended sooner than 40 with my family history.  I have too much to do in this lifetime to not beat this before it even happens!!

Symptoms to look for! Courtesy:  CareCanCure.com

Since that lumpectomy several years ago, my Grams has been regular with her annual mammograms, and because of that, this second diagnosis of breast cancer was caught early.  Thank goodness.  Because of that, it hadn't yet spread, which means the odds of her beating cancer this time around with a double mastectomy are incredibly high. In fact, we're not believing there can be any other outcome. Tomorrow's surgery is scary, and she's losing a part of her (well, TWO parts of her) that make women FEEL like and DEFINE themselves as women.  But, she's a fighter and will be a stronger woman on the other side  I respect her for fighting this disease, I'm grateful to her for fighting this disease, and I love her more (which I didn't think was possible) for not giving up.

So ladies, feel up those luscious cans of yours on a regular basis, and if you even THINK you feel something out of the ordinary, call your doctor! And, once the mammograms start, BE CONSISTENT! Whenever you think of putting it off, think next of all those who you love and all those who love you, and let that be your incentive. You're too important to be taken down by this disease that can often be cured if caught earlier enough. Be like Grandma Susie and show breast cancer who is boss.

Just a bunch of smart, boobie-feeling blondes!