My daughter told me that a colleague of hers was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and faces a long program of treatment. It has been three years this past June 5th that I faced that same diagnosis and the badge of "survivor" is one I wear proudly. Membership in this sisterhood is something I don't wish on anyone, and I encourage everyone who is of age to schedule yearly mammograms (that is how my cancer was detected and detected early!).
A little public service announcement from the Susan G. Komen site:
" Due to the increased use of mammography, most women are diagnosed at very early stages of breast cancer, before symptoms appear. However, not all breast cancer is found through mammography. The most common symptoms of breast cancer are a change in the look or feel of the breast, a change in the look or feel of the nipple and nipple discharge. These are listed below:
Lump, hard knot or thickening
Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening
Change in the size or shape of the breast
Dimpling or puckering of the skin
Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple
Pulling in of your nipple or other parts of the breast
Nipple discharge that starts suddenly
New pain in one spot that doesn’t go away
If you have any of these symptoms, you should discuss them with your health care provider right away. Although for most people these changes will turn out to be benign (not cancer), the only way to know for sure is to see your provider. For example, breast pain is more common with benign breast conditions than with breast cancer. However, if breast cancer is present, it is best to be diagnosed at an early stage, when the cancer is most treatable. "
I have knit a simple chemo cap from the Knitting for Peace book to give to my daugher's friend..from one survior to another.
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