Community archive

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Fighting Breast Cancer

0 helpful
33 replies

by tig2

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

We have just celebrated Mother?s Day. Where I live that is also the day that we run and walk the ?Race for a Cure? to benefit the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Another event upcoming- again in my area anyway, is the Breast Cancer 3 Day, a 60 mile walk with the intent of raising awareness of breast cancer and, of course, raising funds. It is sponsored by the National Philanthropic Trust and benefits the Komen as well as the NPT?s ongoing breast cancer research.

Today I walked the Komen. In August, I will walk the Breast Cancer 3-Day. As a survivor. Scary- at least to me.

What has me on my personal soapbox is two-fold. First that these organisations have been so bombarded by people wanting to participate but not wanting to take on the more distasteful task of fund-raising that the organisations have been forced to take the step of setting registration requirements- $25 for the Komen, $90 for the 3 Day in order to insure that they do not experience losses. In the case of the 3 Day, there is also a fund-raising minimum requirement, fully disclosed up-front.

What irritates me is that folks are choosing to participate in the ?cool event? rather than embracing the goals that the sponsors are promoting. And that has resulted in losses and break evens for both event organisers.

When I made the decision to participate in the 3 Day, it was with the knowledge that I would be required to do two things- raise a minimum of $2200 and increase my endurance to insure that I was physically capable of walking 20 miles a day for three consecutive days. Truthfully, my last tan was acquired from too many hours in front of a monitor. I can now manage a 10+ mile walk without killing myself. And I have 14 weeks of training left to go. The litmus test will be when I get to the 18 mile/15 mile back to back walks.

Raising $2200 was never my goal. Raising $5000 IS- based on an average for a single chemotherapy treatment for an uninsured/underinsured individual. I am halfway there.

The focus of events like these is to raise AWARENESS and funds to benefit those organisations that are committed to finding a cure to a VERY curable disease. I am daily amazed by the number of women who tell me that they have NEVER done a self exam. Or that thought that since there is no family history, they aren?t at risk. Or tell me that they would rather slit their wrists than live with the loss of a breast. Or the men who tell me that they don?t have to worry about it- men don?t get breast cancer.

Holy Moley people! Is this really indicative of the thoughts people have about breast cancer??? More than 200,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year and more than 40,000 American women and MEN will lose their lives to the disease. Yes, American. We KNOW that Asian communities are hit harder. It just hasn?t been fully quantified. One person is diagnosed with breast cancer every 3 minutes. Every 13 minutes, the disease claims another life in the United States. If you are interested in learning more about the disease, go to www.komen.org.

The statistics are overwhelming. Even more so when you consider that there is the face of a man or woman behind every single number.

I have been hearing about the importance of self exam and diligence in this regard for over 20 years. I find it hard to believe that we are still so uninformed.

I don?t care if you are male or female, belong to a risk category, would really rather not consider it. Take a moment, find out how the disease can impact you, find out how to mitigate your risk. Choose to communicate that STOPPING the STOPPABLE is important to you.

The reason this ended up in discussion instead of being a blog is that I am interested in hearing your opinions. Why is it that the only support traction that these organizations can get is being the ?cool event?? What preconceived notions hang out in the back of your brain about breast cancer? What can you choose to do that will help to increase someone else?s awareness? ARE you willing to increase someone else?s awareness???

I can tell you one of the reactions I have gotten that I was totally unprepared for. In conversations with people I have known or worked with for several years, I discovered that my peer was having the conversation with my bust line. A couple of people were honest enough to ask which one isn?t real. Curiosity kinda misplaced if you ask me?

If you have feedback that you feel you don?t want public, please feel free to PM me. If there is additional information that you would like, also PM me- I have all sorts of fact links.

Please- take a moment for awareness. This disease does not have to claim more lives.

I believe that a committed group of men and women can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that has.
Margaret Mead

Anyone interested in supporting either of these organisations, please PM me for details. I don?t think that it is appropriate to use this site for fund raising efforts so have chosen to not provide direct links.

Editied for sanity and to prove to myself that I am not barking. Thank you for your patience :)

33 replies

by jdclyde

A good write Tig. I was waiting for a pm on this?

Exams, serious as a heart attack, yet still not done. People just are too afraid of knowing it seems like.

Most of my time has been to the Cancer Society in general, but do support ALL branches of research.

I didn't know about the M&M program for breast cancer until about four months after it was over.
http://www.candywarehouse.com/breastcancermm.html

Good luck with your walk. Hope the weather is good. Hard to get a good turnout when it is raining.

by tig2

So I walked 10 miles on Saturday. In a track suit and multiple tee-shirts, and "temporaray rain gear".

ICCKKK!

The hard walk is in August (60 miles)- even in the Midwest, we MIGHT get decent weather. But training in the rain is the PITS!!!

You're right. No one wants to know. But cancer is most curable when found early- the earlier the better.

I think that Breast Cancer got singled out at about the same time that it was realised that no one will talk about it. They are an "element of one's sexuality" after all. And this is the hardest part.

When I lost one, I assumed that I would never again have a personal life. I was wrong, but it was very hard. Still is. My partner is a great guy and had been behind everything I do 100%. I still feel guilty for introducing him to something he never had to deal with before me. That's tough.

It rained cats and dogs today. An estimated 50,000 people came out to walk, anyway. It was great to be able to see the people who want to fight this disease. If you are interested, I have pictures- just awesome.

And I thought I did send you the file via pm- Spam filter??? Always gets me.

If you want to be on the front edge of what is happening, let me know. I always find out...

Thanks JD. Great to hear encouragement from a friend.

by jdclyde

Boys had soccer game, so I had to SIT in the rain.... :(

So, are you going to have a running tally of how close you get to your goal?

by tig2

I have come to understand that temporary rain gear means "glorified garbage bag". I don't know that moving was so great but I don't know that sitting in it is any better...

I will very cheerfully post a running tally. As of this morning, the Komen raised $500 between my partner and I. I have raised $2351 for the 3 Day. I am $2649 away from goal. The total for the Komen sits t $2.2M and they are still counting- Rock for the Cure presented $12,000 yesterday but will run the campaign until the end of the month so their final check will be larger.

The greatest thing was seeing the vast number of folks that showed up to do the walk. We were cold and wet but we WALKED! The downside was that after walking 5K we still had another 5K to walk to get all the training miles in. *sigh* At least we were already wet!

by sleepin'dawg

Maybe it is a little different in the US but in Canada the survival rate for breast cancer after 1O years is reaching 90% and radical mastectomy is no longer the treatment of choice. A Dr. Margolies has led the way , in Montreal, of perfoming lumpectomies and has been amazingly successful with survival rates well over the twenty year mark. The next option is simple mastectomy, the feeling being that the less invasive the procedure the greater the rate of long term survival.

More attention needs to be paid to HRT in the treatment of Menopause as well as the use of Tamoxifen for estrogen blocking tratment of breast cancer. If Tamoxifen treatment is being taken, the patient needs to consult her gynecologist twice yearly, due to the increased risk of cervical cancer.

I am sorry to be so blunt with this warning but see no other way of expressing it politely. Too many women have successfully survived breast cancer and underwent Tamoxifin treatment only to succumb to cervical cancer.

The thing with cancer, all cancers, is to stop treating the symptoms and demand treatments that prevent the disease so that perhaps one day we will be able to view cancer the same way we regard smallpox.

[b]Dawg[/b] ]:)

by rob mekel

There is quite a difference between smallpox and cancer. As smallpox is due to a virus (Variola major/minor) cancer is a mankind owned cell that (can) evolves to a life threatening disease.
That is why there can't be an overall healing proces that could eleminate cancer.
As much as I do hate that that isn't possible I do hope that there will be enough money to do the right research and help people to cure from cancer. This is why we (me and my gf) do support the Dutch KWF (Koningin Wilhelmina Fonds) that supports all cancer-research in the Netherlands. This not only because of the loss of my GF's sister to breastcancer and her own recovering from a chondrosarcoom, what is a cartilage cancer. But what is more important, the early discovering of a cancer and supporting the research on this as early discovering gives much more a chance to survive the disease.

And yes I do hope that once we can see to cancer as we do see smallpox, as being a non killing disease.

Rob

by tig2

Without question, lumpectomy has improved tremendously a woman's ability to survive and to rebuild in a shorter period. This has been a huge break-through as it reduces the possiblity of a woman chosing to not have life saving surgery because of disfigurement.

I agree, the life span has dramatically increased. But early detection is still the best way to that longer life span. Believe it or not- there is a rise in women choosing prophylactic mastectomy- choosing life over having breasts. But the scars are more than skin deep.

I think that part of the driver is in how women think they are perceived. I know for me, I was single when my little saga started and I assumed that I would be so forever, especially after surgery. I still have a difficult time with being nude. I spent almost three years in denial so I am not really surprised that I am still having "issues".

We need to understand that our bodies do not define us. And we need to stop building and supporting a society that requires our bodies to define us. My skills, knowledge, abilities, spirit have NOTHING whatsoever to do with how I appear. Those things are elemental to WHAT I AM. But that lesson took many years to learn. And truthfully, I am still learning.

You are absolutely correct. My surgeon keeps telling me that he "practices" medicine. In his words, "I'll let you know when I have it perfect". The drugs available today pose all kinds of risks. You must be informed about your choices as well as the risks associated with them. And then take the action required to mitigate the risk. I don't like the quarterly mammograms or the battery of other tests that I must take routinely in order to fight this. But I do it.

Never be sorry about being blunt. I appreciate and value your input BECAUSE you are blunt. It is good to know that mine is not the only voice in this particular "howl". In order to cure it, we MUST be able to say it. I think that GG would agree with me on this.

I spent some time on this, not wanting to just blow off your very considered comments.

I would like to see the day when preventable cancers are a thing of the past. I hope...

by gadgetgirl

wholeheartedly.

If we don't howl, we don't get noticed. If we don't do it, who will?? It's amazing the number of people who are slightly startled by my "casual" use of the word "cancer".

If you think back a few years, "cancer" was almost a swear word in its' own right - remember when John Wayne was diagnosed? (sorry, big fan) his way of telling his family about it was not that he had cancer, he had "The Big C". My mother told me my grandfather was dying by saying he had " You Know What"; my paternal grandmothers' doctor told her she had "The C Word". How many ways were they trying to hide this?

I was personally taken to task (or, rather, the attempt was made) when my daughters friends mother displayed absolute disgust that I had told my daughter, at the age of 12, that I had had cervical cancer. How dare I? At her age? Was I trying to frighten her? Would I die early? Would she? She totally missed the point that as a daughter, she needed to know the medical history, well in advance of womanhood, to enable her to make the correct decisions on, for example, types of contraception, sanitary products, etc., not to mention the importance of smears; in her case, with my medical history, sooner rather than later. Needless to say, the person who tried to tear me off a strip ended up in shreds herself.

Sorry that ended up as a bit of a rant, but I think by now that you know this is another of my few, but exceptionally high soap boxes.

Thanks for the sound off, Tig2.

~steps down from box, trips, falls, giggles~

GG

Edited: because ranting makes my spooling go reel weeerd

by gadgetgirl

I'm in the UK - we have various things like this, including the Race For Life. I totally agree with what you're saying in your OP - a lot of people think it's clever to get a medal at the end of the race; they don't think it's [i] that [/i] good to actually raise money at the same time... Some idiots even take a place which they have no intention of using, so use up valuable resources that way.

Aaargh!

Having had a family, both close and extended, who have been riddled with cancer in some shape or form, just a small thanks for me for what you're doing. I know you're specifying breast cancer, but any form of cancer needs awareness campaigns and funding.

My cousin had a mastectomy in November, and, under the circumstances, is doing quite well. She has been expecting this for a while; not because of not doing self tests etc., but because she had lymphoid carcenoma in her teens. She was warned then that she was at high risk. She's still not back to work, (teaching assistant) but is attending physio and keeping herself occupied by spending all her hubby's money on Internet Shopping.....!! :D

I've been there and done that, too, but not with breast cancer - cervical cancer, twice. That's the "leave your dignity on the doorstep on the way in, and collect it again on the way out" type. (I know every woman reading that will know exactly what I mean :p ) Because of arthritis, I can't do sports etc., therefore I'm restricted in ways to raise funds. So, I opted to join the carcenoma research group at my local hospital, in order to help define the genetics of different types of cancer. I've been part of this for almost 25 years - they finally wound up the research in December last year.

As for conversations to the bust line - hey, T2, try being five foot tall with a "substantial" chest size........ I can give men a crick in the neck most days!!! :D

Keep up the good work, and keep us informed of your current tally.

Your sanity is fine, you're not barking, you're raising awareness. The same applies from me to any peers - pm me if you need info on cervical cancer.

Thanks for the thread Tig2.

GG

by jdclyde

has been the cancer society and local kids programs like "coats for kids" and "toys for tots".

I feel bad for kids that are not to blame for the mess that their parents made of their lives.

Cancer has been close for a long time now too. Lost my dad in 84 (two weeks before my senior year started, and I was "out of control" for quite a while after that). I then lost Grams to this in 99.

Sure, I get people from every other charity on the face of the earth pounding on my door for help or money, and they all seem to think that their choicen charity is the single most important thing in the world. When I get the request for the humain society or save the whales, it is hard to understand where peoples sence of reality is. "Sure I like whales. They taste like Chicken!" (that always get me hung up on!)

You can't save everyone from everything.

THIS on the other hand, IS important and worth suporting.

Attagirl Tig!

:x

by tig2

While Breast Cancer is my particular cause, I think that the issues that pertain to it also pertain to cervical cancer and prostate cancer. Somehow these curable cancers don't get the attention that they richly deserve.

I hear women tell me that it is because lumpectomy/mastectomy threatens their sexuality and therefore they would rather not know.

I SO get the "leave your dignity on the doorstep" thing. My surgeon is a leader in breast disease at a teaching hospital. When I saw him for the first time he had several students with him who were invited to observe the exam process. As I had other issues as well, I became a "learning experience". It got to the point that I told him that if he invited anyone else, I wanted a tip jar. (All donations to research, of course! :) )

It is unfortunate that so many types of cancer are only discovered too late for treatment to be effective. But these cancers, while not preventable entirely, CAN be caught and dealt with if the individual is willing to do the ground-work.

At 5'9, I can generally go nose to nose with most. With this, I got the "searching stare" from women too. Very odd feeling!

I just got word of another donation. As of right now, I am at $2376 with $2624 to go to reach my personal goal. $5000 isn't much, but it is a start.

Monday is my day off from training but this week I have 26 training miles to walk. I sure hope the rain is over for awhile...

by tig2

Believe it or not, even in this "enlightened" age, I still get crap from some people because I have gotten so PO'd about feeling like I had to hide in a closet. I am sick of feeling like I can't have a voice about something that changed my life. I am tired of feeling like a freak because something out of my control took a swipe.

ARRRGH!!!!!!!!!!

I am so sorry that some idiot thought you were being inappropriate because your daughter was given key information BY YOU- the only person capable of giving her the info she needs- because of THEIR hang ups. That woman needs a grip, followed shortly by a clue, if you ask me. Nice to know that you gave her one.

I found a pink ribbon graphic on line that I believe was used in Canada that reads "Breast Cancer, Say It, Cure It, D@mn It!" About right if you ask me. It is time for the stigma to go away and unfortunately, no matter how many races, walks, telethons, whatever- no matter how "accepted" the awareness ribbons are- the stigma is still there. "You have/had cancer? What's wrong with you?" Or like my earlier observation- people now have conversations with my breasts- which one isn't real? As if that is important.

Even on the team I am walking with I get some of it- one woman is just so thrilled about the way a friend of hers is dealing with her cancer- "And she can have reconstruction right away and she is so excited to be able to choose her breasts!" Guess what? She won't be excited by the mastectomy scars that run through them. And the idiot woman (my team mate- I'm embarassed now) spouting this doesn't understand that her friend is probably NOT excited- she's likely scared out of her mind.

And reconstruction is a subject that I had best stay WELL away from. I will only go as far as this- It isn't an option available to everyone. For some people, it isn't a choice.

You keep ranting, GG. We need the voices of strong, intellegent women to break some of this down. From a casual view, we may look enlightened. We're not. The only break-through is that "The C Word" means something a tad different...

Edited because I always leave typos when I am ranting...

by tig2

today is $2426.00. $74 US from half way to goal.

Two donations in today. One of them from my partner's son. Great kid. Geek like the rest of us.

This humbles me daily.

by av .

For all of your efforts to raise money to find a cure. It is really admirable.

I think people need a "cool event" because they don't want to look at the hard reality of breast cancer. Not everyone can handle it. Without the "cool event" most people will just look away. Sad but true.

I read everything I can about breast cancer. My sister had it. That makes me a high risk. My sister-in-law died from it. Its just incredible to me how many women I know that have had it.

I work with one women who had it in one breast and decided to have both removed and reconstructed. I think this is probably extreme, but I understand the mindset. She is back to work though and feeling well. I've really never discussed with her what she thought of the reconstruction. I think when she's ready to talk about it, she will.

Maybe TR can have a place set up for donations to support your 3 day walk in August. There are alot of people on TR whose lives have been touched by breast cancer, men and women, and I think they would like to support your effort.

TR?

by tig2

The National Philanthropic Trust has a website set up for The 3 Day. You can find it at www.the3day.org. You can find my page at www.the3day.org/twincities06/tricia.

The 3 Day website can link you to all sorts of information as well as explain this project. I also recommend the Susan G. Komen website. You will find it at www.komen.org.

If you want good information, there are some great places to go. Unfortunately, Job 1 is raising awareness- you can't treat what you don't know you have.

by jaqui

20-25% of male cancer victims have breast cancer, so the guys should learn how to do a bse and do one as regularly as the girls.

women are 10 times as likely to get cancer.
smoking adds another 10 times as likely.
HRT, for post menopausal women, men with certain medical conditions, and MtF transsexuals increases the risk by another 5 times.
[ yes, it's literally the estrogen that creates the suseptibility ]

I was lucky, my gp found three tumours during a regular physical, took him 6 weeks to locate them again, three in office treatments and the tumors were gone, no recurrence..yet.

by tig2

For some odd reason, even though we KNOW that the disease will touch men, men don't think of themselves as a risk group.

Continue to make this point- men die of this too. Mostly due to not taking it seriously. Like women, men need to be aware of the risk and act accordingly.

I will pray for your continued health. Surviving the "yet" is often the hardest part. At least it is for me.

by jaqui

I happen to be almost guaranteed to get it again, I am in the hiest risk grouping possible.

cancer, runs in the family, I smoke, and I am on HTR.

by Member 25348569

but I'd like to know where you got your figure of 25%.

I used to work - I was there for 12 years - in the Oncology department of a major London hospital and I've never heard it quoted anywhere near that.

While I was there I understood the following: prostate cancer accounts for nearly 25 percent of all male cancer, followed by lung cancer and colorectal cancer with bladder cancer coming in fourth place at 5%. Other GI cancers account for three of the next five places (shared with lymphoma and leukaemia). the list above accounts for nearly 80% of all male cancers.

I've checked and it's not changed much since then.

Breast cancer in women in the UK stands at 42,000 cases per year with males amounting to only 300 diagnosed cases. That's not 10x greater, that's 140x greater risk.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't carry out a breast examination if there is a family history but most men would be better served checking for testicular lumps, especially in their twenties and thirties when the risk of malignant teratoma is greatest.

Oh, and don't smoke of course. That is DUMB!

by maxwell edison

I agree with you, Neil, in that people should never take health issues lightly. But to grossly misrepresent the statistics, it isn't helping anyone.

Breast cancer in men (as I'm sure you know), while it does exist, is extremely rare.

http://www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/CAFF2006PWSecured.pdf

jaqui does this sort of thing all the time, spout off some absurd "statistic", and then will neither correct it or justify it.

In this case, however, if we give him the benefit of the doubt, we might assume he just forgot the decimal point, since the percentage of occurrence in men is closer to .25 percent (one-fourth of one percent).

So Neil, just say it. Yes, you DO want to disagree with jaqui. I sure do!

I just hate it when people throw out some made-up number or "fact" to make a point. And people do it all the time on any subject or issue. (In fact, ninety percent of all statistics are just made-up!)

by tig2

Unfortunately, I can prove any stance you want to take just given the numbers. Massage a bit and you get the answer you want- big surprise!

I will tell you straight from the top- I know woefully little about the incidence of breast cancer in men. I know it happens. When I did patient care, I had a couple of male BC patients. What we have to work with are statistics. Poor substitute for facts.

Jaqui stated two things that he knows without question. He has had treatment for suspicious lumps. He will likely have that treatment again due to what is known and his risk factors.

When I had my surgery, I was told flatly that I would have to stay cancer free for ten yearas before I would be considered "cured". Even then, they don't use the word "cured". You are simply cancer free wtih a hope and a prayer of a normal life. I have a cousin who fought Hodgkins as a senior in college. Twenty odd years later he is simply cancer free. Thank God.

I would propose that while the numbers may be off, Jaqui was simply trying to bring into light that this is not a just a chick disease. It is an equal opportunity killer and men should be as aware of it as they are of prostate cancer or testicular cancer. In both of those, as with breast cancer, early detction is key. In order to acheive early detection, we must have awarenness.

I understand that both you and Neil are simply seeking the straight numbers. I agree that facts are important. What I would suggest is that there is a known fact that men are at risk and that BSE is the only path to early detection and cure.

by azerivista.com

There is something lacking in all breast cancer subjects and that is iodine.
So make sure to eat a bunch of Sushi, becasue you NEED to eat iodine rich foods like sea weed.
If anyone wants more info and what to talk to me please do.
Anna@www.azerivista.com

by tig2

NeverBusted and any others who care to make a donation to The 3 Day!

Point your browser to www.the3day.org/twincities06/tricia

You will see me. Try to not be afraid. I only occaisionally scare small children, you know...

You can make a secure online donation. You can also print a donation form. If you prefer to donate offline, please put my name and participant ID on your check. You will find this information on the donation form. Want to know how your information is handled? Go to www.the3day.org and read the privacy policy.

There is also a phone number- toll free- that you can call for additional information, questions, whatever. The 3 Day staff is always available to help you.

Incidentally... the Breast Cancer 3 Day is a project of the National Philanthropic Trust. 85% of all monies raised go to the benefit of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. 15% goes to the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Research Project. 100% helps me reach MY personal goal of $5000.

Please feel free to go to my website and pass my address to everyone you know. By using the site as a central point for donations, we are better able to stay within the audit requirements for a 501(c)(3) and insure that all donations are handled by a reputable party. If you donate online and provide an email address, you will instantly receive a receipt for tax purposes. If you choose to donate by mail, please insure that you have put your email address on the donation form. If you do not receive a receipt within 4 weeks, simply call the toll free number and request one. I want anyone choosing to donate to this to know where their money is going and I also want you to have access to necessary information about your privacy.

My website is an open book. I personally have spread it around to large numbers of people. the more, the merrier!

Please note- I am providing this information because so many of you wonderful people have been asking for a direct route to donate. I strongly believe that TR shouldn't have to get involved. I also want all of you to understand- I am not soliciting funds. In response to a number of points in a number of threads I am providing you with the best and safest approach to donating to something I believe in. I hope that TR and my peers understand that.

"I believe that a small group of committed men and women can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
*Margaret Mead*

by rob mekel

Just ran into an article on a charity walk in Edinburgh, Scotland.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/5084586.stm

Now that is a way to get the attention on the subject. :) Alltho I think that a lot of women do not agree, special if they had breast cancer. What do you think TT, is it over the top or on the right spot to get the attention.

What I don't get why is it not on the international date of running for cancer? Can anyone enlighten me!

Rob

by tig2

While I will admit that I had a difficult time with the loss initially, I have discovered that it is only as important as I make it. I still have limits- my bikini days are over. But that might just be because I am over 40...

The men on my team have all remarked that they have never been in a place where women are as open about their breasts as with the 3 Day. One woman on my team decorates her tent with a giant pink bra. The more a thing has to be hidden, the more difficult it is to feel normal. So we don't hide much. We have been talking about having a Survivor wet tee-shirt contest. Many of us have not had re-constructive surgery. But we know that we can do some serious fund raising with this.

One of the things that comes from the different walks and races is the sense that a survivor is still a woman, still beautiful, still desireable. Those are feelings that go away with surgery. Women feel less feminine, less desirable, less WHOLE with the loss of a breast. Along with raising money and awareness, these events provide a place of normalcy.

I just wish I could get to Scotland to walk with them! No way just now that I could afford to do that but I have a target for next year.

And to answer your other question, Mother's Day is a pretty standard day for awareness events but October is Cancer Awareness month. Many events happen throughout the year and are based on time and convenience. The 3 Day is in August for my city but will be held in a total of 18 cities between late July and mid November. The more events, widely spread, the better. I hear from someone every day that they are reminded to do a self exam or make an appointment for a mammogram because they have talked to me.

by Member 25348569

One of my colleagues went on a Moon Walk in London. She was delighted at how easy it was to get (male) sponsors.

I think that it's an event that does the rounds of Britain's major cities. Have a look. It might be an idea for the US (the shy can wear their bras over t-shirts). :(

http://www.walkthewalk.org/

I've just noticed that this year's London event was sponsored by a bra manufacturer. Gotta be worth asking the US equivalent!

by tig2

I see that they have gone past the UK. I will try to get them to come here- I think it would be wonderful. Besides, after 60 miles, they can't really scare me off with distance!

I will be posting pics from the 3 Day in August. Don't be surprised at many women choose to walk wearing shorts and a sport bra!

Not me, not yet. I will stick to the tank top...

by tig2

This testing protocol has not yet passed the FDA. The stopper is the "benign or malignant" thing.

When a lump is diagnosed, it is examined. This is still the right answer. The test- having not been proved, claims to identify if a lump is a killer.

There is still the issue of Inflammatory Breast Cancer- rarely shows up in mammography yet can kill faster than any other type- because it is not diagnosed.

It is the only type of cancer that they do chemo first- then mastectomy. This is to minimises the risk of spread- the cancer shows up looking like an inflammation and changing the apperaance of the breast.

If this test is proven, it will go a long way towards helping both men and women for whome mammography is not an option. Ultrasound, while effective, is not as good a choice.

If Britian is able to prove through clinical trial that this is effective, we will hopefully see the incredibly slow wheels of the FDA move to adopt it for use in the US.

by tig2

I know that the thinking has been to look at ways to use the cells own defenses against it. I had no idea that it had gotten quite so far.

It all tends to come down to the same things in the end. Know your body and know what is "normal" for you. Pursue solutions- be your own advocate.

I don't honestly know if we will find a cure in my lifetime. I only believe that we have to keep trying.

If you run into anything else, let me know. It is always worth staying current.

Thanks for posting the links. This week has been strange and I am just getting back to a more "normal" state myself.

This discussion is closed to new replies.