Mach said:

When you get a copy, put it in a frame, and be sure to post it here.....with a "guess what this is" thread title. HA!

xplnyrslf said:

Good idea

i finally had mine done this year at 34.
i think a lot of doctors would have tried to tell me i didn't need one yet
but thankfully mine didn't try to dissuade me. when you have family
history you need to start earlier. it really was no sweat!
i took nothinbutjoy's advice and took an advil before hand.


ok now fess up girls... when was the last time you did a proper self exam??

emm said:

Once a month - for yrs on end now - it is part of my personal ritual work I do on each full moon

I use this Oil during

I am scheduled to have my first mammo tomorrow afternoon @ 2pm. Even though I am only 38, my mom had breast cancer and it's something that if I can help prevent I am going to. There was a poster in my regular Dr.'s ofc ( I had to go for a checkup this past Thurs), and on the poster it was a October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and you could call the imaging center in the next town over and schedule your exam for $99.00 ( normally it's around 250.00 or more ), but as long as you call in October and schedule you can get it for the $99.00 price..that's a good bargain I thought!! When I talk with my mom about hers, she said they started noticing "lumps" when she was around 40, but they weren't cancerous, then by the time she was 50 they had developed into cancer, she was fortunate in that they removed all the cancer, she didn't have to have a masectomy (sp?), though that was a possibilty at the time, she did go through some chemo and lost some hair, but she was fortunate!! She will be 60 next month and still remains cancer free * thank God*, but with her having it early, it increases the chances for my sister and I, my sister has been better about getting her check ups for she has insurance, I on the other hand, just send prayers to God that he will take care of me and keep me and my hubby healthy because we can't afford health insurance!! I hope every woman can and will find the resources to have this important check up...

I always try to donate to breast cancer funds whenever.....even if it's just turning in those Yoplait yogurt lids. I guess it helps when you eat yogurt a lot. One year, I ended up with about 100 by the end of the year. 2 of my Aunts died from breast cancer.....an uncle died from lung cancer. Cancer runs on my mom's side, and diabetes runs on my dad's. I think I'm doomed. It's scary, because I'm prone to lymph nodes under my arms. I get them a lot, but doctors have told me not to worry because I'm young and that it's just lymph nodes. I don't know. Maybe more opinions would be good. I'm past due for a full checkup. I was supposed to have one this past February, but I had to cancel. So I just never got around to doing so.

I'm a four year survivor of metastatic breast cancer. It's become part of my life, so that now going for bone scans, ct scans, mri's and echocardiograms every three months and dealing with new meds here and there, and side effects have all become my new "normal."

Currently I'm on Tykerb/Xeloda, which are pills that I have to take every day. 15 in total. The Tykerb is only for people whose breast cancer tumors suppress HER2, which, unluckily for me, mine did. It causes cancer cells to grow way faster than they normally do.

I was diagnosed in August 2003 with stage II, 13 out of 27 nodes positive, hormone negative, HER2 positive. A year later, I was stage IV. I was only 32.

I consider myself healed, though my onco would never say so. Once you've had cancer, they might say that you are in remission, but never healed.

I've had "suspicious" abnormalaties show up on my T11 vertebrae and my sacrum, and most recently an inconclusive nodule on my liver, causing my liver enzymes to go crazy.

In early May, I started the new drugs, which just got approved this year. This is the truth: I was on the pills for two weeks, and went to healing service at my church. I got prayer for my liver problem, and truly felt that my healing was released during that prayer. It was like nothing I had ever felt when getting prayer. I'm telling you...the very next day I had blood work again, and all of my liver enzymes were back to normal!!!!! And I mean, they were really high. For instance, one of them is normally between 0-100, mine was over 900!!!

The doctor said that the meds were working fast. There is no way that in two weeks those drugs were going to send my liver functions back down to normal. It was God.

Oh, and I found my tumor myself, on accident. My gyno kept telling me for three months that my sick feeling was just depression. If he would have checked me then, I might have only been stage I with no node involvement.

dustysgirl said:

May everything always be well with you..

Every year this fantastic thread to remind people.

I am pleased to say that I am getting into a bit of breast cancer research myself. So please raise lots of funds, so I can spend it!!

Most importantly check and get yourselves booked for checks.

always good to hear how you are doing dustysgirl. glad the meds have been helping!

my mother went to the doctor (23 years ago now) because her left breast wasn't fitting into her bra normally. surely we want to catch them before they get to that point. which is why i need a kick in the pants to remind me to do a thorough self exam every month.

[b]I DID IT!!!![/b] I went Wednesday evening for my first mammogram..it wasn't too bad at all, a little uncomfortable for just a few moments, but it's well worth the discomfort. I have wayyyy too much life left to live if something was to go on..too many children I want to see grow up have lives and children of their own..so ladies if you haven't done it..DO IT!!!

I'm late too. My sister and I will be walking on Sunday in va for support and breast awareness month. This will be interesting.

My boyfriend offered to do my breast exam. Over and over again.

Seriously, though....

I had to learn how to give myself one and it was scary for some reason. I didn't want to find a lump. (even though aren't the chances for a woman in her early 20s very slim?) It scared me I suppose because I'm already at high risk for cervical cancer. (I have HPV.) I felt much better about it and getting information, though. Being clueless as a woman...especially an African-American woman is not an option. Thankfully so far I have no lumps. (My doctor scared me shitless when she said she found one, but then discoursed it after I told her I had just gotten off my period.) I'm too young for the machine (at least that's what the technician said..) but getting the ultrasound, testing myself and being tested have become a habit...a part of my life that could save it in the future. (Praying hard that I live a long live from here and beyond. My 30s will be a hardcore health time.)

Going to a big University funraiser this evening for a breast cancer charity who are supporting us.

http://www.theleesmithfoundation.org/

I am part of the team working on the breast cancer vaccine mentioned on the site.

PaisleyPark5083 said:

True - even the trail mix I bought on a plane - the proceeds went to breast cancer.

My sister-in-law lost a 4-year battle and died 7 years ago it's a horrible form of C and can move very quickly, even if caught early.

I just found out today that one of my coworkers has breast cancer

Thank you Rhonda

I am having my check up next month.

alexandernevermind said:

wanna give me an exam?

I went to my friends Pink Ribbon Day Afternoon Tea yesterday!! I took these amazzing cupcakes from this place over here which reminds me of Magnolias in NYC! She made them so beautifully with little little pink ribbons all over them! We raised money, got high on sugary treats, pink champagne and various herbal teas! Twas a great Sunday!

lilmissmissy said:

That sounds nice.

I have schedlued my FIRST mammogram for Nov. 19th and I am scared to death.. I do the monthly hand exams and my own Mother had a lumpectomy when she was pregnant with me and my twin.

I just don't like the idea of ANYBODY touching me!!!!! But I am gonna do it!!!!