A very grateful Breast Cancer Survivor

It is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

I am one of thousands of grateful

and blessed Breast Cancer Survivors.

How wonderful to join those ranks.

It is also a huge relief.

(Poem continued below)

Oops! The type-setter got a little carried away. It should read "grateful" rather than the other spelling used. Of course, it is GREAT to feel grateful.

Recently, I have met two women

who are newly embarked

on their own breast cancer journeys.

One of them had a similar beginning

to the one that I experienced.

Both of us found a small dimple

or indentation

on one of our breasts.

Both of us assumed

that it was simply gravity kicking in.

After all, we each

were no longer

in our prime.

In both of our cases,

it was a sign of severe breast cancer.

I had my surgery over one year ago.

I had chemo as well

to the tune of eight full rounds.

I also had 35 days worth

of Radiation as a Preventative measure.

Both breasts are gone.

But the babies,

as my husband and I

call them now

will soon grow up to be women.

That's when the reconstruction surgery process

will become activated.

This other woman

only had to have one breast removed.

Since it was caught early,

she will be fine.

For all you women and men out there,

early detection is the biggest key

so you too can join the ranks

the swelling ranks

of the many Breast Cancer Survivors.

Just yesterday, I met my second woman

who detected her breast cancer

from the second of five signs

of severe breast cancer.

She had a bloody nipple discharge.

The mammogram did not show a lump.

The ultrasound did not show a lump.

Thankfully, the doctors were diligent

and kept searching for the key.

She will have to have one breast removed.

Perhaps she has caught it early enough

that she will not need to go the chemo route.

What are the other signs of severe breast cancer

besides a lump?

The third sign is a rash on your breast.

I heard of one woman who had a rash.

She went to a dermatologist

to get the skin treated.

The rash did not go away.

Just one of nature's signs

or God's signs

that further investigation is warrranted.

She too was diagnosed with breast cancer.

The fourth sign to watch for

is a puckering of the breast.

The fifth sign is your breast suddenly shrinks.

What is the moral of all of this?

Be aware of what your breast normally looks like

and normally feels like.

When something odd happens,

Do not write it off.

Instead, get you to the doctor ASAP.

The earlier you do so,

the less chance you will have

to lose a breast

or worst yet,

lose your life.

Most woman I know

who currently have breast cancer

or had breast cancer

did NOT have breast cancer

running through her family.

One in eight women get it.

One in 1000 men get it.

It is also no respecter of age.

Kids can get it.

Teens can get it.

Young women can get it.

Middle aged women can get it.

Old women can get it.

As Professor Moody would say,

in the Harry Potter series,

"It takes constant vigilance."

This is not to make you fearful.

This is to make you be aware.

Forewarned is forearmed.

May you,

your loved ones,

your friends,

and your acquintances

be forever safe

and forever blessed.

When my husband and I knew that I was going to go through chemo, we also were aware that I would soon be losing all my hair. I had my hair cut short. I gave 24 inches of hair to Locks for Love. Years before, I had given 24 inches of hair to Wigs for Kids. Then my hair totally fell out during the four rounds of my Red Devil chemo. You can see that picture toward the top of this hub.

Over a year later, I have a full head of hair thanks to the four tips of how to get your hair to grow in thicker and faster. Here is the link to that article. The tips really work. You can see what my hair looked like more than four months ago. It's even longer and thicker now.