Happy October!
The time of the year is upon us, it is officially Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As many of you may know my personal platform as Miss Heart of the Lakes is: "A Ribbon of Hope: Spreading Breast Cancer Prevention and Awareness." This is a devastating disease that plagues both men and women, and I have come into contact and heard many different stories of those individuals in our state and local communities that have been impacted by this disease. I'd like to begin this month by sharing one that I encountered a few weeks ago. A retired nurse approached me after hearing me talking about breast cancer awareness, and shared with me her personal story. This woman was 63 years old and had previously worked on a cancer unit many years back during her nursing career at a local St. Paul hospital. She knew the common signs and symptoms of not just cancer but also breast cancer and personally performed a self-breast exam each month since she was in her early 40's (and YES that is plug to remind everyone to begin doing a self-breast exam in their early 20's!! :) ) She went on to tell me that one day when she was in the shower and shaving her underarms she noticed an indent. Once she saw this, she said she knew exactly what it was. Although this area is not always looked at while performing a self-breast exam it is one of the most common areas near the breast tissue that changes can be identified in. She stated that she called the doctor that day and went in to have additional testing. Those tests revealed her initial fear that it was in fact breast cancer. The first thing the Dr. told her was that she was lucky and caught it early by being familiar with her own body. She underwent both chemotherapy, radiation, and a double mastectomy; but today is 7 years cancer free. Her story is one she told me to share during my presentations about awareness when teaching others the importance of knowing our own bodies. At the end of our conversation I did not get her name and regret that I did not in the commotion of the grocery store we were at. I can tell you that her story has inspired me and even though I do not know her name I have added her to my thoughts and prayers many times since our chance encounter. I hope that by adding this story here may inspire others to be open to new opportunities and learning experiences, and that to not hold back from talking about things you are passionate about. You may never know when a stranger may overhear what you are talking about and add to your knowledge by sharing a personal story. I hope you all take the time to give a special hug to your wives, sisters, aunts, grandmother and friends in your life. For now there is no cure for this devastating disease but I hope that we all can plan for prevention & hope for a cure. Blessings,
-Caitlyn
The time of the year is upon us, it is officially Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As many of you may know my personal platform as Miss Heart of the Lakes is: "A Ribbon of Hope: Spreading Breast Cancer Prevention and Awareness." This is a devastating disease that plagues both men and women, and I have come into contact and heard many different stories of those individuals in our state and local communities that have been impacted by this disease. I'd like to begin this month by sharing one that I encountered a few weeks ago. A retired nurse approached me after hearing me talking about breast cancer awareness, and shared with me her personal story. This woman was 63 years old and had previously worked on a cancer unit many years back during her nursing career at a local St. Paul hospital. She knew the common signs and symptoms of not just cancer but also breast cancer and personally performed a self-breast exam each month since she was in her early 40's (and YES that is plug to remind everyone to begin doing a self-breast exam in their early 20's!! :) ) She went on to tell me that one day when she was in the shower and shaving her underarms she noticed an indent. Once she saw this, she said she knew exactly what it was. Although this area is not always looked at while performing a self-breast exam it is one of the most common areas near the breast tissue that changes can be identified in. She stated that she called the doctor that day and went in to have additional testing. Those tests revealed her initial fear that it was in fact breast cancer. The first thing the Dr. told her was that she was lucky and caught it early by being familiar with her own body. She underwent both chemotherapy, radiation, and a double mastectomy; but today is 7 years cancer free. Her story is one she told me to share during my presentations about awareness when teaching others the importance of knowing our own bodies. At the end of our conversation I did not get her name and regret that I did not in the commotion of the grocery store we were at. I can tell you that her story has inspired me and even though I do not know her name I have added her to my thoughts and prayers many times since our chance encounter. I hope that by adding this story here may inspire others to be open to new opportunities and learning experiences, and that to not hold back from talking about things you are passionate about. You may never know when a stranger may overhear what you are talking about and add to your knowledge by sharing a personal story. I hope you all take the time to give a special hug to your wives, sisters, aunts, grandmother and friends in your life. For now there is no cure for this devastating disease but I hope that we all can plan for prevention & hope for a cure. Blessings,
-Caitlyn
RSS Feed