Hi friends, Kara here. It’s been a minute since I’ve shared from my personal diary but as the first of the month comes about, I want to share how important and real this effort is.
There are so many cutesy posts and funny takes on how to do this. Many of which are clever and memorable, which I love, but I want to express the need to really take it seriously.
Fifteen years ago, I found cancer myself. I was 26 years old. My grandmother had recently died from a long battle with breast cancer and I thought, Gosh. Though she was diagnosed in her 40’s, I wondered when hers really grew inside of her.
So there I was in the shower pushing hard on my breast tissue in my early 20's. When I got to right under my armpit, there it was. A hard, weird, pea-size ball.
After going to the doctor, they said “you’re too young to worry.” And shortly after I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer that spread to my lymph nodes.
By doing a self-breast exam, I essentially found my own cancer and became an advocate for myself. I pushed to get a biopsy regardless of my age. I opted to get a double mastectomy even though I only had cancer in one breast. Doctors told me there was a 1% chance of getting cancer in my breast every year following... so if I did the math, by the time I was 46, I'd have a 20% chance of getting it again.
So, here I am 15 years out of my cancer diagnosis telling you all to do a proper self breast exam. Don't wait. It's scary, right? Because what if you actually find something? But the scarier question is, what if you wait?
Here are some tips on doing a self-breast exam:
- Get in the shower, stand in front of the mirror or lay down on your bed. Being able to relax and do this in te right frame of mind is important. Be comfortable with getting to know your body. No one can know it better than you. It's yours!
- Put your arm up and start with 2-3 fingers. Push around on your breast as if you are really trying to understand what your body feels like. Don't just skim your skin with your finger, really push around.
- Don't just feel your breast. Feel under your armpit, around your rib cage, your chest and your breasts.
- Regardless of your age, if you have breasts, do the self-breast exam. Unfortunately, women can get breast cancer at any age. Though it's very uncommon to get breast cancer in your 20's or even teens, there are people who have unfortunately experienced it.
- Feel something weird? Don't delay. Call your primary care or OBGYN and get it checked. It's hard not to get freaked out, but it may be nothing! Many women have lumpy and dense breasts. But it's better to be safe and get it checked, then wait.
Just remember, no matter what, you are amazing and we are here for you every step of the way.
With love,
Kara Frazier, Founder of Fighting Pretty