I got a mammogram

 October is Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Month! 

    During COVID, a lot of people are putting off wellness checks and screenings. It is super important to give yourself periodic checks and to get a scan if you notice any new moles, lumps, or freckles. You have to advocate for yourself in this area because early detection is the key to the best result. Demi Jones from Love Island UK has been a great role model and example that it is so important to catch cancer early and that it can happen to anyone, even if you're young and healthy. 

Getting checked is a scary thing to do, but not catching cancer early is even scarier. 

    I am NOT a doctor (and you should contact your physician to answer any concerns), but the following are commonly given general recommendations. For breast cancer specifically, it is recommended that you take time to recognize what is normal for your body, do monthly self-checks, and keep regular appointments with your primary physician/gynecologist. If a close family member, like your mom, has had breast cancer, you should start having annual screenings or mammograms 10 years before your family member's diagnosis. If you aren't already, at 40 years old, you should start those annual screenings or mammograms. 

    Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women in the US -- 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. You can lower your risk of breast cancer by healthy habits such as regular exercise and avoiding drinking and smoking. While breast cancer is really scary, the 5-year survival rate is 99% if it is caught early! 

My experience: My mom was diagnosed at 32 years old, so my doctor recommended I get a mammogram even though I am so young. (Note: if you're in your 20s, most insurance providers won't cover a mammogram unless you get an "order" from your doctor. An order is just a form that authorizes you to have lab tests performed and will usually give the order to the health care facility you want to perform the tests.) My doctor explained that it is important to have several scans to establish what is normal for you before detecting something bad. The women in the breast center were all extremely friendly, and their wing of the hospital feels like you're in a spa with nice robes and soothing music. You can't wear deodorant or lotion that day, so I recommend trying to get a morning appointment. A mammogram is an x-ray, and the nurse gets the image by placing your breast between two plates and flattening the breast as much as possible. You undress above the waist (I recommend not wearing a dress that day!), and they take two scans of each breast. It's not comfortable, but it's okay and only for a minute while the nurse snaps the image. Once you're in the x-ray room, the process only takes about ten minutes. It is NOTHING to be afraid of, and it will be very comforting as I get older that I have scans to compare to if anything does come up! 

So go get your yearly physical and your lumps checked! You got this!!