A Breast Cancer Awareness Month PSA

Or, Actual Stuff About Breast Cancer Laid Bare, No Cutesy Games Involved

After being inspired by other bloggers and my own experiences, I wrote the following for a Facebook post. (The first few bullet points refer to the “games” in Facebook messages for Breast Cancer Awareness Month over the past few years.) I’m reposting it here to share with Tumblrworld.

• It does not matter what color your bra strap is; it only matters that the bra -if needed, which it might not be, after surgery - is supportive. (Extra PSA: Women, go get fitted for a comfy bra!)
• It does not matter where you throw your purse/bag – but is it big enough to hold paperwork, including a list of questions for your doctor(s), and other supplies?
• Foot size does not determine your breast cancer risk, so it doesn’t seem like posting your shoe size raises awareness on anything in particular… unless you’re trying to say size doesn’t matter (?), or that you want a massage on one or both of those body parts.
• Pretending you are X months pregnant and having cravings is a good way to increase confusion in your social circle, not breast cancer awareness. Breast cancer survivors may face difficulty, or inability, to breastfeed; some may actually be unable to have children naturally, due to treatment effects, or they could get slapped in the face with an increased risk of ovarian cancer.
• You want to show solidarity for patients and survivors and raise awareness? Don’t simply post a heart on your wall or your (female) friend’s wall. (Heart Disease Awareness month is in February!) Here are some better ideas:
o Start with knowing your own breasts. Notice persistent (i.e. not cyclical) changes in size, lumpy areas, weird feelings, non-milky nipple discharge (especially if you aren’t breastfeeding!), or anything that sounds your personal alarm. Then go see your doctor or a physician at a local clinic. You’ll get felt up (I mean, you will receive a clinical breast exam) and your provider can arrange any further diagnostic imaging/tests. There are a number of different benign breast conditions in addition to cancer – wouldn’t you rather know what’s up and not worry? 
o Talk about breasts amongst friends. Boobs, tatas, tits, and jugs etc. are sexy, but they aren’t solely sexual. Breasts are deserving of discussion in a medical context, too, and if you can’t talk to your doctor or your friends about body & health issues, then whom can you talk to? (Aside from anonymous Internet message boards, that is.)
o No, scrap that; if you can, talk to your mom, your aunts, your cousins, and other relatives about your family history of cancer. Hopefully you don’t have one… but if you do, that information could prove useful someday, and it might mean you need to get screened before the recommended age (which is 40-50, depending on whom you ask) - especially if you’re a black woman. (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120985060) 
o Also, get men in on the conversation because in their lifetimes, they could end up a) supporting a partner or relative with breast cancer or b) fighting breast cancer themselves. 
o There are different causes of breast cancer, thus there are different types of breast cancer, and different treatments for different types of breast cancer. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17740690) It’s kind of mind-boggling. You could spend ages Googling breast-cancer related websites! Here’s a tidbit to chew on: The FDA recently approved “Gummy Bear” breast implants. Un/fortunately, they are not flavored.http://www.realself.com/blog/gummy-bear-breast-implants-fda-approved
o Moved to donate money to “the cause”? Maybe you want to support research into obliterating breast cancer, or maybe you want to support screening and prevention methods, or maybe you want to help out people who are already dealing with it. Do your own research - visit www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org to find out where you want your money to go and how to get it there. 
o If you’re into making lifestyle changes to try to reduce your risk, go for it! But remember that cancer just happens sometimes, regardless of your attempts to avoid it. It sucks, but that’s the way it is at the moment. 
o Finally, if you really, truly want to show solidarity with a friend who has been diagnosed with breast cancer, offer to go to doctor’s appointments, or run errands, or to hang out and eat together, or to be there in an emotional capacity, if not physical! Lend an ear; heck, lend an auxiliary brain to think things over. Treat your friend like you normally would, and keep those laughs coming. Not sure what to say? Here are some tips:http://www.theawl.com/2011/04/some-awesome-things-to-say-to-a-cancer-patient