You still remember that strange day at the race track.
Just a few months after your mother’s breast biopsy showed that she had cancer, you walked into the restroom to hear some silly and secretive kind of giggling. Recognizing your mother’s shoes underneath the stall door, the giggling captured your attention even more. You tried not to be alarmed when you realized that there was a second pair of shoes in the same stall as well. Just as you were deciding if you should make a quick exit and search out another bathroom, your mother and a woman you had never met nearly stumbled out of the stall. Still laughing, it took them a few minutes to regain their composure and explain just what had been going on.
Months after the breast biopsy results and the surgery to remove her cancerous right breast, your mom had recently been fitted for an insert that she could put in her bra. When she came into the bathroom to make some adjustments as she called them, she ran into one of her friends she had not seen in years. One conversation lead to another and the two women found out that they had received a fairly similar diagnosis. Your mother’s friend, however, was just now getting her surgery scheduled and was more than anxious about what to expect.
Just like any pair of friends who can pick up right where they left off a few years ago, your mom explained the purpose of her trip into the bathroom. One thing lead to another and the two ended up in the same small stall so your mom could show her friend, and recently diagnosed cancer sister what she could expect.
It was at this time that you walked in. Quite frankly, you were relieved to know the rest of the story.
Breast Ultrasounds Play an Important Role in the Women’s Health Platform
From a mammogram to a breast biopsy to a breast ultrasound, there are many procedures that are available to help women monitor their bodies. And while there is obviously some real discomfort in dealing with many of these diagnostic options, it is always better to know sooner rather than later if you have a condition that needs to be addressed. The latest research indicates that a woman living in the U.S. has a 12.4% lifetime risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. This translates into one of every eight women having to deal with this difficult diagnosis. Mammograms can be beneficial to many women in various situations, but women between the ages of 60 and 69 are most likely to avoid breast cancer death through regular mammography screening.
Whether you want to share your story with a friend in the most unlikely of situations in a bathroom stall or you simply want to impress upon your daughter how important it is that she get regular screenings, breast cancer awareness is one of the most important issues in the field of women’s health care.