In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Twice the Rice is tickled to go Pink for October.
A few key stats from the American Cancer Society:
- The chance of developing invasive breast cancer at some time in a woman’s life is about 1 in 8 (13% of women).
- It is estimated that in 2006 about 212,920 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United States.
- At this time there are slightly over 2 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
- Women living in North America have the highest rate of breast cancer in the world.
- The chance that breast cancer will be responsible for a woman’s death is about 1 in 33 (3%).
- In 2006, about 40,970 women and 460 men will die from breast cancer in the United States.
This winter marks 12 years since my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. My mom knows firsthand the importance of routine medical care, which detected her cancer early enough to allow her to beat it. Drug therapies and treatment plans have changed since her battle with the disease. The significance of regular health care has not.
As someone who is guilty of slacking when it comes to regular doctor visits, and who falls into the trap of staying clear of the clinic unless a problem or serious symptom arises, I write this with the knowledge that I am placing myself at greater risk of conditions that could go undetected without routine health care and preventive maintenance.
I am not proud of this, and it fills me with a kind of shame to admit that I avoid the doctor’s office partly out of fear. I know this is unwise. With almost eight years of my employment history spent working in jobs related to health care, I should know better. With my families’ and loved ones’ histories in mind, I should definitely know better.
Various forms of cancer have attacked both my adoptive and birth families. Type 2 diabetes runs in Yobo Adobo’s family — he hasn’t escaped its reach — and in 2002, I learned that my Korean mother is diabetic as well. This places not only me, but my future children at risk. I know my health is nothing to mess around with.
I know — or I should know.
I will do better … for my own sake, for my loved ones, in honor of all the survivors in my life, and in honor of those whose lives were cut short by illnesses that were too overwhelming to fight. Please take care of yourselves, your families and friends.
That banner is fracking awesome!
I used to be the same way when it came to doctors and my health. But since becoming a mother, I realized that I have to take care of myself and proactive about preventative practices so that I’m around as long as I can be for my baby.
That’s why i breastfeed my baby…
Breastfeeding mothers will less likely to get breast cancer…
Great post! Great new banner! Where can I get a pink rice cooker? Sa-weet…
Love the new look! My mom was also a breast cancer survivor. Kudos to you for marking this special month of awareness!
Suzanne
My mom has also survived two rounds of breast cancer. Sadder, I know several young women who lost the fight and left young children behind. I, too, was very slack about my own health until I became a mother. Now, I am a model patient. I do it primarily our of repect for those women who lost their fights while trying to take care of their bodies and their families. At the end of the day, this mortality stuff bites. (and definitely don’t blow off the dentist. I just had a root canal from years of skipping the dentist while I had small children-where would I put them?-and boy, that was a mistake.)
Just found your blog this morning.
From a Filipina who never thought Adobo would be used in a nickname, I think your writing is beautiful, fluid, and I look forward to visiting often.
Love the new banner!
For the last few years, cancer seems to have come out of no where to strike my family. There was no previous history which makes me wonder what’s going on.
Definitely keep up with those checkups, though I’m not one to talk.
Thanks, Ji-in, thanks very much for posting this.
Last year I lost my dearest friend, also an adoptive mom, to the result of aggressive treatment for breast cancer. She survived for almost 25 years, but had many, many more to live. And I always think that had she been diagnosed early, had the medical community taken her pain seriously, her treatment might not have resulted in the serious complications that ultimately claimed her life.
Merrie, I’m thinking of you. And I’m urging all women to keep fighting this disease, for yourselves and for your families.
*salutes* thanks for this particular post ~ my mom survived a bout of breast cancer around the same time as yours so this has always been something close to heart for me.
sume ~ sorry to hear of the random cancers =( my mom had it at a relatively young age without any family history either. the odd thing with breast cancers at least is that the majority of women who get it first time around *don’t* have any prior relatives etc – random chuckup indeed.