October is breast cancer awareness month and Scintilla from Bell'Avventura has had the brilliant idea that as many of us as possible should post pink to raise awareness. Laura from Ciao Amalfi has joined in too and Scintilla is going to link all participants together at the end of this month.
Both Laura and Scintilla have posted some excellent advice regarding this cruel disease. I would like to add that, if you think you have noticed a change in a breast or have felt a lump the worst thing you can do is to ignore it. 80% of lumps are benign and many women notice changes in their breasts during menstruation. It is important to know your body and be aware of what is normal for you but please see a doctor immediately if you are worried.
Although this disease is commonest in women and most dreaded by us because it strikes right at our femininity, we should not forget that men can suffer from the condition too and often find it harder to access support.
If you are in Italy, LILT clinics are offering free examinations country-wide during October.
Think Pink - Cyclamen
In Sicily it is cyclamen time and the island is a riot of different shades of pink:
Both Laura and Scintilla have posted some excellent advice regarding this cruel disease. I would like to add that, if you think you have noticed a change in a breast or have felt a lump the worst thing you can do is to ignore it. 80% of lumps are benign and many women notice changes in their breasts during menstruation. It is important to know your body and be aware of what is normal for you but please see a doctor immediately if you are worried.
Although this disease is commonest in women and most dreaded by us because it strikes right at our femininity, we should not forget that men can suffer from the condition too and often find it harder to access support.
If you are in Italy, LILT clinics are offering free examinations country-wide during October.
Think Pink - Cyclamen
In Sicily it is cyclamen time and the island is a riot of different shades of pink:
Sicilian wild cyclamen photographed by a friend.
Cyclamen on sale at a street stall.
Cyclamen on my balcony.
13 comments:
Well done wl..yes a very good idea..lets see how many more we will get...I am having a good look to see if I can do one.
It's a terrible thing to happen and women tend to ignore a lump hoping that it will go away. It's so hard nursing these people in their last few hours when they say "I wish I had gone to the doctor" or "I wish I had had the operation as right now I would not care if my breasts had been taken away" which often are their last words.
Breast and testicular cancer should have an awareness month every month of the year. It is not choosy what age group it attacks and of all cancers it is a painful and prolonged death caused often by reluctance to have a lump investigated for fear of ending up with one breast or testicle, but caught early can have a huge success rate of overcoming.
I'm glad you brought this up Welshcakes. The public need to be constantly reminded I think.
That girl who just set off on the round the world voyage has a boat all in pink. She's doing her bit.
Thanks, Anne. I hope a lot of bloggers will do it. Hello, DD. You are right. A lot of women tend to ignore it and it must be heartbreaking nursing some of them at the end. You are also right that we need to be aware ALL year round. Hi, James, I'll look that up now.
Thank you for joining in! And for the great info. So important not to ignore lumps because they develop so quickly and spread easily beyond the breast. And I'd like to add, trust your instincts, doctors don't always know best. It happened to me!
Hi, Scintilla. Pleased to do it. Thank you for sharing that advice from your personal experience. Instinct is very important.
my Mum found a breast tumour the size of a whole black peppercorn... she was lucky. Only knew it was there bc it bled...
(through the nipple, I take it)
Hi, Gleds. Is your Mum all right now?
Breast Cancer Awareness Month has just taken on a particular relevance for me. My mum has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Luckily it looks like she caught it at an early stage (we hope!) and she is pretty good shape for 81.
Excellent post, Welshcakes - and I do like the reminder in the final para: that's a fact too frequently overlooked.
I don't know anyone who hasn't lost a friend to breast cancer. Yes, let's think pink and do all we can to support this excellent cause.
Hi, jams. I'm so sorry to hear that your Mum has this disease but, as you say, the fact that it has been caught early is good. Do give her my best wishes and keep us posted. Thanks, Phidelm. I feel that this is often forgotten, too. Hi, Ellee. You are right. We all know of someone who is, or has been, affected. I hope lots of people support this campaign.
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