Breast Cancer Awareness Month

It is October, which means it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s time to put on your pink clothes and talk about women’s health. You may think that it’s not that common but 1 in 8 women (about 13%) will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Last year my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and is now a survivor. So, this year October means more to me than ever. I wanted to share my experience, suggested detection and prevention tips, and what we can do to help future generations.  

My History 

I have a ton of breast cancer history in my family, mostly on my mother’s side. My mom’s sister has been a survivor for 27 years and my grandmother was diagnosed in June 2022. In July 2021, my mother received the scary news that she had breast cancer. She had the best diagnosis possible, where she caught it early, and only needed surgery with no chemo or radiation. The craziest part about my breast cancer history is that women in my family have no genetic markers for breast cancer.  

What Can You Do? (Source: https://wmmc.com/helpful-womens-health-tips-in-honor-of-national-breast-cancer-awareness-month/) 

• Know Your Risk. There are quite a few factors that increase your risk, mainly gender, age, reproductive history, and genetics. Things that can decrease your risk are being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight after menopause, and limiting your alcohol and tobacco use. My mother’s surgeons suggested that I get a risk assessment done since I have so much history. 

• Get Yearly Checkups and Screenings. Early detection is key. Get yearly mammograms because many of the early signs of breast cancer cannot be detected on your own. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of women may have skipped their yearly mammogram, which led to an increase in diagnosis once the pandemic had lifted. My mother never missed one. Also, do your own self-examinations for lumps, swelling, and abnormal changes. 

• Donate. Breast cancer research may have come a long way but there is still more we can learn. Donate to organizations that do breast cancer research, like Susan G Komen or the National Breast Cancer Foundation. So, who knows in the future they may discover a new gene that causes breast cancer. 

What I Am Doing 

Five years ago, I did the Susan G Komen 3-day walk for the cure, which is where you walk 60 miles over three days and raise a minimum amount of money. I did it with my family, in honor of my godmother (my mother’s first cousin), who had become a survivor herself that year. As a team, we raised over $22,000. It was a great experience. Everyone there was so excited to be there for a good cause.  

In honor of my mother becoming a survivor, we are doing it again. I am going to walk 60 miles in November in San Diego California, with my mom and other family members. Walking this year is different because I am doing it for my mom. The best part is that I am training with her, and we get to spend hours walking around just talking, while we are training. To celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I hope you consider joining me in the fight against breast cancer, by donating, so that we can work to end breast cancer forever.  

http://www.the3day.org/goto/Rachelberninger