Save the Ta Tas / I Love Boobies

Mammograms save lives

Yes my friends....it was that time of year again. Time for my yearly mammogram.

Woo Hoo! <--- Sarcasm

Yearly mammograms start at age 40 but your Dr. will start doing breast exams when you're 20. It's also important to do breast self-exams.

I've had 2 lumps removed over the years. The first was when I was 21, which was removed and luckily benign (non-cancerous). The second one, I was 39, which the radiologist initially though was cancerous but upon removal and biopsy, it was found to be benign as well. I can't tell you how scared I was on that one. I had to wait 2 weeks before I could have the surgery (had to cut off Little Man's breast feeding cold turkey!) and then wait an additional day to find out the results.

I never thought I'd get breast cancer...doesn't run in my family but after some research, I've found that doesn't mean anything! 80% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.

One in every 229 women between the ages of 30 and 40 will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the next 10 years. It's the leading cause of cancer death in women ages 15 to 54.

Symptoms: a lump or abnormality in the shape or feel of your breast; a generalized swelling of a part of the breast; an irritation or dimpling of the skin on the breast; nipple retraction; redness or scaliness on the nipple or breast skin; or a spontaneous discharge from the nipple (I know, gross!).

If you feel a lump or abnormality, please see a Dr. without delay. 80% of all breast lumps that are biopsied are not cancer, and early diagnosis of breast cancer is the key to survival.

Don't mean to be a downer during the holiday but this is important!

So don't forget to do your monthly self-exam, it could save your life.