old country house blog

OCTOBER AND BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.

and this month, on each Tuesday I am going to do my best to educate and communicate and talk…TALK about BREAST Cancer.

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My Maternal Grandmother died of Breast Cancer. I was 14 when my Grandmother, who I called “Nana Tim” passed away. And my Mother, fearful of dying young with 4 young children at the time, underwent a subcutaneous Mastectomy…with reconstruction…. to increase her chances of avoiding Breast Cancer.  I was a self absorbed teenager at the time…but as I got older the impact of her decision and how difficult… that must have been for her touched me deeply. And the sacrifice of her breasts in hopes of being there for her children was humbling.

We all do what we gotta do. And it is often not until you are pushed into that corner that you discover how very strong you are. I know that each and every woman reading this blog post has come in contact with Cancer and likely breast cancer…as a patient, a family member or friend…when the statistics are what they are…1 in 8…we  are ALL affected.

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So if we are all affected by it, lets talk about it.

How has Cancer touched your life? I want to hear your stories.

CHARLIE AND I HAVE A CHAT
CHARLIE AND I HAVE A CHAT

EACH TUESDAY IN OCTOBER MY OLD COUNTRY HOUSE WILL DEDICATE A POST TO BREAST CANCER AWARENESS, WOMEN AND PINK!

9 thoughts on “OCTOBER AND BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

  1. My paternal grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 34. She was told she had 5 years to live. Of course, that was not a good enough answer. She lived 37 years!!! At the time of her death, she was the longest living survivor in the Shenandoah Valley. One of the many things I learned from my grandmother was to be your own best advocate. If you don’t who will?? Have your check ups and ask questions – lots and lots of questions.

  2. Cancer touched our lives when my 10 yr old daughter was diagnosed with leukemia September 2011 and lost her battle after 8 months. September is childhood cancer awareness month and the colour is gold. Childhood cancer is not rare but I never thought it could happen to our family. Unfortunately, September doesn’t seem to get near as much awareness as October does for breast cancer. Kids get cancer too. Thanks for reading.

    1. KR…thank you for sharing and I am so very sorry for your unspeakable loss. I am glad you told me about September being Childhood Cancer Month…I will make a point of giving it it’s share of attention with lots and lots of GOLD!!!!Hugs.

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  4. My life was touched by breast cancer when my brother’s wife, Nancy, was diagnosed with it at age 31. Hers was an aggressive and rare form of cancer and she lost her battle with it at age 34, leaving behind a husband and three children – ages 8, 6 and 4. She fought so hard to get well, but it was not to be. She had a beautiful and loving spirit and I know she wanted more than anything to see her children grow up. We all miss her so much. She had no known family history of breast cancer (she was adopted as an infant and her history was not known), and had not had a mammogram before her diagnosis because of her young age – in fact, she was still nursing her youngest child when she found her lump. Even though she did not survive, there is much hope for women facing breast cancer and treatment options have greatly advanced even in the ten years since her diagnosis. However, early detection is key – get your mammogram done on a regular basis, be aware of your family history, know your body and what is normal for you and realize that you are not too young for breast cancer.

    1. Thank you Shelia. Wow, Nancy’s children are my Children’s ages and I have a hard time wrapping my mind around how hard that loss was/IS….I hope that Nancy’s kids are okay…the 10 years has probably gone fast and slow at the same time…and I am glad you shared her story with us…

  5. Hey Lesli – I hesitated to comment because 1) it’s not something I’ve ever done,even though I’ve enjoyed your blog for several years; 2) I’m a little late (weekend blog catch-up time). However, your question is especially poignant for me since my beautiful granddaughter’s other grandma just had her first chemo treatment this past week, after a double masectomy/lumpectomy. We are young grandmas, since our kids are young parents, and it is a horrible to think of our granddaughter missing out on any time with her beloved Grammy. Her outlook is wonderful and her faith is in God, but the impact on her and the family is enormous. Love and prayers to anyone dealing with this heart-wrenching diagnosis.

    1. Hi Thank you for sharing…and I am sorry to hear about your Grandaughters other Grammy…so much to take in and I hope everyone is holding up okay. I have had Breast Cancer survivors tell me that they just looked at the “treatment” year like…”Okay, one really sucky year…but I can handle one sucky year to have many good ones…” They are all very lucky to have you in their life and your big heart looking out for them and keeping them in your prayers.

      Don’t be a stranger…:)

      xo

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