Give Yourself a Real Valentine
Breast cancer awareness is an act of love
Your breast cancer clock may be ticking as you read this article. If you or someone you love hasn’t had a mammogram within the last year, or performed self-examination this month, the time to start is NOW.
As easy as this seems, thousands of women and numerous men will die with breast cancer this year because they didn’t take these simple steps. Their cancer could be at such an advanced stage that it might be too late simply because it wasn’t identified early enough. They didn’t take the time away from their busy lives to take care of themselves by performing their self-examinations and getting their mammograms. This is something we never think will happen to us. This silent killer is not genetic and seldom shows symptoms of pain, but it has surely affected someone you know and love.
More than a year ago it happened to me. One day at the UAW Solidarity House, the Susan G. Komen mobile mammogram van was outside and a friend reminded me that if I hadn’t had my mammogram lately I should take advantage of the opportunity. I was busy with day-to-day duties and it was pouring rain, so I really didn’t want to waste the time to walk over and spend the extra half-hour. Thank God I had second thoughts and I did anyway. Three days later, to my surprise, I received the dreaded telephone call — they told me to report to the doctor immediately.
One year later, I am very relieved that the biopsy and surgery revealed only Stage II breast cancer. That was removed by a lumpectomy, and treated with six weeks of radiation and years of Tamoxifen medication. Unfortunately, not all the new friends that I met during my treatment were as lucky. Many weren’t diagnosed in time and were at more advanced stages of cancer. They ranged from ages 22 to 78, and many had no history of breast cancer in their families, or symptoms of pain. Some couldn’t even feel it although the mammogram detected it. If only they had taken the time to get their annual mammograms, it could have been detected early and they would be like me, now cancer free and given a second chance.
Please give yourself, your daughter, your mother, your sister, your aunt, or even your father, your brother, your uncle, your spouse, or grandparents the gift of life this Valentine’s Day. Spread the word to all of them to perform their self-examinations every month, and to the women that they should get their annual mammograms, because not everyone will be as fortunate as I am this Valentine’s Day.
My UAW brothers and sisters, this is my life-saving valentine for you. Please help me give this gift to others, and especially to those you love.
Shirley Underwood
Shirley
Underwood is an international representative in the UAW Aerospace
Department.
