October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and today is my birthday so I'm going to be a little self indulgent and share a personal story. 

1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. That's a statistic most women are familiar with.  

What most do not know is that an irregular mammogram only comes with a 20% chance or cancer. In fact, only about 2% of irregular mammograms lead to a biopsy, because most can be addressed with an ultrasound to make sure it's a false positive, dense breast tissue or some other common anomoly. If you do the math (which you know I love to do), you realize that about 10% of mammograms come back irregular every year! But somehow the fear of an irregular mammogram can keep some women from getting tested. 

It's a shame, because once you know the statistics, you know that an irregular mammogram is nothing to be afraid of! No, I do not have breast cancer. And for that I am thankful. But like most women will at some point in their life, I did have an irregular mammogram. I was so thankful to have a doctor who walked me through every step of the process and a close friend who just celebrated 1 year cancer free and was willing to talk about my fears and what to expect.

So why are more women not talking about it? I'll start.

When I turned 40 my doctor referred me to the local women's imaging center for my first mammogram. The tech told me I was lumpy and my breast tissue was dense and not to be surprised if my first mammogram came back irregular since we didn't have a baseline for my body. It came as no surprise when I got a call the next day that I would need to schedule an ultrasound. I didn't have any of the typical symptoms so I wasn't worried at that point.

I went in for an ultrasound and the radiologist read it while I waited, for which I was thankful. I was not, however, thankful to hear that the ultrasound showed additional irregularities and I would need to schedule a biopsy. I was in that 2% and I was terrified.

My biopsy was scheduled for about a week later and I stressed the entire time. I was so thankful to have a friend who was willing to talk me through it, and I learned that although I have always acknoweledged Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I had not paid it enough attention or taken advantage of the information available. 

With great relief, I received a call a few days after my biopsy that everything had come back normal. Apparently I'm just a lumpy person! And while it was a difficult and emotional couple of weeks, I am SO thankful to have learned from it. 

I encourage everyone to learn, to participate in the educational opportunities available throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to participate in the conversation. Learn your body and take control of your wellness!