Breast Cancer Awareness Month

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The entire month of October is designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  An annual campaign dedicated to raising awareness of this disease.

Sometimes we take for granted the simple things.  What is life about anyway?  I wake up, drink coffee, go to work, come home...repeat each day.

That first smell of coffee in the morning.  Feed the dog.  Wonder what to fix for dinner.  A little drama at work. Just normal stuff...until it isn't, not ever again.

According the National Cancer Institute, 232,340 women a year face THAT day.  Will it be me, my mom, sister, friend?  I think about it, especially this time of year when people talk about it more.  

But when it hits a little too close to home - then it's real.

Yes, we are strong.  We are fighters.  But that doesn't make us any less susceptible to this devastating disease.  Cancer can be silent and deadly without early detection.

When it's someone you know

A friend of mine had been missing a lot of work lately.  It just struck me funny that he had been gone so much over the last couple of weeks.  I asked one of our managers.  They said he was dealing with personal issues.  He was at our staff meeting Monday, not quite as high spirited as normal.  We proceeded as always, discussing issues, game plans, laughing.

My friend stood, the room quieted and we waited.  I could see the tears well up in his eyes as he spoke softly, "My wife has breast cancer, that's why I've been gone".  No one spoke.  What do you say?  Not a dry eye in the room, we all stood  and went to hug him. They are both in their early twenties with a four year old daughter.

The most common invasive cancer in females worldwide, it can happen to any woman at any age. In most cases causing a lump, but not always.

Breast cancer is a disease that affects so many lives - both those who battle it and the loved ones who stand strong to support them.