Question of the day Thurs. Oct 14

In honor of it being breast cancer awareness month here's one for the ladies, and I've figured a way to add one so the guys can answer too:

But first, a link: http://www.cancer.ca/ontario/about%2...spx?sc_lang=en

Women: do you take care of your "girls"? Do monthly breast exams? Watch for any changes in size or shape, etc.

I'd happily provide some links if needed.

ALL: has anyone been touched with breast cancer in your life?

I absolutely do. Monthly exams, annual mammogram.

My maternal great-grandmother, two maternal aunts, and a cousin had breast cancer. A paternal aunt also had it, so it's on both sides of my family. And I take hormones (had a total hysterectomy when I was 24 b/c of endometriosis). It's not Premarin or anything like that; it's a compound prescription from my GYN....I switched over to that about 7-8 years ago from Premarin.

Originally Posted by Winchester

I absolutely do. Monthly exams, annual mammogram.

My maternal great-grandmother, two maternal aunts, and a cousin had breast cancer. A paternal aunt also had it, so it's on both sides of my family. And I take hormones (had a total hysterectomy when I was 24 b/c of endometriosis). It's not Premarin or anything like that; it's a compound prescription from my GYN....I switched over to that about 7-8 years ago from Premarin.

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Good to read.

Breast cancer is one of those diseases that can be helped through early detection thankfully. One must be aware of it, symptoms, and existing risk factors. The more women we can help make aware of it, the better.

Thank you for sharing, I realised after posting that this could be quite sensitive topic for some, while that was not my intent, I'm aware it could be

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

Good to read.

Breast cancer is one of those diseases that can be helped through early detection thankfully. One must be aware of it, symptoms, and existing risk factors. The more women we can help make aware of it, the better.

Thank you for sharing, I realised after posting that this could be quite sensitive topic for some, while that was not my intent, I'm aware it could be

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It's so prevalent in my family that I'm a bear about it.

BTW, I do mine exams in the shower.....easier to feel when I'm all soapy. (If that's TMI, I apologize!)

I absolutely do exams. No one in my family has been affected thank goodness, however my best friend has lost many people in her family due to this horrible disease.

Oh yes, I'm such a scaredy cat about it that I do exams three times a week I've had one kind of cancer and I certainly don't want another, but as far as I know fortunately no one in my family has ever had Breast Cancer.

I'm ashamed to admit, I don't take care of my girls. Breast exams are sporadic, and they really shouldn't be, because my mom's sister died of breast cancer. My former biz partner's wife and sister both had breast cancer, though they caught it early. I do see the gyn every year, and I do have yearly mammograms, and started when I hit 40.

my maternal grandma had it. Its what killed her. Maternal great grandma died from ovarian.
No never have done an exam. Never been to an gyn dr either(28) so ya im bad.

No. I haven't been taking care of the girls, or paps. They are having a pap and brest clinic on the 26th. It will be done by the 4 female doctors in our town. I have made myself an appointment for both. I should be more careful my Mother had cervical cancer. A relavtive of my SIL died at age 32 of breast cancer.

very rare i check in all honesty, no one i know has had breast cancer, i know its not an excuse, im just a big wuss!

I've had surgical biopsies, needle biopsies and aspirations repeatedly for the last 15 years. Needless to say, I'm on the 6 month xray plan and most often I end up with an ultrasound at the same time because the girls always look suspicious. Just had that done this past Tuesday. They have always come up benign.

We strongly suspected that my maternal grandmother had breast cancer when she died at age 58 from heart failure. She was so poor at the time that she never even went to a doctor for it and they never checked it out after she died. So we assume she had it and all of the women in my family keep a close eye for cancer. Doing self exams is a weekly thing for all of us.

I always do monthly exams (I had my obgyn show me the proper way to do self checks several years ago so I knew what to do/look for, and I always go in for my yearly exam as well).

Several years ago, one of my friends was diagnosed with breast cancer at a very young age (22 yrs old). So, I think that the sooner women start to do self exams and pay attention to their bodies for changes/etc, the better. Initially when my girlfriend was having pain in her breast and noticed a lump, the doctor was reluctant to order a mammogram because she was "too young"....thankfully my friend didn't take no for an answer and got a second opinion! It saved her life It also taught me how important self exams are after watching her go through everything!

I don't do it as much as I should.

My mother, her sister, and my paternal grandmother had breast cancer. I was tested for the breast cancer gene and do not have it, but my mother and my aunt do.

My sister died from breast cancer. She had both breasts removed, but the cancer spread to her brain. She was the sweetest lady in the world and I miss her. I check my "girls" out regularly.

Breast Cancer Survivor here! 2 years cancer free as of Sept. 16!

There is no history of breast cancer in my family, I've been a runner for over 30 years, and I always try to eat right, yet - there was that lump when I had my yearly mammo in 2008. Totally random.

It was caught early, the lump was taken out (Stage I), I had 5 months of chemo, 6 weeks of radiation, a year of Herceptin and am still on Arimidex, which is a post-menopausal drug that removes all the rest of the estrogen from your body.....my tumor was estrogen positive.

I use Sept. 16 as my anniversary, as that was the day I had the lumpectomy. I saw the lump as an invader, and called it "that b*tch cancer", and my motto at the time was, "The b*tch is going down!" I stayed in "warrior" mode all through treatment.

For two years, I've been having mammos every 6 months, and at my last one my doctor told me I had graduated to once a year. (Yay!) I still see my oncologist every 3 months, for follow-ups....they're keeping a good eye on me. I feel great, and healthy and strong.

Early detection saves lives, so I highly recommend self-exam and mammos!! (As you can see, I don't mind talking about it. )

Good Question of the Day!

I never do exams :/ My Dr. always gives me a hard time about it when I'm honest and say I haven't had a breast exam since the last time she did it. I would probably panic every time, because heck if I could remember if a lump of sorts was somewhere and it wasn't the previous time. And I'd probably think everything was a lump

There is no history in my family, which is no excuse, but I'm just terrible at it. I dread turning 40 and getting mammograms, there's not much to mammo and according to my mom and MIL, it's not the most pleasant feeling in the world.

Seeing that someone got it at 22 is probably enough to scare me into doing it more though...

I am ashamed to admit that I don't.
No history of breast cancer in the family and no friends have had it to my knowledge, so I am blessed. I know how serious it is, though!
As a teenager, I was religious about self-exams, but I am out of habit. I bet this will make me start up again, though!
Great question of the day!

I am terrible about doing self exams. My family on my Mom's side is quite chesty as am I but we don't do much about it. I get annual mamograms.

My friend just recently got breast cancer and she is doing well.