Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month - to all my favorite people (male and females), please take the time each month to check your body.
Breast cancer can happen to both men and women!
After getting diagnosed, I felt a lot of shame and guilt. I felt alone. Scared. I did not want anyone to know because I thought it made me look weak. I did not want to talk about it because it did not feel real. However each day, I felt more and more detached from myself. Questioning how I got myself in this situation. Hating myself as I promoted physical and mental wellness as part of my “brand”. How can someone who works out all the time and teaches yoga, get sick? Well, cancer is one of those sneaky things.
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancer develops when the body's normal control mechanism stops working. According to the American Cancer Society, there are ways to reduce breast cancer:
Stay at a healthy weight
Be physically active
Avoid or limit alcohol
Know yourself, your family history, and your risks
Have regular check-ups and cancer screening tests
After seeing many doctors, they concluded the reason why my tumor may have grown was my lifestyle. Lack of sleep and high stress. In one study, surveys have shown that approximately one million new cancer cases occur every year among young people aged 20–39 years and they have been partly attributed to stress.
Since I was diagnosed, I have been eating a lot cleaner that I used to. My oncologist recommended me to eat a predominately plant based diet. Additionally, I have been trying my best to manage my stress by taking breaks throughout the day, allowing myself to relax, work out six days a week and sleep at least seven hours a day.
If you are healthy, please don’t take it for granted. Cherish your health and go to the doctor for your regular check ups. Identifying cancer early on is easier to treat opposed to avoiding the doctor. When I went to my OBGYN, she told me that the lump on my breast may just be benign and I should not worry. I disagreed and pressed to have a mammogram so that I could double check what the lump may have been. After many tests, they concluded it was cancer. Be your own advocate. You know your body best.
If you know someone who is going through cancer or treatment, ask them how you can best support them. Every one is different, and how someone wants support will look different for each person. While going through treatment, I found the podcast, The Cancer Patient, a podcast for cancer patients, by cancer patients. The Cancer Patient Podcast dives into the real side of cancer. They provide information, validation, and connection with a side of laughter, sarcasm, and wit. If you know someone with cancer, or in remission, I would highly recommend! Sending you all lots of love!
