Breast Cancer Awareness Month is here, and the world is looking a lot pinker.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, known as BCAM or NBCAM, is both an international and national annual campaign run by various major health organizations and charities to advocate, inform and raise money for breast cancer awareness. This campaign takes place every year in October. There are various organizations at UF that take part in this month, such as UF Health and some Greek chapters. But by no means do you have to be part of an organization to spread awareness or aid this cause. Staying informed and sharing information about BCAM is an incredibly helpful first step.
Who is affected by breast cancer?
About one in eight U.S. women, which is equivalent to about 12.4 percent, will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime, according to nonprofit organization BreastCancer.org.
Many of us grew up knowing what breast cancer is, but not all of us have had direct contact with people who have had or have breast cancer. Imagine those numbers being your mom, grandma or sister. The most inspiring breast cancer survivor in my life also happens to be one of my favorite people ever, my grandma. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. I was very young, so for a lot of the process, my grandma kept the hardest parts secret. I will always look back on and remember her unwavering strength, I know even though she did a wonderful job staying strong that it was one of the most difficult times of her life. I will never forget the pit in my stomach when she began chemo and I worried every night for her. But, she came back from the whole process stronger than ever before. She is a beautiful and resilient role model to have in my life, and I am very thankful.
After feeling the impact my grandma’s journey had on me, I realized that this disease affects more than just those who are diagnosed. We have to stay in touch with our compassion and fight for those who are struggling. BCAM is not just a month to wear all pink and proclaim our undying love for boobs. Of course, trust me, there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m a strong advocate of body positivity. But the important part is to remember that breast cancer is a prevalent issue internationally that is still misinterpreted.
Who are some inspiring breast cancer survivors?
Paige More, founder and CEO of a nonprofit organization called The Breasties, began her internet platform at 24. She found out she had the BRCA1 gene mutation, the mutation that indicates a heightened risk for breast cancer. More then decided to document her entire preventative mastectomy, a surgical procedure to remove breast tissue to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer. Most inherited types of breast cancer are from the BRCA1 and BRCA2, which are genes that everyone has to repair cell damage and keep breast and ovarian cells growing normally.
More’s Instagram is full of motivational images and testimonies, and she documents her daily life to inspire other women going through similar experiences.
More also runs her own blog full of lifestyle, health and beauty tips for survivors or their families and friends. She refers to survivors of a predisposition to cancer as “previvors,” and creates various retreats and groups through an online community of women around the world. More is an incredible example of a woman who shifted probably the most traumatic and painful time of her life into something beautiful. There is an entire online community of empowered women, women coming together in solidarity to fight, survive and prevent breast and ovarian cancer.
Meghan Koziel is a Stage 2 breast cancer survivor. Stage two means the breast cancer is still growing, but it’s contained in the breast or growth has only extended to nearby lymph nodes. Meghan Koziel posted a picture of her mastectomy scars on Instagram and received an overwhelming reaction.
Koziel posted her scars online so other women going through the same things wouldn’t feel as alone. Breasts are such a big aspect of what it means to feel feminine, and when that’s taken from you it can be incredibly difficult to bear. Unfortunately, many people saw Koziel’s post as being too sexual or as showing too much. But, I see Koziel’s post as merely being vulnerable and open to the world. There’s nothing to be ashamed of regarding your body. Our bodies are vessels to protect and support us as we go through life. Our bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and no one body type matters more than another.
Koziel’s motto is “She Sparkles On,” and she’s created a blog to reach out to women all around the world. Koziel’s most recent endeavor has been getting pregnant and becoming a mother after going through aggressive chemotherapy. Koziel and her husband went through in vitro fertilization to preserve their fertility before being treated for cancer. Just three years later, Koziel became pregnant and had her first baby girl on September 15, 2018. Meghan Koziel is another wonderful example of how resilient we can be as humans. She didn’t take no for an answer and took her life and future into her own hands and is inspiring women every day.
I believe the best thing to do for those who are current fighters or survivors is to stay present and involved. Creating these online communities, sharing stories and promoting them through social decrease stigma and increase support and funding to help research breast cancer.
But we also need to remember to take care of ourselves. The easiest and simplest way to check often and regularly is to do breast self-examinations each month. Additionally, consider getting tested for gene mutations as soon as you can, and always go for your regularly scheduled mammograms. A lot of this may be new or scary to us as college women, but it’s so important to create the best habits now and share those habits with the people we love. We owe it to ourselves and the women we love to take care of our bodies — and to always support the care of others.