Breast Cancer Awareness Month is well underway, and we are always touched by the support we receive during this special month. Although breast cancer deserves consistent awareness all year, it is amazing to see the rise in community outreach, camaraderie, and hope that is happening this month to create a real, lasting impact.
During October, it is important to take action, whether that’s for ourselves, for a loved one facing the disease, or to honor a loved one who has passed. We can make a positive impact and take action by simply educating ourselves, and then others, about breast cancer and how to be proactive with our breast health.
Since 1991, NBCF has been dedicated to providing help and inspiring hope to those affected by breast cancer. This means, no matter where someone is in their breast health journey, we want to be there for them. One way we do this is by delivering comprehensive, educational information on popular breast health and healthy living topics in our free breast health guides, also known as eBooks.
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we want to highlight three guides to empower and encourage you! Knowledge is power when it comes to breast cancer and we want to help you stay as informed as possible.
The 3 Steps to Early Detection guide has been downloaded over 30,000 times! This means that 30,000 people have learned the first steps in taking control of their breast health and can now equip others with the same potentially life-saving information. When found early, the odds of successfully treating breast cancer dramatically increase. Early detection can change the trajectory of someone’s breast cancer journey, and this guide provides you with three ways to start taking action today. This guide answers these commonly asked questions, and much more:
This month and every day, it is important that we advocate for ourselves and those around us. Staying informed and prepared is one of the biggest ways we can do exactly that. Join the thousands of women who have downloaded this free resource by clicking here.
Every day, people find out that someone in their life is facing breast cancer. Many of you may have experienced this in the past and wondered the best ways to comfort someone during this trying time. Whether it’s someone close or an acquaintance, we all want to say the “right” thing. What to Say to a Cancer Patient is a tool designed to help guide you through the do’s and don’ts of communicating with a cancer patient.
Although the “right” thing to say is different for everyone, the tips in this eBook can help when trying to navigate some of those tough conversations. We have seen first-hand how much a strong support system can positively impact someone going through breast cancer. This free eBook will help guide healthy conversations and provide you with additional resources to help those in your life that may need it. Download this resource by clicking here.
Dense breast tissue is something that most women have heard about. However, a lot of us are unsure about what it is, how it can impact our breast health, and how to know if we have it. Last April, NBCF welcomed Joan Lunden, triple-negative breast cancer survivor & longtime Good Morning America anchor, as the honored speaker at our Women of Hope Luncheon. Joan serves as our inspiration in sharing the Dense Breasts Q&A Guide with you as she was brave enough to tell her story and advocate for more education on dense breasts.
Knowing whether you have dense breasts is extremely important as it plays a role in screenings and overall risk. This eBook answers 7 frequently asked questions pertaining to dense breasts and encourages women to not be afraid to ask questions. Knowing whether or not you have dense breasts can truly impact your breast health journey. Be your own best advocate and download the guide here.
Whether you download all three or just one, we hope these resources open your eyes to different aspects of breast cancer and breast health, and teach you something new this Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is always our goal to provide you with the knowledge you need to continue advocating for your breast health and raising awareness.
Also, we have 9 other free guides available for download on our website, covering everything from breast cancer recurrence to healthy living tips, and more coming soon! To see them all, click here.
Donations are always appreciated, but there are lots of great ways to get involved.
I am 5 days post unilateral mastectomy with tissue expander. I lost my 58 year old husband unexpectedly earlier this year, he passed in his sleep next to me. I found a lump in my left breast a couple months after losing him, I knew in my heart it was cancer and it was, I think I would have handled all of this much different if I hadn’t lost my soulmate and best friend, it has been more of an inconvenience to me, my biggest worry was missing work since I have only my income now and he had no life insurance, but I am at peace with it all, I’m a survivor and will be just fine. I prepped before surgery, I bought 2 different sleep cushion systems and combined them so I could wedge myself into a comfortable position on my bed and I have slept quite well. I bought a bunch of zip up mastectomy shirts with drain holders, button up, soft jammies, a belted drain holder and shower drain holder and placed some reading glasses, earphones and snacks in arms reach from bed, although I haven’t spent much awake time in my bed, I was up, showered and dressed the day after surgery before my daughter got up. What I wasn’t prepared for is how painfully hungry I would be, I woke up from anesthesia starving and can’t seem to eat enough, I wander into the kitchen at least twice a night scrounging for anything to eat, so I would recommend stocking up on easy snacks. I wish all of you out there facing breast cancer, fast healing and comfort. I feel blessed to have had such an easy recovery so far.
July 31st I was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. My lymph biopsy was negative for metastasis. 8/16/24 I underwent a bilateral breast MRI that confirmed no lymph involvement. This type of cancer does not normally form lumps however that was my first sign. I have yearly mammograms (I am 44 years old) and last year was clear. Early this year I began to feel a lump form that was not concerning to me as I have other lumps that have been benign. I was surprised to find this one was not. It is 40mm (stage 2). My genetics came back negative. Pathology Estrogen+, Progesterone+, HERS2-. My treatment plan is double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.
I had simple left side mastectomy on on 8/14/2024. So far no pain. But what I found that works well for me is a waterproof plastic bag to take my cell phone into water. It hangs from my neck under my clothes. It is called UNBREAKca ble (that’s how it’s spelled on the box) and got it from Amazon and 2 come in the box. Hope this helps someone.
Great tip about how dense breasts are more at risk. I need to get a medical professional to give my wife a check-up. She is in the age bracket where she is at risk. https://www.innovativemedicalassociates.com/
I was just diagnosed on Sept. 6th with invasive lobular carcinoma in 2 areas of my left breast. I have a lot of testing ahead and my surgical planning appt. is on Oct. 10th. I have made up my mind to have a double mastectomy without reconstruction, I am going flat which is going to hard to get used to since I wear a D cup now. I made this decision because I can’t live with fear of the cancer returning in my right breast before the 5 year mark. That would haunt me all the time. At the same time I am dealing with my husband’s diagnosis of frontal lobe dementia and he can not help me. Unfortunately I have to move in with family to get the care I need and to help my husband, and put my house on the market since he can never be alone now. This will be a very difficult journey for me, at 55 years of age, the diagnosis we both received is very life changing, especially since the Dr told me to get all my husband’s affairs in order because in a year 2 if lucky, he won’t know who I am or anything else. This is truly heart breaking news which makes this journey of breast cancer at this time in my life very difficult to handle.