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I had an interesting experience a few weeks ago–I was working on our event and I was speaking to someone who didn’t know much about us. I handed this woman the wheel.

“What is this?” She asked.

“That’s how we teach the girls the 8 steps of  breast self exam.”

She literally threw the daisy wheel down and said, “That scares me.”

I replied, “that’s not scary. Learning breast self exam is not scary. Cancer? Now that is scary. What I have been through? That’s scary.”

There is much misinformation out there. I even had a doctor tell me that she doesn’t suggest self exam to her patients but that they should see a doctor once a year for an exam. “Because women were getting scared. They were finding things that weren’t cancer and they were worrying.” I’m sorry, “What?” They got scared finding a lump —well, what about the ones that were cancerous–they were scared too, but it saved their lives!

If I had waited until my next clinical(doctor) exam I would be dead. I had seen him 2 months before and I was fine. Stage II breast cancer…invasive to two cm and my tumor was HUGE!!! That was what they found after they removed my breasts.

Facts about breast self exam in my experience….I am not a doctor so this is just what I have observed.

–Breast self exam is free. Your doctor can teach you or you can go to getintouchfoundation.org and watch the video and download the app–free.

–Your hands are available—right there at the end of your arms for most people.

–Women find lumps. Sometimes lumps that aren’t detected with Ultrasound, mammogram or their doctor’s appointment that was two months before. Yes, that is my story! Living breathing proof that you can find your own lump that no AMA recommended way can find– other breast self exam.

–Family history is a factor in a small amount of the women–it is just stunning to see it run through a family so we remember that.

–With no risk factors you can get breast cancer. Yep, my hand is in the air again. That’s me!

–Anyone who finds a lump and finds out it is non-cancerous is relieved. I would have been. Heck, I would have been relieved, even after my mastectomy, to find out I didn’t have cancer. Kept wishing that was the truth but it wasn’t.

–Anyone who finds a lump that turns out to be cancer –well they get scared when they find it and then they continue to be scared when it turns out to be cancer BUT–they may just live. Think about what would happen if they didn’t find it.

–Early stage breast cancer has something like a 95% survival rate to 5 years. It may not seem like much but the difference between that and dead is huge. Also 5 years is the study number–meaning they just look for that long.

So here’s the deal. Do your self exam. Get taught how to do it correctly. And if something feels odd talk about it, tell your doctor and get an answer. Simple, straight forward, invaluable.

In doing this event we are bringing this program to a new audience. The audience that can make the change happen. The audience that can make sure we are all taught this simple life saving technique and that this program is supported financially. We need to continue and we need your help to do it.

If you couldn’t come to the luncheon–please make a donation, get a group together for a GIT Your Pink On Day at your school and donate the funds raised to GIT. Ask the school nurse to implement the program and a fundraiser. Make a difference. Save a life.

http://getintouchfoundation.org

Someone asked Dr Funk what they should expect now that they had cancer and she said, “You should expect to live.”
She also said on Piers Morgan last November, “Prevention does not yet exist. So early detection is our best defense against this disease and our only chance at a cure.”

So I ask again..
What does it cost to teach? Nothing!  
What does it cost if we don’t teach? A life. 
How much is that worth? Everything!
Who is going to teach us how to do this? THE GET IN TOUCH FOUNDATION that’s who!
from more information click here