Day 4 #31daysofDaisyWheel Talking to your daughters about breast health #revlonrunwalk

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Do you talk to your daughters about breast health? Do you know what to say? Do you know where to start?
here is a place to start Of course the link will take you to The Get In Touch Foundation Girls Program page.
 I choose to do it in a friendly fashion, I gave them wheels showed them the video and leave them alone a bit. I remind them from time to time to know what is normal is important. They both were involved with our event last year and my oldest came to a school in South Central LA where we taught a class.
Don’t make it scary, use some humor and jump in. This month is a perfect time to do it as there is so much focus on Breast health and Breast Cancer. As for the right age? You need to chose when is right for your kids. I think when the girls get their periods is a good time too as that is when you will discuss a lot of personal stuff.

My kids didn’t get the luxury of choosing a good time. They were 7 and 11 when I was diagnosed so much of the next two years was centered around my treatment and surgeries and all that. We spoke openly with them. I can’t imagine trying to hide your cancer treatment from your kids but some do. That is a personal decision, but my opinion is that kids always know when something is going on and will react accordingly. My journey was my own. You can read about it from the beginning of this blog in October of 2009.

One needs to speak to the men in their lives as well. Especially those with a family history. Yes, their chances of breast cancer are smaller compared to us but there are other cancers that are related to a family history of breast cancer.

Honestly, if you saw a lump appear anywhere on your body wouldn’t you check it out?

The photo is from the Revlon Run Walk which we do every year. A group of us leave our house at 5:30 in the morning to get to USC before they close streets and to get parking nearby. This year was number 5 for us. The first year was two months to the day of my last chemo. That walk was about making it. Which I did surrounded by family and friends. The second year I was overwhelmed at the start by the thought that every person there was there for me as I was for them. We were all there, 60,000 of us united in the fight against women’s cancers. Tears sprang to my eyes and I quickly put my sunglasses on to avoid the inevitable, “Oh, Mom!” of disgust from my kids at my oceans of emotions. Each year since I have been touched with the same sense of belonging and being valued. This year I carried the Daisy Wheel with me and took a few pics. This is with our team sign. I had a long list of people I walk for pined to my back. Unfortunately it keeps getting longer.

The good part of it though is that the list of people I know dying from it has not grown. As those I know are either surviving or living with valiantly and with great style.

Do your self exam, talk to the women and men in your life about it. Teach your daughters, sisters and mothers about it. Ask your schools to carry the program. Set up a lemonade stand, bake sale, garage sale and donate to The Get In Touch Foundation to keep our program growing and continuing.

Saving the world, one girl at a time…I like that idea, don’t you?

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