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LOS ALAMITOS, CA – October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While pink ribbons and 5K walks are a nice way to show support, the reality of breast cancer is often a deeply messy and deeply personal journey of survival.
This month, Patch shares the tributes and personal stories about breast cancer survival for our readers. For starters, I'm going to talk to you a little about my aunt and breast cancer survivor, Karen Muccino, who said that a self-examination saved her life.
When I was little, I often said, "I want to be like my aunt Karen when I grow up." She was beautiful, of course, but what really impressed my teenage years was her generosity, her fierce passion for life, her sense of humor that made her belly laugh and her undeniable strength. She was a "boss" before the term was invented and knew how to stand up. She was a force to be reckoned with – for me, she was indestructible.
In March 2013, Karen found a lump in one of her breasts during a self-examination. Two days later, she was told that she had breast cancer. As we age, we learn that no one is indestructible and that even the strongest people we know have to overcome obstacles. But it was a big one.
In May, she underwent a mastectomy and in the next two years she underwent six reconstructive surgeries. But throughout the ordeal, pain, discomfort and visits to the doctor, his mind was unshakeable. Just five months after his mastectomy, we spent a weekend on the central coast of California skirting the vineyards and tearing the mountain bike sand dunes. Of course, she had an extensor (often painful) in the left reconstructive region, but nothing would stop her from continuing to live her life as she wished.
"The self-examination has saved my life, but the humor has saved my spirit," she said.
May 28, 2018 marked his fifth anniversary of being cancer free. Today, she is still the generous woman, fiercely passionate, extremely funny and strong that I adore since my childhood.
Through her self-examination, she was diagnosed while she was still in stage 1 and was able to avoid chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Each month of October, while she distributes Halloween sweets to neighborhood kids, she distributes breast cancer self-examination pamphlets to their mothers.
"Early detection is a treatment, and I am living proof," she said.
Read also: Refusing to be marginalized: Breast Cancer Survival Stories
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According to BreastCancer.org, a nonprofit organization, here are five steps to doing a self-exam:
Step 1: Start by looking at your breasts in the mirror, your shoulders stretched and your arms on your hips.
- Look for breasts of normal size, shape and color without swelling or distortion.
- Wear these signs for your doctor's attention: dimples, wrinkling, swelling of the skin, redness, pain, rash, swelling, or nipple changes.
2nd step: Raise your arms above your head and look for the same changes.
SStep 3: While you are near the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (liquid or watery, opaque or yellow blood).
Step 4: Feel your breasts lying down, use your right hand to feel your left breast and vice versa. Use a firm, smooth feel in a circular motion with the first fingers of your hand, keeping your fingers flat and together. Cover the entire chest from top to bottom, from one side to the other and from the clavicle to the top of your abdomen, as well as from your armpits to your cleavage.
Step 5: Repeat step 4, this time standing or sitting.
What is your story of breast cancer survivor? Would you like to pay tribute to a survivor of your life? Send your photos and messages to Autumn Johnson at [email protected] and we will share your stories as a message of support, hope and love in October 2018.
Photo courtesy of Karen Muccino
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