So as most of you probably know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but, what does it mean to be aware? I mean, the media and social networking sites offer various easy things anyone can do. You can send in yogurt lids or turn your website pink, buy any of the tons and tons of pink merchandise. Sometimes it’s as simple as turning a profile picture into a ribbon or passing on a facebook message. But do these things actually make you aware? I guess technically yes, because it’s on your mind at least for a moment, but is that enough. The reason I say this is because one of best friends from high school put up a ribbon as her profile picture on facebook about a week ago. It was eye catching and you immediately knew what it was suppose to represent or support or whatever. Then last week this same friend revealed to me that all the October pink hoopla (the awareness I mentioned earlier) and putting that ribbon up as her profile pic, well it made her take a few minutes and do a self breast examine just out of the blue. Well turns out she found a mass and is going to have a mammogram next week. It’s scary stuff because it could be cancer and she’s only 31. So it seems, at least to me, that the awareness month things are making people more aware, at least in my friend’s case anyway. The main thing I want to STRESS with this post is that all these October awareness things you can buy and donate are great, and hopefully the proceeds are going where they’re suppose to go, but remember that being aware means being aware of your body as well. Take the time to do self breast exams, not just in October but every month because it could save your life. I’m sure my friend didn’t think she’d find anything but she did and now she’s glad she did the self exam. Hopefully it’s not cancer but it’s still a frightening thing to go through. That’s all for now, I’m off to the hospital to get blood work for my surgery next week. Big Love

Filed Under: friends, health, heart matters, life @ 10:00 AM | 1 Comment