 |
|
|
|||||||||
 |
||
 |
education Volunteer realizes the importance of her own mammography message Mae Wade of Evansville, Indiana, has been a Tell A Friend volunteer for the American Cancer Society since 2000. As a Tell A Friend volunteer, she reaches out to her community about the importance of yearly mammograms to test for breast cancer. Mae knew the importance of mammography but, surprisingly, she had never had a mammogram herself. 
Then Mae's sister was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. After already losing one sister to cancer when she was young, Mae traveled to her sister's side during treatment. After Mae's sister urged her to get a mammogram, she decided to get screened. Mae confessed she had never had a mammogram to her friend and local Society staff person in the Southwestern Indiana Area Service Center, who wasted no time signing them both up to get mammograms at an upcoming health fair in their local mall, an event Mae usually attended as a Tell A Friend volunteer. After her first mammogram, Mae's doctors called her back for a biopsy, but luckily did not find cancer. She returned for her screening each year. Then, after her mammogram this year, Mae was diagnosed. Thankfully, her cancer was found early because of her regular screenings, making it much more treatable. "I don't know why I shied away from it so long, but I'm glad that I did take one this year," she said. She is currently in treatment and still volunteers for Tell A Friend. "I would explain it as lifesaving," she said of the program that publicizes mammography, "because I wouldn't have ever known [I have breast cancer] if I hadn't taken a mammogram." She had no symptoms, such as a lump, as a warning. Nowadays, Mae's Tell A Friend message to her community is a personal one. "I'm just glad that I can help somebody," she said. "I hope that they don't have the same trouble I have, but it would be good to know [whether or not you have cancer]. One sure way of knowing is having the test." The American Cancer Society recommends that all women 40 and older have a mammogram every year; women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam as part of their routine physical. Self breast exam is an option, but all women should know their breasts in order to be able to recognize changes and to report these promptly to their doctor. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, take care of your health and get screened! To learn more about Tell A Friend or breast cancer, call 800-ACS-2345 or log on to www.cancer.org. | |
|
|