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I remember I was in the car, driving to my sister’s house. My phone rang, it was one of my girlfriends.
I answered, cheerfully and about to share how I’d just met my baby nephew for the first time and was heading for more cuddles—but the tone in her voice halted me.
She asked me to call her back once I’d gotten home, not keen to distract me with some bad news while I was driving.
In Australia, the federal BreastScreen program “actively invites” women aged 50-74 to have a free mammogram every two years.
Women aged 40-49 and those 75 or older are instead merely “eligible” for a complimentary screening, yet they need to actively reach out to their local service to schedule an appointment. Given our hectic lives, it’s easy to see how something like this might slip through the cracks.
That’s exactly why BCNA’s new campaign reinforces the importance of taking a look, at every opportunity.
They’re asking women to “Know Yourself. Feel Yourself”, and literally feel around for any inconsistencies when it comes to your breast health.
They want women to give their breasts the same daily focus we give our faces in the mirror. Reflect on that—how many hours do we collectively invest in cleansing, moisturizing, applying makeup to our faces every day?
Why not allocate just a fraction of that time to getting acquainted with your breasts? Whether in the shower, when dressing, undressing, while lounging on the couch watching TV, or waiting in the kitchen for a meal to cook. Normalize being familiar with your breasts.
And if something seems amiss, have it examined. You might just detect something early. And concerning a breast cancer diagnosis, the earlier it can be treated, the more favorable the outcome might be—just as it was for my friend Paula.