October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Have you had your breast checked lately Sisters, especially the old “schoolers?” In fact this call is also to you “new and middle schoolers” as well. No Sister is exempt from this call.

The Month of October has been designated Breast cancer awareness month through out the world to create awareness around breast cancer, a devastating but treatable cancer that can be managed if detected early and the catch phrase is if detected early.

Many Sisters and some men have lost their lives, with its attendant economic and social consequences, to this disease that with modern medicine and technology can be managed. No sister should die or even suffer needlessly from breast cancer. A simple breast examination which can be done by one’s self can save a breast and even a life. If you have not mastered the art of examining your breast you can always ask your doctor or any medical personnel for that matter to conduct a breast examination for you. Sisters over 40 years are however encouraged to have a mammography screening once a year in addition to the regular breast examinations.
Many sisters fear the loss of their breasts and therefore would rather not examine their breast which can lead to the detection of a lump or other unusual changes that could give an indication of the need for a more thorough examination of the breast by a health professional. That is to say, many sisters would rather be in denial. But in this case what you do not know can kill you and fast too.

My mother lost her life to breast cancer, a battle she lost so early simply because the disease was detected too late, simply because she was not examining her breast regularly that is if she ever did, simply because awareness was not so pervasive.
Do we Sisters have to go through this same fate in this day and age when there is information explosion, when public health practitioners and activists are for ever reminding us to examine our breast regularly? Please do the right thing, go get a breast examination now and remember to regularly if possible monthly at least examine your breast.

It is very important that we imbibe the fact that regular breast examination will likely lead to early detection of any abnormalities of the breast and therefore can increase the chance of saving the breast and a life. Laziness, procrastination, “I don’t carism”, seeing oneself as being exempt, looking at breast cancer as being far fetched or a disease for a particular category of people can result in late detection of breast cancer. Therefore all hands on deck sisters, tout it as loud as you can, tell all the sisters who will listen, convince those who will not listen to examine their breasts regularly and let us save not only a breast but a life as well.

Beatrice Boakye-Yiadom
Acting Grants Manager