Connect. Communicate. Conquer

I have a story to tell.

A few months ago, one of my best friends came to me for help. Her 18-year-old sister has lumps in her breast. They went to the hospital to get checked and they were referred to a surgeon. Being a person who slices people open for a living, the surgeon immediately told the little sister that she needs an operation. No tests, no biopsies, just straight away operate. I told my friend we will get a second opinion.

Days went on and little sister would always cry because she was really scared. She said the pain in her breast was too much and of course, she was thinking about breast cancer. We did a lot of consoling/counseling as she was so depressed. We had to wait until payday to bring the little sister to the doctor so each day that passed was very agonizing for her. I brought them to my gynecologist because I was sure she could cheer little sister up.

My doctor immediately made the little sister feel at ease. She said that it’s probably nothing, that it’s normal for women to have lumps in their breasts from time to time. They didn’t have a  history of breast cancer in the family but they have a history of lumps in the breast which are harmless. My doctor did an exam and found another lump in the other breast. I think she had a total of 3 lumps on both breasts.

My doctor prescribed pain killers and told her that if the pain still bothers her after 6 months then she should come back. And because there was very little that the doctor did, she waived the fees. I soooo love my doctor. She’s the best, I tell you. Very nice, very sweet.

I think the 6 months have elapsed and I don’t hear any complaints from my friend.

I think you know what I’m trying to say here. Now that communication and technology are on an all time high, women of all ages should be well informed about issues affecting them especially with regard to their health and well being. If this happened about 15 years ago, our poor little sister would have been cut open already. But we know better now. We have an infinite source of knowledge at our fingertips. We can research about diseases and cures. We can research about our health and wellness and how to prevent illnesses. We can learn from the experiences of others.

We are all glad that we asked for a second opinion. The smile on her face after the exam was priceless. She was relaxed and calm and smiling and she was back to being a teenager once again.

I absolutely believe Estee Lauder’s slogan – Connect. Communicate. Conquer Breast Cancer. Click on the banner above and take your pledge. Visit the local website to learn more. Be a fan of their facebook page. Us women should stick together. And we, should have our regular checkups.

If you feel lumps in your breast, see your doctor today. Don’t be scared. The gift of peace of mind at the end of it all is surely worth it.

Take your pledge today. I did.