Touch Your Own Boobs – Be Self Aware

I received an email this morning (August 25, 2011)  from someone purportedly from the Communications and Information Branch at the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care  (MOHLTC). In it, she writes the following:

“Ontario has one of the highest survival rates for breast cancer in the world, with nearly 90 per cent of women surviving the disease. Yet research provided by Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) reveals that more than half a million women eligible for Ontario s Breast Screening Program (OBSP) are not getting screened.

You can do your part in ensuring your loved ones aren t part of this statistic. The province of Ontario is encouraging early detection by expanding the OBSP. Women between the ages of 30 and 69 who are at high risk for breast cancer because of genetics or a personal or family history are now eligible to receive an annual breast screening MRI and a mammogram through the program.

Women over 30 are encouraged to talk to their family physician to discuss what breast cancer screening option is right for them, and for their mothers, friends and loved ones to do the same. Regular screening, combined with greater self-awareness and improvements in treatment, has been shown to save lives.

Women can visit www.ontario.ca/screenforlife and complete the  Time to Screen  tool to find out when it s the right time for them to get screened. They can also view videos of a former cancer patent outlining the importance of screening and Dr. Rene, a radiologist detailing the screening process [URL added by BloggerBarb - it's the only video I could find on screening]. Please feel free to include any of these links in your blog …” [added by BloggerBarb: here is a Google link to lots of videos on breast cancer screening]

Sage words indeed.

I have been getting mammograms for at least 10 years and although they didn’t catch my breast cancer, I was a pesty patient in my doctor’s office wondering what the pain was … so please, please, if you are reading this, talk to all the women you love in your life (sister, aunt, lover, wife, significant other — young and old alike) about self-examination if they are in a non-risk group and those over 40 who are at risk just for being alive at that age to get a mammogram.

And if you are in Canada and don’t have a family doctor … my question is why? Get yourself a doctor today! Don’t wait until you’re sick … don’t go into an emergency room … don’t use walk-in clinics all the time … they don’t know your history and may not think of cancer when you walk in with swollen glands or a lump that could also be a cyst.

Can’t find a family doctor? Did you know that you can check your local hospital’s web site to find new doctors accepting patients? Yes, it’s true … that’s how I found mine about 6 years ago when my other doctor left her practice to pursue environmental medicine: I stupidly waited too long to find a new doctor and yes, it was not easy — I think I interviewed about 3 or 4 doctors before finding the one I have now … who hopefully will be around long after I’m gone

I never gave it much thought. Perhaps it was denial. Perhaps life just got too busy. Again.

A few weeks ago I received an email from La Vie en Rose asking if I would like to try their new Muse bras specifically made for us breast cancer warriors. I watched the video and was excited to see that someone was thinking of us as women, not just cancer survivors.

La Vie en Rose sent me 2 gorgeous bras: pastel blue with lace and all things frilly and sexy … just like I used to have before losing a breast.

Even better is that these beautiful sexy bras come with lightweight fillers which almost replace the heavy prosthetics that cost hundreds of dollars more — I say “almost replace” because there will probably be times when I’ll need to wear my regular prosthetic. The lightweight bra, as sexy as it is, still doesn’t quite look as natural as the prosthetic so I found myself adjusting the Muse bra frequently — but how wonderful that it’s so lightweight that it’s barely noticeable. My regular prosthetic is about 8-10 pounds and lugging that on my chest day in and day out is never going to happen.

I had forgotten what it’s like to feel like a woman — although I’ll always be a tom boy that prefers playing sports, it’s fabulous to know that I’m all woman underneath all that cotton.

Some of the questions I asked of the Muse bras were all answered — one of the more important questions I had was if these bras are covered by extended insurance similar to the post-mastectomy bras, and the answer is:

“So far the bras are covered by Quebec and Nova Scotia’s government health care programs. As for private insurance,
because our receipt doesn’t say post-mastectomy, we advise our clients to simply submit an request by email or phone for
proof that the bra is indeed a post-mastectomy product through our customer service dept.”

I’m back at Wellspring as of a couple of weeks ago and brought one of the bras there to show the other women — and they were a great success! They are not only beautiful, but at under $60, they are very affordable — and at that price, you also get both fillers that are removeable, just like the pricier post-mastectomy bras.

Allison, one of the therapists at Wellspring, made a great suggestion — I’m back playing tennis and I’m very self-conscious about running around with one lump on my chest (it’s a large lump!) — she suggested that I wear the Muse bra underneath a regular sports bra so that I have the illusion of 2 breasts — genius Allison, genius!

If you want to feel like a woman again, I strongly recommend checking out these Canadian made Muse bras — and bask in lace once again!