The beginning...

As a female in my mid-twenties, I have been hearing the message of the importance of administering self breast exams and early detection of tumors (aka "lumps") for the past 10-15 years via women's magazines, the gynecologist office, breast cancer campaigns, etc. This topic particularly grabs my attention since breast cancer has been a significant part of my own life. My mother has been diagnosed and successfully treated for two separate occurrences of breast cancer. When I was 21, my gynecologist detected a lump in my left breast during a clinical breast exam, which I then had an ultrasound performed to reveal that the lump was benign and due to hormonal fluctuations in my menstrual cycle. Nevertheless, that experience was a scary one, and one that has kept me awake some nights when I feel changes in my breast tissue or allow the thought of developing a malignant tumor take over.

The already high incidence rate of breast cancer in women all over the world and in the U.S. is enough to keep me on high alert. Add to that the genetic component often associated with breast cancer and the fact that my own mother has had it twice in the past 11 years, and I feel down-right frightened by the whole prospect of being directly affected by the disease. And while over the years I have done some reading on the topic and tried to implement lifestyle changes here and there to help reduce my risk of developing breast cancer, I am now choosing to go a few steps further and get a more organized, action-oriented, systematic approach to reducing my risk. The breast cancer worry will haunt me no longer, because I'll know and trust that I'm doing what I can.

This blog will chronicle my process as I work in 2008 to implement the life-long lifestyle changes that will help me live a quality life that is cancer free. :)