The Race for the Cure

Last weekend, I dragged myself for 3 miles jogged in my first Race for the Cure in downtown Little Rock. What an incredible feeling that was! The Race was jam packed with 45,000 women in pink t-shirts, pink hair and pink wigs. Many of the "3 Miles of Men" even wore pink hats wrapped with boas. There were bikers honking their horns as you jogged past as well as belly dancers at one corner. I thought I might join the belly dancers next year(Not!). . .they were having much more fun than me!

The reason that I decided to participate is still unclear to me. I remember last year one of our church members talking about it and I determined then that I was going to do it with her. There have been so many women impacted by breast cancer and I really do not want to be among the group. So I have decided to "be the cure" by knowing my stuff. My stuff is as follows. . .

Do you know what the best way to prevent breast cancer is?

PREVENTION. . .get regular breast exams!

According to breastcancerprevention.org "All women need to take certain precautions to prevent breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) encourages you to talk to your doctor about screening through clinical breast exams (a breast examination provided by a health care professional) and mammography (x-ray of the breast). In between doctor visits, you should do monthly breast self exams. You and your doctor can plan a schedule of breast check-ups that is right for your individual situation. The American Cancer Society guidelines are shown below."

Age	Breast Self Exam	Physical Exam	Mammogram
20-39	monthly	at least every 3 years	baseline exam age 35-39
40 +	monthly	yearly	yearly

You can take an online test on this website if you have risk factors for breast cancer. I was not a high risk candidate, but there is always a chance.

This just in. . .it is a time for a nap. Hope I am leaving you well informed and part of the cure! Have a great weekend!