Diagnosed With Breast Cancer – Binghamton Mom Shares Her Story

I think in the back of our heads, we all think that we're invincible. We think that cancer can't possibly touch us. And then it does. You might not be the one that breast cancer strikes, but someone you know may be in for the fight of their life.

Take a look around you. Look at your female friends. Look at your female co-workers. Look at the women shopping next to you at the grocery store. One in eight of the women that you see right now will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. One in eight.

In 2015, my friend and co-worker was diagnosed with breast cancer (she beat it) and in early 2017, another one of my friends was diagnosed (she also beat it). Two strong women close to me diagnosed with this awful disease was quite an eye-opener.

When my friend Dianne was diagnosed, her family and friends gathered together to throw her a party to show her support and to reaffirm our love for her. It was incredible to see all of the pink and all of the love surrounding such an outstanding woman who most certainly didn't face her (winning) fight alone.

According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women worldwide, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of women each year. And while rare, an estimated 2,150 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 410 will die each year.

But, it's not only women who are fighting the breast cancer fight. While it's rare for men to develop breast cancer, an estimated 2,150 men will be diagnosed with it and approximately 410 will die each year.

Did you know that if your mom, sister, dad, or child has been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer, you've got a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer in the future?  What's more, your risk increases if your relative was diagnosed before the age of 50.  However, sometimes cancer strikes without warning and this is why it's so important to do monthly self-checks and to keep up on your annuals (even though they're definitely not the most pleasant thing in the world) and the breast exams that go hand-in-hand with them.

An annual with a breast exam is what alerted my brave friend, Mary Beth Walsh to her breast cancer and being vigilant in keeping up with her healthcare is what saved her life. This is Mary Beth's story.

[via National Breast Cancer/Cancer Effects/Susan G. Komen/World Health Organization]