Yes, Mammograms Save Lives. But Maybe Not Yours.

It's good to be aware and it's good to get mammograms. But for Uzma, that wasn't enough. It was her gut feeling and a self exam that helped her locate the 7cm mass in her armpit.

The month of October has begun – the surge of pink is overflowing. Sure, everything looks cuter with a little pink in it. But there is nothing remotely cute about breast cancer. Absolutely nothing.

Aren't we all already aware that breast cancer exists? Every 14 minutes someone gets diagnosed with this illness. How can anyone not be aware?

I, for one, am aware of this disease. I have always been aware. So, so aware.

I was aware that breast cancer is fatal, when I said goodbye to my aunt. I was aware of what it can do to a family, when I saw the trauma that her kids underwent.

I was aware of how breast cancer stops lives, as I sat with my other aunt during her chemo infusions at the hospital, taking time off from medical school classes to keep her company.

I was aware that some survive. I was aware that many do not.

I was aware of myself. I examined myself regularly since my 20s. I was aware of my dense breasts – familiar with the lumpy and nodular texture, especially before my cycle. I was aware of what dense breasts meant.

I was aware of mammograms — my first one was at 25 years of age — even had an ultrasound.

But I was still unaware of the 7 cm mass in my armpit, which never formed a lump. The two mammograms I had in the six months leading up to my diagnosis didn't detect anything. I was the only one that could tell that there was a change in the texture of my breast tissue. Mammography couldn't detect that.

It's good to be aware. It's good to get mammograms. But in the end, it was my gut feeling that made me locate the lump in my arm pit — a swollen axillary lymph node; never good news. For me, mammograms were a false sense of security. It was self exam that saved my life.

So those that read this today, please think about what "awareness" really means. You're already aware of existence of breast cancer – now it's time to be aware of yourself and your body. Please examine yourself — know your body and your breasts.

Be aware of your genetic risk and your family history. I don't have the BRCA gene but I knew that due to two family members, my risk was higher. Be aware of your health – eat well, exercise and treat your body right. Ask your doctor to show you how to do a proper breast exam.

And when you see the pink ribbons everywhere, please ask yourself, "when was the last time I properly examined my breasts?" You owe this to yourself and your family.

How are you going to raise breast cancer awareness this month?

Related:

• Is It Time to Regulate The Pink Ribbon?
• The Real Side of Cancer
• How to Really Be Aware This October
• Cancer Is More Than One Color, One Month

Related Discussion Questions:

• Any survivors feel that the "pink ribbon's" original grass roots movement has swayed?
• A friend of mine is now fighting breast cancer and she is afraid that she will never feel whole again after mastectomy and reconstruction.
• I had a lumpectomy April of 2011 followed by radiation treatments. My incision site is still sore. Does anyone else experience this?

(Image courtesy of the author)