It's Exam time!

Guess where I am off to this morning?

You got it!  I am off for my yearly mammogram!  Now before all of you start moaning and groaning and jump away from this post please hear me out.  If this helps just one person get on board then it will have been enough and that is why I am sharing this with you today for Inspiration Friday!

Let me start by saying that I am not an expert on Breast Cancer, have not had it or have experienced the loss of a close love one from this terrible disease.  You are not going to find that type of story here.  I am just an ordinary gal trying to do all that I can to take care of myself, for me and for my family and loved ones.

To say I have not been touched by this disease at all would not be true though.  While I have not lost any close love ones, I have lost someone whom I truly feel would have been a great friend.  Shortly after moving here and joining the Sailing Club there was a couple who joined about the same time we did.  Their names were Cathy and Alan.  Cathy was my age and an 8 year breast cancer survior.  She worked for the same company as my husband though downtown and had a wonderful personality.  Before we even met, my husband said I can't wait for you two to meet you will love her.  They had a boat docked near ours and we would always speak to each about sailing and the club and stuff when we crossed paths. During those first years that they were members they also built a new home right across the street from the sailing club, you may have seen it on the walking tour that I posted.  I was so excited they were going to be neighbors, then shortly after moving in the cancer returned.  We rarely got to see other between the cancer treatments and the many vacations they decided to take.  One was a charter sailing vacation that I remember her telling me was the most beautiful vacation she had ever been on.  Even though she had been fighting cancer for 8 years she never gave up!

She fought it hard and for a long time but the cancer had spread to her brain and before our friendship could even begin she passed away.  I know you think it is odd to mourn a friend you really did get to know but I do.   Her husband has quit the sailing club and sold both their old boat and the house.  I am sure you can understand why.  The new owners of the boat are the ones that sold us our "new to us sail".  It is the clear one seen here in this photo.

Even though it is not made for our boat and not even the right size a bit too small, it sails beautifully.  The first day we tried it out we had a perfect sailing day and both my husband and I literally knew Cathy had been looking after us that day.  I am still amazed that my husband was actually thinking that too and told me so, it was that strong of a feeling.

I have another friend whom I cannot get to go for her mammogram for anything.  This just does not make any sense to me.  Why would anyone risk something that could possibly be caught early enough to prevent it.

That is why I am happy to post this and am happy to...

I hope you will too. I do even though, I hate going to these!  You see, I have a good reason for not liking doing this.  I have fibrocystic breast disease.  It is hereditary and makes for lumpy breasts.  Which is why I have a hard time with this...

I am always wondering about the lumps in my breasts, but they do tend to come and go.  Except for one lump, that did not go away and was like a small pebble two years ago.  It was enough of a scare to cause a mammogram to show that I needed a biopsy.  It turned out to be a small calcium deposit that was removed and I now have a microchip inserted to show the doctors where this was.  Weird!  The Mr. and I often joke about this being a tracking device they put in me.  Anyway, it was an ordeal I don't want to go through again.  However, I am always grateful it was nothing more and doesn't compare to what those who do have cancer have to face.

For those of you who didn't know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  This is easy for me to remember since I am an October baby.  For the rest of you, next time you are thinking about all that orange, think about how beautiful pink looks with orange and think about getting your breast exam.  If you don't do it for yourself, do it for your loved ones, or those you have yet to meet!

God bless and thanks for reading this!

Now go set up that appointment!

Mary