 Good morning Warriors and welcome back to The Breast Place’s blog! We hope you’ve been recuperating these past few weeks and are up and at’em today! If you’re new here though, I’d like to take a moment to introduce ourselves.
We are The Breast Place; a team of individuals in Charleston, SC that aim to assist with treatment, management, and after care for health challenges men and women face such as breast cancer, body contouring, scar revisions, wrinkles, and general education. Breast cancer management and treatment is one of our more significant services, as you could probably tell from our name, but empowering women is our focus! Since our team here specializes in both malignant and benign breast disease, we wanted to take some time to describe what breast cancer management and treatment looks like to the common person. Life is challenging alone, and when you throw breast cancer in the mix it can sometimes seem impossible- but don’t worry, you’re not alone. We’re here to listen and support you in your fight against breast cancer, every step of the way. So, what are some common breast cancer management methods or breast cancer treatments? Well, breast cancer can be treated in many ways and it all comes down to what kind of cancer it is and how much it has spread to other areas in your body. Most times, people with breast cancer may get a combination of treatment methods to help them win the fight with this disease. Common treatment options for breast cancer are:
Surgery is typically known as the simpler approach where doctors and surgeons cut out the cancerous tissue directly. Chemotherapy is most commonly associated with cancer treatments these days, but the way it works is by shrinking or killing cancer cells. This medicinal treatment can sometimes be pills or intravenously. Hormone therapy essentially practices preventing the cancer cells from getting the hormones they would need to grow by blocking that off. Biological therapy empowers your immune system to fight the cancer cells more effectively, and can also be used to manage the side effects from other treatments listed. Last but not least, radiation therapy utilizes high-energy rays to kill the cancer cells over time. Though these are the professional and medical treatments for breast cancer, what happens when the treatments are over and you go home? Breast cancer management is more than just your regular doctor’s appointment, there are things to take note and care of when those treatments are all said and done. These professional treatments may help send the cancer into remission or manage it well, but unpleasant side effects are not uncommon. With any combination of the listed breast cancer treatments, your body is putting up a fight! It’s important to acknowledge that and take care of yourself as much as possible. Become the epitome of ‘self care’ during these times, and remember to be gentle with yourself. Some side effects you may experience after breast cancer treatments are fatigue, headaches, pain, menopausal symptoms, memory loss, and poor sleep. Give your body what it needs to heal itself and keep going by taking a look at this list of self care ideas and advice!
To take time and consideration for your mind, we recommend finding the best self care method for you! Self care is less about trendy behaviors and activities and more about what works best for you and your lifestyle. You may be an outdoorsy person where gardening, park trips, beach trips, hiking, picnics, or even just reading or drawing outside makes you happy. Or perhaps you’re an extroverted person who loves being around people! Concerts, public activities, fairs or festivals, networking, clubs, and friend/family gatherings would suit you well. Either way, your favorite hobbies are typically the best route to go when you’re needing self-care. Some of our favorite ways to indulge self care and resting your mind are spa days, massages, beach trips, and meditation! If these things are difficult or are becoming difficult, remember to be kind to yourself as you're going through treatments and aftercare. You are a warrior and part of what makes you strong in this fight is that you’re not alone- the support structure around you made up of your friends, family, and our team here at The Breast Place are here! Keep going and take care, Warriors!
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 While Breast Cancer Awareness Month is five months away still, we try to educate and spread awareness as much as we can all year round. Today, we are going to be talking about self-breast examinations and everything you need to know about them!
Hello warriors, readers, patients, and friends! We are so glad you're joining us today for our first blog of May! It is a new season, a new spring, a new time in Charleston, and all of it comes with a new sense of hope and strength within it. We hope each of you reading this today feels that feeling with us, and we hope you know that no matter where you are in your journey, we are here to help and support you. First and foremost, we are here to help empower our amazing patients and to help them through their diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. This will never be a path you walk alone. We also offer many specialized services right here in our Charleston offices including abnormal breast imaging, family history and genetic testing, oncoplastic surgery, scar revision, body contouring, facial rejuvenation, laser hair removal, lactation, and much more. If you're looking for the premier breast specialists in Charleston, SC, you've found us! While Breast Cancer Awareness Month is still officially five months away, we try to honor it every day by spreading awareness, talking about the realities of breast cancer for women of all ages, and trying to use every opportunity we can to educate everyone we meet. Today, in honor of this idea, we are going to be talking about self-breast exams; what they are, the best way to go about giving yourself the best exam, and some common myths you might not know! For those new to The Breast Place, welcome! We are here to support you and your breasts at every stage of your life. We've mentioned this in past blogs, but self-breast exams can be one of the most successful first steps in preventing cancer and catching it in its early stages. Self-breast exams are important for women throughout their lives but can be extremely beneficial for younger women with very thick breast tissue. Having thick breast tissue can make it almost impossible for a mammogram to work on women younger than 40. In many situations, self-breast exams can be one of the only ways that cancer can be caught in women younger than 40, and can be an amazing lifesaver. At The Breast Place, we perform clinical breast exams, family history risk assessment, breast ultrasounds, biopsies including fine needle aspirations, and needle core biopsies in the office. However, sometimes your overall experience and reason why you find us at The Breast Palace can begin with a self-breast examination. Today, we will be focusing on self-breast exams so you can successfully carry out this life-saving procedure on yourself! What Is A Self Breast Exam? As it is stated in its name, a self-breast exam is an at-home self-inspection of your beasts to see if there are any changes or abnormalities that have appeared within your breasts. The best way to do a fully successful breast exam is to use both your eyes and hands to determine if there are any changes to the overall feel and look of your breasts. If you do see any changes, it is best to speak to your doctor right away. Please note that, according to the Mayo Clinic, that almost all changes found during a self-breast exam for your breasts appear due to benign causes. However, this never means that you should ignore any changes that might appear. It means you still need to share this information with your doctor and have them determine what should happen next. It is still possible that some changes may mean something serious, like breast cancer. Why Should I Give Myself Self Breast Exams? While breast cancer to this day is still considered something that is only found in women who have gone through menopause, we need to break that stigma! Giving yourself self-breast exams and understanding their importance can help with this! A self-exam or even just examining your breasts on your own can be a huge help with discovering cancer early. This can mean that if cancer is caught and treated earlier, it is more likely to be treated successfully! When self-exams are paired with regular physical exams, they can help make a huge impact on your life and safety. Also remember that giving yourself a breast exam costs you nothing but a little time, and that time is well worth spending on yourself! How Do I Give Myself A Self Breast Examination? Now that you know a little bit more about self-breast exams and why they are so important, it's time to understand how best to go about giving yourself a breast exam. This way they can be as efficient, effective, and successful as possible.
What To Expect From A Self Breast Exam While reading about how to give yourself a self-breast exam may teach you how to do it, that doesn't mean you know exactly what to expect or what it might feel like. Here are a few more extra tips and pieces of insight that might make the whole process a little easier and help prepare you a little more.
Myths About Self Breast Exams & More Just like we've debunked many different things on our blogs before, there are myths about self-breast exams and other related topics that need to be debunked too. The list below is full of myths to avoid and not worry about while going through your life and caring for your breasts. However, if you do have any questions or concerns even after reading this list and the whole blog, please do not hesitate to reach out and speak with us!
Warriors, fight your battles and be strong while doing so. You have the tools now to begin the battle and to keep yourself as prepared and ahead of the diagnosis as possible. Your health is in your hands, quite literally. Please take the time to dedicate a self-breast exam to your schedule every month. In the long run, it might be the biggest key in catching the first sign or stages of cancer that could appear in your body! Until next time, stay safe and be well out there. We understand life is challenging. We are here to listen, support, treat, and help make life a little easier.  The connection between a healthy lifestyle and healthy breasts is incredible. Not only can it help prevent breast cancer, but it can also help increase your odds of beating the disease and not letting it come back!
Hello warriors, readers, and faithful friends! Spring is here and the taste of summer is right around the corner. We've all been getting out more and more as it becomes safer to do so and as the weather allows. There is nothing like a beautiful walk through downtown, on the beach, through one of our many state parks, or one of our many historical sites. The Lowcountry offers so much that it's just calling for us to get up and get out right now! It's also an incredible mecca for foodies and all-natural purveyors! You can find every kind of delicious meal prepared at one of our many fine dining locations or buy it fresh out of the ocean and right off the farm. Healthy lifestyle choices can help you enjoy the beautiful Lowcountry life, make you feel amazing, and it can help you prevent breast cancer, help you defeat it, and make sure it never comes back! Breast cancer is a reality we all face. While some have a genetically higher chance of getting it than others, this silent killer doesn't discriminate. It picks and chooses at will. For those who have had breast cancer and are fighting to make sure it never returns, this battle is a constant worry. While we fight to discover a cure, there are things you can do right now, small changes in your lifestyle, to make whatever battle you might be fighting more successful. It's a tough battle, one that we try to educate everyone we possibly can about. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, affecting more than one and a half million women every year, with more than three million breast cancer survivors in the US alone right now. With numbers like that, it's an overwhelming thought if there is anything we can do to help make a difference in this battle. While there is no cancer-preventing food or specific exercise, a healthy lifestyle and many factors that go along with it correlates with being able to lower your overall risk. Any chances you can take to lower your risk are worth considering and implementing, and we are here to help you with the rest!
There are some things about our bodies and our health that are out of our control. However, when it comes to a healthy lifestyle, our health is in our hands and we have the choice and the ability to care for ourselves. As health guru, fitness trainer, and ex-Rockette Amanda Kloots says "exercising is a privilege that we have every day. Getting up and moving our bodies is a gift." Let's celebrate that we are the incredible, powerful unique women that we are and that we can help our bodies fight against cancer with small daily changes and choices. We are here for you along the way, during your fight, and after. If you would like to begin or if you have any questions about our services including family history and genetic testing, survivorship, scar revision, body contouring, facial rejuvenation, laser hair removal, or lactation, please contact us today! Until next time, get up and get moving. You have another day to make healthy choices!  While mammograms are a yearly procedure that we recommend for our patients that are in their 40's and beyond, there can still be so much mystery in what a mammogram is, how to prepare for one, and what to expect after the experience itself. Today, we are dedicating this blog to everything you need to know about the realities of a mammogram inside and out. We will also be talking about the before, during, and after process of getting one!
Hello warriors! Welcome back to the Breast Place Blog! It has been a very exciting few weeks with a visit from our friend Amanda Syfriend, making appearances at the #pinkintherink hockey game with the South Carolina Stingrays, and supporting an incredible local charity called Share our Suzy. Share our Suzy, for our readers new to the charity, helps local breast cancer patients pay for utility bills, groceries, wigs, childcare, and much more. We are constantly fighting for, supporting, and educating those who are fighting and those who could one day fight if we don't find a cure fast enough. This is one of the many reasons why we invest our time and efforts into our social media pages and our blog, we want to share and spread awareness, support our community, and do everything we can to help. We appreciate all of our readers, followers, and supporters for their love and kindness they've shown to each of these platforms, and we applaud you for helping us achieve these goals, spread our message, and help lift up our warriors and fighters. With a whole year under our belts since the pandemic has started, we are coming out exhausted in more ways than one. There is still so much unknown and we hope that as time goes on, we continue to see a light at the end of the tunnel together. Let's continue to stay safe and make safe choices for our loved ones. Our last few blogs have been dedicated to our products and services that you can find when you visit our offices, their amazing results, and the power they can give to your self-esteem and self-confidence. Today, we are going to be circling back and talking directly about services related to breast cancer and the prevention of it. Today, we are going to be talking about mammograms. While they should become part of your regular yearly checkups once you're over the age of 40, there are still so many people who aren't getting them and so many who are unaware and unsure about what the whole process entails. Today, we are going to continue to use this platform as a tool for education to clear up any questions and confusion about mammograms, and to persuade you to get them if you're not already doing so.
Mammograms are done both for screening and diagnostic purposes. Once your doctor begins to advise you to start getting them, usually around the time you turn 40, these mammograms are used to detect any changes in the breast in women who have shown no previous signs or symptoms of cancer. This can help detect cancer before clinical signs begin. A diagnostic mammogram is used to investigate anything unusual that has appeared in a woman's breast including lumps, pain, changes in skin appearance, and more. This mammogram will include more images than a normal screening. According to the American Cancer Society, women with a normal risk of cancer should receive a mammogram every year starting at age 45 until age 54, while the Preventative Services Task Force recommends screening every two years, starting at age 50 until 74. Those with a higher risk of breast cancer will benefit from starting mammograms sooner, and it is best to speak to your doctor about when best to begin your mammogram process. During the mammogram itself, a patient's breasts will be compressed between two separate hard surfaces to help spread out the breast tissue. This will help the X-ray capture images of the breasts. Once the breasts have been compressed, an X-ray takes black and white photos of the breasts that will then be examined by your doctor for any signs of abnormalities or cancer.
If you have any more questions about mammograms and the experience of getting one, please do not hesitate to reach out! We are here to answer any questions and calm any worries. Until next time warriors, stay strong and keep fighting!  While the new year approaches, why not take the time to give back to yourself in the healthiest, easiest, and safest ways possible? With truSculpt iD, one of our premier services, we can help you reach your goals today!
Hello warriors, friends, readers, and all of our supporters! Welcome back to the blog, one of the very last for 2020. We hope the holiday season has been a good one for you and your loved ones, and that you remain healthy and happy while continuing to make safe decisions. With the coming new year, we wanted to switch gears a little in this blog and chat about one of the many premier services that we proudly offer all of our patients, geared to helping you feel your best with ease, truSculpt iD! We are here today to talk a little bit more about the process and the many benefits it can offer your mind, body, and sense of self! Let's talk a little bit about what truSculpt iD is and what it focuses on. We've talked a little bit about truSculpt in the past, but today we wanted to dive deeper into what it can offer and give you in simple, pain-free, and easy treatments. You work hard to take care of your body, what happens when your body just doesn't want to cooperate even with all the hard work you are giving back to it? Also, we live in a world where we want things to happen fast and we want fast results. Thankfully, truSculpt can help provide us with that. Coolscuplting, its predecessor, does offer its own unique technique of helping with weight loss, but only to a certain extent. What is Coolscupting? It is a type of freezing technology that is non-surgical and reduces pockets of fat in trouble spots in your body. It is only cleared to help 9 spots in the body by the FDA. The body does not like the cold and will eliminate frozen and dead cells from the procedure within one to three months, which according to Coolsculpt will help with a 20-25% reduction of fat in the areas you have chosen to target. They state that it is for individuals that are near their ideal body weight, who want to lose just a little more to finally reach their goals. It is not a weight-loss treatment. The idea that it is not an evasive procedure and it is non-surgical is appealing. However, it is targeted at a certain group of people, leaving out quite a population who might want to be treated. It also is only approved for certain parts of the body, and this is where the benefits of coolsculpting end and the benefits of truSculpt iD begin. After babies or challenges in life, unwanted fat can hang around no matter how hard you work. In as little as 15 minutes per treatment, you can target those unwanted areas on your lunch break with no downtime and resume your daily activities immediately. The muffin top, love handles, lower abdomen, and “bra-fat” can all be treated with noninvasive body contouring done in the office. Everyone wants to lose weight fast and create their ideal body with the least invasive option. truSculpt iD from Cutera is a non-invasive fat removal device for quick fat loss. Shape your body by addressing stubborn fat areas directly. truSculpt iD uses the latest body sculpting technology personalized to fit anyone and unlike other devices on the market, there's almost no limit to the areas that can be treated. Studies on truSculpt iD have proven an average of 24% fat loss in a single treatment per area. Unlike Coolsculpting, truSculpt iD not only kills fat cells with every treatment but its innovative heat-based technology addresses skin laxity and helps to firm up the skin so that as the fat cells die off and the area treated becomes smaller, the skin tightens rather than remaining saggy giving that excess skin appearance. If you are concerned with saggy skin following weight loss, a single treatment could help to not only help you get rid of those last few inches but to tighten that skin as well. If Coolsculpt is not the option for you due to cold intolerance or not wanting to be pinched between the paddles, call to schedule a consultation to learn more about truSculpt iD from Cutera. Now that you know a little bit more about truSculpt and its processes, let's talk a little bit more about its many benefits!
There you have it, readers! The many safe and exciting benefits of truSculpt iD. If you have been considering this treatment and have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out and contact us today. At the very beginning of a new year, why not treat yourself to what could potentially be a one-time gift that continues to keep on giving throughout your life! Look and feel your best with no pain, no downtime, and nothing standing in your way! All of us at The Breast Place wanted to take a moment and thank each of you for your love and support through this year. Thank you for your patience, your understanding, your kindness, and for staying with us through this year. We look forward to continuing to support our warriors, patients, friends, and clients as best we can through the rest of this year, into the next, and beyond. We are here to support you and the community we are so proud to be apart of. We wish you all a very merry holiday a wonderful new year!  The 2020 holidays have been and will continue to be difficult for all of us. Not being able to travel, see our loved ones, or do many of our favorite traditions is going to be strange. While it might be hard, it might be incredibly beneficial for everyone going through and living with a cancer diagnosis.
Hello, warriors, friends, and dear readers! We know the holiday season can be incredibly difficult for you and for many reasons. While going through your cancer treatments you begin to ask those dark lurking questions; how will this affect my family? How long do I have left? Am I going to beat this? When the holidays come around, these questions tend to get a little darker; what will the holidays be like after I'm gone? Is this my last Christmas? How many more holidays do I have left? While we will try to do everything we can to help comfort and support you on this difficult journey, we also know that sometimes even the most comforting words and actions can't touch those dark places and dark thoughts. However, that doesn't mean we are going to stop our positivity and hope that we want to share with you anytime soon. This blog is going to be a few different things; something to help cheer you up, give you some hope, provide some insight to your loved ones and our readers, and to give everyone a little perspective. We've now all heard it one too many times, that this year is going to be different from all the rest. Through all the difficulties this year has given us, and the fact that this will be hard to spend the holidays apart, this might be something good for all of our warriors going through their treatments, diagnosis, and those living in their survivorship. The holidays without cancer are already hard difficult; you're constantly running around, shopping, worrying about seeing everyone, making plans, cooking, attending all the holiday events, and trying to make everyone happy. The holidays with cancer are even more difficult. Its all of your normal holiday stress combined with always being tired, feeling sick, having to say no to things and dealing with the guilt that comes with that, being sick, not being able to taste or eat your favorite foods, not being able to participate in your favorite activities, and more. It's a lot, and when your family and friends outside of your close and supportive care group and team don't quite understand this, it makes it even more difficult. We don't need to go into any more detail, because you already understand this. You're living this right now and you've been going through it ever since you were diagnosed. However, this year might be a little different A Holiday To Pause For the past nine months our lives, what's safe, and how we are living has all changed. For our warriors and those in survivorship and remission, you've had to be extra safe, as have your immediate members of your bubble and everyone who lives with you. You are making even fewer trips outside of your house, you could be working from home, seeing a very limited amount of people, you may have been going into doctors appointments and treatments alone, faced canceled and rescheduled doctors appointments, spent a lot of time on Zoom, and more. Now that the holidays are here and the pandemic numbers haven't improved but have instead continued to grow, everyone is starting to see changes. Our favorite Christmas gatherings have been canceled or made virtual, large gatherings are still not recommended, traveling is still not recommended, and it is still recommended that you limit your exposure and stay home as much as possible. While this is devastating for so many, this is something that needs to be observed by our warriors and their families. While choosing to be healthy and staying healthy, you are also protecting others by limiting your exposure. You can take the opportunity of not being able to gather and travel this year to rest and enjoy the holidays how you choose instead of stressing yourself out. You can slow down and create new traditions with your loved ones inside your bubble and create unique ones with all the family you'll be seeing virtually this year. If your treatments are difficult over the holidays and you're sick, feeling ill, or are exhausted you don't have to make up any excuses or feel bad about not being able to attend a holiday function. As difficult as the holidays are, as difficult as this year has been, take this time to rest, recover, fight, heal, and keep yourself safe while the world is on pause. We do urge you to remember this: please understand to be even more conscious for our warriors who don't have the immune system or strength to battle off what we are all trying to fight off and avoid. Remember, they are already fighting a battle. Don't give them another one to fight. Remember, Please To our dear care teams and family members who make up the family bubbles for all of our warriors, we know this time of year is difficult for you as well, and that 2020 has not made that any easier. Please continue to be safe and to practice all of your safety measures because this isn't just for you. You're doing all of this and being safe for them and everyone else you see this holiday season. Even if it is difficult to say no and you choose to celebrate safely this year, that is the best gift you can give to everyone. With that on your mind, we also wanted to share a few more ideas on how to help your loved ones going through this holiday. We also wanted to share some ideas and tips for our warriors to remember, too!
Recap We know this time of year is difficult. We know this blog might come off a little strangely, but we are searching for and highlighting all the silver linings that we can find. We are here for you, fighting for you, and very much in this boat with you this holiday season. If anything, please remember these things when walking away from the blog today:
Through the difficulties of this year, your battle with breast cancer and remission, the holidays, the pandemic, and everything in between, we are here. We are here to help comfort, help with your healing, and help you feel better in as many ways as possible. Keep searing for your silver linings and let's carry them into the new year!  While we offer so many different kinds of services for our warriors and anyone who comes into our offices, skincare and body care is a big part of what's important to us and what we give to our patients every day!
Hello to all of our warriors, friends, supporters, and readers! We are so thrilled you're back reading the blog and here to read more about the many different ways The Breast Place can make you feel better, look better, and how you can enjoy a little more out of your everyday life. In our last blog, we debunked some of the top myths about botox, and it got us thinking about all of the products, services, and merchandise we offer here at The Breast Place for all of our patients and patrons. It also got us thinking that we needed to remind all of our readers that everyone is welcome to come visit and work with us. Our offices aren't limited to a certain age group, and we are open to anyone who wants to make their bodies feel and look better. We are here for those incredible warriors who are fighting every day against that tyrant silent killer, breast cancer, and for those who are looking to support their body's natural health to make them feel better with a multitude of skin and body care. So, that inspired us to give a little blog overview on some of our many services and why they are both important and beneficial to those who get them!
2. Body Contouring No matter how hard you work out, no matter how much you diet, and after going through some very big life changes like having a baby, your body will always decide what it wants to do with the fat in your body. Somehow, it always tends to stay in the places we hate the most, and no amount of push-ups, crunches, mountain climbers, or burpees can chase it away. After any life challenge or natural challenge, unwanted fat can hang around no matter how hard you work. In as little as 15 minutes per treatment, you can target those unwanted areas on your lunch break with no downtime and resume your daily activities right away! The muffin top, love handles, lower abdomen, and "bra-fat" can be treated with our non-invasive body contouring done in the office. Outside of these wonderful benefits, what are some other benefits that body contouring can give you?
3.Facial Rejuvination You live your life to the fullest and through each trial and celebration that comes with it. While we all work hard to care for our skin and to let it age how we choose, our bodies and our skin makes those decisions. That's where facial rejuvenation comes into play. To keep you looking young even after the effects of treatment, raising children, menopause, or surviving life’s challenges, we now offer facial rejuvenation services, Botox/Dysport, and dermal fillers! Laser resurfacing is used to address pigmentation issues like melasma and sunspots, micro-needling with radiofrequency is to promote collagen rebuilding and with no downtime. Laser resurfacing is the newest technology aiding in rejuvenation and antiaging. If you are concerned with fine lines, wrinkles or redness like rosacea, our Cutera Excel V+ laser treatments are right for you. Paired with the best skin products for optimal results, we hope to empower you to look and feel your best at all times. Outside of all this incredible information, what are some more positive benefits of facial rejuvenation?
There you have it! An insider's look into just three of our many services and products. Can you believe the number of benefits that come from just these three services? There are so many wonderful reasons why these and all of our services are incredibly beneficial for all of our patrons, warriors, and friends that come to our offices! If you have any questions about these or any of our services, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to speak with you about the many ways we could help improve your life with one or all of our treatments. While this blog was dedicated to skincare and much more, we are still the best breast cancer center in Charleston! Be well out there, we know that you're fighting hard. You are not alone in this, and you never will be!  While Breast Cancer is something that all of our warriors experience and fight for every day, October is an opportunity to spread this awareness on an even high level and open the world's eyes to what this disease really is.
Hello, warriors! Welcome back to the blog and welcome back to part two of our blog discussing what breast cancer awareness means to us. While we are rapidly approaching the end of October and the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we hope you know how incredibly proud we are of each of you. We know this year's difficult situation has prevented us from doing what we all normally like to do to spread awareness, raise money, and gather with our fellow fighters, supporters, and warriors. 2020 can't cancel our hope, our fight, our journey, or the color pink. We all continue to stand in solidarity together, continue to fight together, and support one another. We know this year might be weighing heavy on you and your family, but please believe us when we say that we understand and we are with you. Please continue on your journey, continue with your fight, and continue using your story to prepare and educate others. Your fight can be a light in the darkness for others and for the rest of 2020 and beyond. Have you been feeling at a loss this month, that you haven't found your voice in this battle, that you're not giving back enough or doing enough? Don't be discouraged. Your voice and everything you're doing every day speaks volumes. To help give our own bit of help and support for the rest of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and beyond, we wanted to create a blog on how to make everyday Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Your voice, your journey, and how you choose to handle and battle your diagnosis is a testament in itself. Even if you aren't particularly vocal or you don't share your experience in a blog or through social media, that doesn't mean your journey doesn't impact others. When you go in for your treatments, consider the people sitting around you. This could be their very first or very last treatment. A kind smile, sharing your experiences with them, or just being a positive presence within this little snapshot of time can cause a ripple effect to those battling around you. How youR battle progresses also doesn't go unnoticed by your doctor or nurses. They find comfort, inspiration, and drive from how hard you fight and in the relationship you build together. Your journey and battle can bring you closer to your loved ones than ever before and can create a bond that you never expected. How you live in your survivorship and how you share your experiences with a new friend or coworker leaves an impression too. Don't think you have to shout from the rooftops and put yourself in the spotlight if you don't want to. Every step of your journey affects someone. If you want to be public about your experience, that is a welcomed expression too. Writing a blog, documenting your experiences on Facebook or Instagram, being a mentor to someone recently diagnosed, participating in group meetings, and more can also help others and raise awareness. No matter how you chose to share and express your experience, both are just as important and beneficial as the other. There are many steps you and your loved ones can take to promote awareness throughout the entire year, here are some tips and suggestions to make that possible.
We know that your voice is important. Each of your individual stories is worth telling, saving, and sharing. We know that awareness and what we need to cure breast cancer isn't at the level that it deserves and what it should be. Every day we are fighting to make your voices louder, the cure closer, and helping to educate the world about this horrible disease. While so much of the world just sees Breast Cancer Awareness Month as pink ribbons and fundraisers, we see your stories, your pain, your frustrations, and all that you go through every day. Let us stand together to make Breast Cancer Awareness month more than just a month, and finally beat this disease once and for all.  Every day is breast cancer awareness month, but October is when we all turn pink. During this month, we celebrate those who have fought, those who have lost, and those who stand beside us. One day at a time, we are trying to save as many lives as possible!
Hello, warriors! As you know, October has dawned and brought in Breast Cancer Awareness month. We know this is a daily fight and battle for you and your loved ones, but October brings your reality into the light of the rest of the world. You finally get the attention you deserve, and you really get to share the truth about breast cancer and how truly devastating it is right in front of the eyes of the public. We wish breast cancer, the need for a cure, and the battle you all fight could get this kind of attention every day and every month. Since we only have one month, we are going to make the most of it. It's time to educate, spread the world, and share your truth. Remember that we see you, we support you, we hear you, and we will be here for you every step of your battle! According to the Susan G. Komen foundation, every two minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, 115 lives are lost to metastatic breast cancer every day, and 2 in 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. What's even more shocking than those numbers is the fact that each of these statistics is still a surprise to millions of people every day. It's still a shock that it is more common to be diagnosed with cancer before you turn 40 than most people realize, and it is still possible to be diagnosed with cancer during your pregnancy. While these are all topics we have touched on many times in our blogs, across our social media, and as much as we possibly can in our offices, it's still not enough. That is why we must continue to raise awareness every day. This is the perfect time to use your voice and your story to educate others in realizing their chances of getting breast cancer and what signs they need to be looking for. Use your survivorship to spread the word about early education and to promote self-breast exams from a young age. While this is a battle that you wage every day, when October rolls around, it's time to turn that fight in a new direction. The world needs to hear your stories and your truth, and you deserve to be heard. October goes beyond wearing pink. We are finally getting the opportunity to fight publicly and with the public's attention. To all of our warriors, we are so sorry that you don't get this kind of support and attention every day, and every month, you deserve it. Your fight and the struggles your family goes through every day deserves to be more than a trending hashtag for 31 days that casually gets overlooked by Halloween. Let us join together to change this and continue to spread information out into the world together, and to finally cure this horrible and devastating disease! While we are standing strong together spreading awareness and teaching about the importance of early detection, what else can we do this month and beyond to make the most out of breast cancer awareness month, outside of wearing our pink tags? Obviously, because of the current pandemic, this year might look a little different. We might not be able to gather like we have been used to. We might not be able to cheer each other on or walk for our loved ones in person or in big crowds, but that doesn't mean you can't make the most of this month and still support the future of the breast cancer cure. We have been doing our research and listening to all of you on how we can continue to support one another. One of the first resources we stumbled upon was Breast Cancer Now. This incredible foundation, set in the UK, will give you an incredible outside look at what the world is doing to help all of us achieve our common goal of curing breast cancer. They have an incredible social media presence and an incredible website. In years past, we might not have been able to attend some of their events, but the silver lining is that thanks to the wonders of the internet and needing to stay home for our safety - we can join together and be a stronger community than ever before. Make sure to visit their website by following the link below! https://breastcancernow.org/breast-cancer-research They also have two very important and inspiring ways of getting involved in your community that were so inspiring to us that we had to share. These fantastic ideas are all things that you can do right now here in the US and that will both be a wonderful addition to our fight this month and beyond. These events are all inspired by their "press play" platform, and we just think it's outstanding. So let's sit back and press play together!
Have you been feeling like you're not giving back enough, doing enough, or that you haven't found the right voice of action for your personal path? That's okay! This month we are going to continue to share more ideas on how all of our warriors and their loved ones can give back, keep fighting, and how to bring awareness into everyday life - and not just in October! Be well out there, we know that you're fighting hard. You are not alone in this, and you never will be!  Sometimes your breasts can ache or hurt, and the cause behind them can be a multitude of strange and unknown reasons. We will be exploring all of this today!
Hello, warriors! Today we are going to be talking about breast pain. While we are on high alert to breast abnormalities and lumps that appear in the breast sometimes overnight, not all breast pain is caused by or linked to breast cancer. It is of course, very important to stay very aware of this pain, and if it continues. As we've mentioned before, any changes to your breasts need to be brought to your doctor's attention right away. They could be an early sign of something potentially very dangerous or something that has no explanation at all. Breast pain, technically called "mastodynia", often has no known cause. Your breast tissue is affected by many things like your hormones, your stress, infection, or illnesses elsewhere in the body, and your caffeine intake. Breast pain can be intermittent, sharp and shooting, dull and constant, or a burning sensation. While breast pain isn't necessarily a sign of breast cancer, it is a sign that something abnormal is going on. Breast pain can be sharp, dull, constant, or intermittent. Breast pain can have a multitude of causes including but not limited to stress, caffeine intake, hormone imbalances, musculoskeletal trigger points, and abnormal changes to the breast tissue. There are several ways to investigate causes like lab work and imaging. If you are experiencing breast pain, contact us for a consultation to discuss potential causes and treatment options, and to have a clinical breast exam with a licensed provider. Here at TBP, a clinical breast exam, imaging, and lab work are often tools we use to find out what's causing that pain and what you can do to alleviate it. If you are experiencing breast pain, we are happy to see you in the office for an exam and work up. Today we are going to be expanding on what breast pain could and could not be, and diving more into mastodynia. Your Period First and foremost, breast pain is common and something many women go through. It can be a consistent pain or it can only happen occasionally. One of the most common occurrences of breast pain is in the few days leading up to your period. This is a normal occurrence and this mild or moderate pain can appear in both breasts. According to Healthline, the fluctuating hormone levels that appear in your body during and leading up to your period are what's to blame. Your breasts can feel tender and even swell during these times. You will have a spike in your estrogen and progesterone production levels during your cycle. Estrogen will cause you breast ducts to enlarge and progesterone production will cause the milk glands to swell. Both of these reactions will cause soreness in your breasts. The pain can be felt throughout the month too, and have no connection to your period. Menopause Breast pain can also occur during menopause. During the twelve months leading up to menopause, a woman is in a transitioning period called perimenopause. During perimenopause, your levels of estrogen and progesterone fluctuate. Although, these fluctuations are much more dramatic during perimenopause compared to your menstrual cycle, according to Medical News Today. The dull and sore ache that comes from the side effects of these fluctuations can escalate to more of a burning or throbbing. Once you do officially reach menopause, the pain should be finished, but your risk of breast cancer does increase. If you are experiencing strange pains, your doctor needs to be alerted right away. Reasons Behind The Pain There are also many other reasons why your breasts could be hurting.
Remedies Since breast pain is so common and is something many women will have to deal with, what are some ways to deal with the pain? Some of the best management steps are all linked to self-care.
Breast pain can be scary if you don't know what's going on. We hope this blog sheds some light on what you're going through, and we hope it calmed your nerves. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to reach out. Be well out there, we know that you're fighting hard. You are not alone in this, and you never will be! |
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