Monthly Archives: January 2014

Mammograms Really Do Matter

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According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation:

  • 200,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed this year
  • Breast cancer claims 40,000 lives annually
  • 1 in 7 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime

In light of the rise in breast cancer over the last 50 years and because early detection can be the difference between life and death, physicians and women’s health organizations agree that Mammograms Really Do Matter.

 mammograms

My mom’s mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1977.  Her radical mastectomy left her with lymphedema in her left arm.  While she was a 20 year breast cancer survivor at her death in 1997, her affected arm, which was heavy, awkward, and twice the size of her right arm, left an impression on me as a child.

My mother received a phone call the day after a routine mammogram in 2011.  She searched her breasts for 24 hours and was unable to find a lump.  The doctor found the mass during the next day’s ultrasound and a needle biopsy confirmed their suspicions.   The tumor was small and she is cancer free after 4 months of chemotherapy and bilateral mastectomies.

Our family history (while my mother did not test positive for BRCA genes) and fibrocystic breast changes caused me to request my first mammogram 3 years ago at the age of 37.  My mammogram was normal and served as a baseline for my annual mammograms the last 2 years.

While mammography has its limitations, annual mammograms:

  • Can detect cancer early – when it’s most treatable
  • Can show breast changes up to 3 years before a woman (or her physician) can feel them
  • Can help the patient avoid extensive treatment for advanced cancers
  • Can (because of early detection) improve the chances of breast conservation
  • Can ease anxiety for young women with risk factors

The American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, the American College of Radiology, and the Society for Breast Imaging recommend that women receive annual mammograms starting at age 40 – even if they have no symptoms or family history of breast cancer, as:

  • 1 in 6 breast cancers occur in women aged 40-49
  • Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women aged 40 to 55
  • 75 – 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease and are not considered high risk

While most women diagnosed with breast cancer are not considered high risk,there are risk factors to consider.  We can do little about many breast cancer risk factors (gender, aging, genetic risk, family history, race and ethnicity, and dense breast tissue); however, women must also proactively reduce risks where possible.  If you smoke, drink alcohol in excess, do not have healthy eating habits, or are on hormone therapy or hormone based contraceptives look into how these situations might increase your risks for developing breast cancer.

In so many areas of life, and particularly when it comes to one’s health, one might prefer to live in denial.  Until something is diagnosed, we often allow ourselves to believe it’s not something we have to deal with.  My baseline mammogram, as a proactive measure, gave me peace of mind and confidence in my breast health.

Do you fall within the recommended age for a mammogram?  If you haven’t scheduled your baseline, what’s holding you back?  Join the conversation by commenting at the top of this post.

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For more from Marea, check out Me and Thee Studios’ faith based leveled readers for 1st-2nd graders at http://www.meandtheestudios.com/early-reader-collection.html.

Grandparents Really Do Matter

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Research in child development has long pointed to the significance grandparents play in a child’s cognitive, behavioral, and social development.  Anthropologist Margaret Mead studied inter-generational relationships and found that 1) connections between generations impact mental health, 2) the best learning is inter-generational, and 3) inter-generational relationships bring out the best in human behavior.

I was fortunate to know all of my grandparents.  I lost them before I turned 30, but I have beautiful memories of their love and attention.  Had I not known my grandparents I would likely never have:

  • Spent weekends camping in a fifth wheel
  • Floated down a cold, freshwater stream
  • Ridden on a passenger train through mountain terrain
  • Fed cows before sunrise
  • Killed and recycled every part of a rattlesnake
  • Made a fort out of bales in a hay barn, or
  • Swam in a mossy stock tank

While relationships are not always what they could be, in the lives of children in general, Grandparents Really Do Matter.

grandparents

This week was particularly stressful.  A get-a-way turned ugly when our daughter was involved in an accident at the Albuquerque zoo.  I was grateful for compassionate medical care.  I was also EXTREMELY grateful for my mom and mother-in-law.

I had neglected to take our medical and prescription insurance cards on our trip.  My moms made several trips to our house to get the information we needed.  We also knew our moms were on their knees, praying for Emma.  The only times Emma asked to use my phone were for calls to her Mimi and Grammars.

My husband and I rely on our moms daily.  We live in the same small town, talk or text with them daily, and see them several times a week.  They both make meals for us and our children expect to be allowed to spend time alone with them every week.

Grandparents who are actively involved in their adult children’s lives add much to the extended family.  Not only is it comforting to know that our moms love and care about our children, but grandparents often help their adult children by providing:

  • wisdom in child rearing
  • babysitting
  • financial support
  • emotional stability

As significant as the relationship between the grandparents and their adult children, the relationship between actively involved grandparents and their grandchildren is truly special.  Research indicates that children with strong ties to grandparents feel uniquely special, have higher self-esteems, and have more fully developed emotional and social skills than children without grandparents.

The role of “grandparent” is different than the role of “parent” in many ways.  Because their focus is not discipline, children see grandparents as freely offering unconditional love.  Grandparents can be role models, mentors, confidants, and playmates in a relationship that is often less complex than the parent child relationship.

Grandparents know the value of time and the importance of being fully connected.  Grandparents tend to be less hurried and more relaxed than parents, engage more completely in their grand-children’s interests, and are often more giving of their time and complete attention.

While our children love their grandmothers in a very special way, they often mention “missing” their Papas.  Our oldest son, Bailey, has memories of each, but Emma turned 4 the year they passed and Caden was born the day after my father-in-law’s funeral.  Caden was 9 months when my dad died and does not “remember” him.  But the idea of grandfathers and the sense of void in their lives is enough to elicit tears on a fairly regular basis.

Please join the conversation.  In what ways do grandparents add to the lives of your children and how might less-than-ideal inter-generational relationships be strengthened?

For more from Marea, check out Me and Thee Studios’ faith based leveled readers for 1st-2nd graders at http://www.meandtheestudios.com/early-reader-collection.html.