Is it pumpkin patches and homecoming games and apple picking?
Or is it like many of us who spend October talking about breast cancer?
For those of us directly affected by breast cancer, October is different.
We know what it means to live with a diagnosis that most people have never heard of. We know what it means to spend another October trying to explain why breast cancer awareness is not enough.
And we know that many people are tired of hearing about breast cancer. They’re tired of awareness.
But what do you do when it’s you? What do you do when you feel compelled to say these things because you want to protect somebody?
How can you put a fresh spin on what may seem like a tired conversation? How can you make this October matter?
Well, first of all, I have a few suggestions.
Let’s move away from the word awareness and get into education. There is a huge difference.
Many people are not educated about the different types of breast cancer. Many do not know that mammograms do not detect every form of breast cancer. And many do not know that breast cancer can occur at any age, regardless of family history.
So this October, I hope you will take the time to learn about inflammatory breast cancer.
A breast cancer that typically does not present with a lump. One that can strike at a younger age and can be difficult to detect with traditional screening.
Then, I hope you will share what you learn.
Every October, The IBC Network Foundation shares a different inflammatory breast cancer fact each day, accompanied by a unique graphic and a resource for learning more.
These are short, easy-to-share pieces of information. They are designed to help people learn something new and to give them a place to turn when they need more information.
So this October, I am asking you to do something simple.
Share a fact. Start a conversation. Help someone learn about inflammatory breast cancer.
You do not have to write a long post. You do not have to become an expert. You simply have to be willing to share accurate information with the people in your life.
Because maybe it won’t be you who needs that information.
But your newly educated mind might be just the thing that saves someone else’s life. It might prompt someone to recognize symptoms, seek medical attention sooner, and not brush off what might otherwise seem unimportant.
That is how we make October matter.
Not just by wearing a ribbon or posting a reminder, but by learning something that could make a difference.
Let’s make every October matter.
Let’s make every day matter.
Because every person matters.