BayouKidz: Something a Little Unusually

The Earlier the Detection, the Better

Article by Cindy G. Foust

It’s here…fall that is. Except, just like last month, it still feels like we are in the dead of summer. Would the atmospheric gods please shine their cooler temp wand at us? Anybody got a connection? Anybody? I’m telling you, sitting in the stands watching my daughter cheer has been excruciatingly hot, to the point that I told my friends I would have two choices to get my jeans off: they would either have to be cut off OR I could just go to sleep in them, let them dry out and maybe try to peel them off. Yeah, both of those ideas are plausible. At any rate, I’m sitting home on this hot and humid Saturday morning, enjoying a football game and working on my column. I also have big plans for later this afternoon, and by big, I mean so big that I will have all my friends in the BayouLife community being peanut butter and jealous. What are those plans? I’m headed to the fair. Now, before the fair organizers send me hate mail, please know that no one loves the fair more than this writer. It’s true, it was something my family always looked forward to when I was growing up… every September my parents and their friends and kids all gathered at the gate of the fair for a night of the three “F’s,” food, fun and fellowship. But now that I’m older and I don’t ride and I’m always on a diet and there’s police officers on horseback, in golf carts and sitting every 10 feet, it’s somewhat lost its luster. I’m sure I’ll be walking around in 105-degree weather wondering how the wheels came off the track and I got so lucky to be the “chaperone.” Anyway, back to watching football and getting mammograms.

Wait. Oh, who cares how I got there, readers, that’s what this month’s column is about so let’s just cut to the chase and not beat around the bush. Last weekend I had the distinct privilege of being the team captain (I am after all, very busy and important) for my work’s team at the Race for the Cure event. Many of you know I am a breast cancer survivor and I always try to participate in and support an event that supports breast cancer research. Why? Because breast cancer research made my diagnosis and prognosis possible… and I have had a very fortunate outcome. I think there’s lots of reasons for my good outcome, and I’m going to talk about a few of those in this month’s column. So, my October column is not really geared toward the BayouKidz, but to the BayouParentZ, rather. I can do that, right? It’s my column, and early detection is a platform I feel very passionate about.

I’ve written one other column about early detection in the nearly 7 years I’ve been writing for BayouLife, and that was shortly after I finished my treatment. Fast forward seven years and I think it’s time I revisited the subject, so bear with me. This nudging, I’m sure, is a result of last weekend, because it’s very compelling to be part of Race for the Cure, whether you are a supporter or a survivor. Primarily because for just a few hours, time seems to stop and suddenly we are all on one team, standing in the park in our pink, with our family and friends, with our pets, with our neighbors, and we are one. It feels very sort of comforting to be in a tent next to a family who are there to support their mother-in-law as she faces her battle. Or taking a picture with a fellow survivor/friend. Or walking beside someone wearing a t-shirt bearing the picture of someone who lost their battle. Or standing beside someone currently going through their own battle. In a word… inspiring.

My own battle started with a symptom that was something out of the ordinary, something unusual that was happening to my body. I was alarmed, of course I was, but I went to the doctor right away and two and a half weeks from the day of my first symptom I had a diagnosis. I think this was one of the reasons for my good outcome, so I am encouraging you readers, to act promptly when you have a symptom that is out of the ordinary and don’t stop until you get a diagnosis.

My late doctor, Dr. Michael Schwalke, never let me forget how important it is for women to have routine mammograms. He never stopped talking about the importance of acting promptly on a symptom. He devoted his career to research and furthering efforts to save more people’s lives who were in a fight against breast cancer. I was very lucky; my cancer was caught very early and I have been very blessed by my outcome. My surgeon was brilliant and provided excellent care to me. And as rigorous and difficult as my treatment was, it was minimal compared to what many survivors have to go through or are currently going through.

But in this month of awareness, where you will be seeing a lot of “pink” on football fields, advertisements and social media campaigns, do yourself a favor if you haven’t and schedule a mammogram appointment. Get that baseline test result and keep your yearly appointment. Hey, I get it, those tests are no fun and can be compared to having your breast slammed in a refrigerator door. Wait. Can I say that in this column? It’s the truth though, but the reality is this test saves lives and should be revered rather than dreaded.

Also, don’t put off going to the doctor if you are experiencing symptoms that are inconsistent with good health. The earlier the detection the better. Dr. Schwalke told me once, that the patients they couldn’t save were the ones who didn’t have their routine mammograms or ignored their symptoms. These simple words and these simple actions can save lives. Today’s column is not my normal, but it’s an opportunity to use my voice to help my friends and family in the community that I love so much. It’s a chance to be that voice in your head to make your good health a priority and use the valuable resources we have available that could potentially save your life. So, get off this page and move into action. Make your health a priority.

Be an advocate, not just for a breast cancer symptom, but for any symptom. Good health is our most valuable asset and the best thing we can do is be proactive in our endeavors to stay healthy.

Cindy G. Foust is a wife, mom, author and blogger. You can find her blog at the alphabetmom.com for weekly columns about home life, parenting, small business stories and insight with a smidgen of literacy. Give her a like or follow on Facebook and Instagram.