So of course being a family caregiver, we often put our own needs aside. We have 1000 reasons why we cannot do our medical examinations, have a regular exercise routine, eat healthy and the list goes on. So being a somewhat conscious caregiver, I try my utter best to take the time to care for myself and I am now going through what should be my monthly routine self-examination (I missed a few months between examinations), whilst doing my checks, I felt a lump that definitely was too big to ignore.
With a long deep breath, I immediately made an appointment with my general practitioner. My gut was telling me that due to the size of the lump this was something more. A mammogram, biopsy, other tests were all done to then receive the long awaited results that state, “You have cancer.” I was at stage II and surgery was be required.
Was it the end of the world? I didn’t think so. In my case it was different, I have prepared myself mentally and emotionally to be ready for the unexpected plus, as a caregiver, I don’t have the luxury of down time. I have to get up and do what needs to be done. The only thought that came to my mind and my biggest concern was my husband. How was he possibly going to process this, and my mother, who I don’t want to worry at this stage in her life.
During the entire process, straight to surgery and through recovery, I never once thought about how I'm going to deal with this—to me, it was another of life’s lessons. Two days after my surgery I was scheduled to speak at a workshop which I did, I apologised for my dress attire and went full speed into my presentation. I trust strongly and completely in God, and no matter the result, I knew he had a greater plan for me. The only thing I asked of God and was adamant about is not having to go through chemotherapy or radiation. I kept saying to myself, “I don’t need it.” God answered my prayers, I didn’t have to do either. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want, have faith and be strong.
We, as family caregivers, carry a power deep inside of us, we have drive and we have determination. Time will always be a challenge for most of us, but I plead with you to take the time today. Book an appointment for a pap smear, mammogram or even put time aside to do a monthly self-examination.
The information below is provided by breastcancer.org.
Five Breast Self-Exam Tips
1. Make it routine. The more you examine your breasts, the more you will learn about them and the easier it will become for you to tell if something has changed. Try to get in the habit of doing a breast self-examination once a month to familiarise yourself with how your breasts normally look and feel. Examine yourself several days after your period ends, when your breasts are least likely to be swollen and tender. If you no longer have periods, choose a day that's easy to remember, such as the first or last day of the month.
2. Get to know your breasts' different 'neighbourhoods.' The upper, outer area—near your armpit—tends to have the most prominent lumps and bumps. The lower half of your breast can feel like a sandy or pebbly beach. The area under the nipple can feel like a collection of large grains. Another part might feel like a lumpy bowl of oatmeal.
3. Start a journal where you record the findings of your breast self-exams. This can be like a small map of your breasts, with notes about where you feel lumps or irregularities. Especially in the beginning, this may help you remember, from month to month, what is 'normal' for your breasts. It is not unusual for lumps to appear at certain times of the month, but then disappear, as your body changes with the menstrual cycle (if you are still menstruating).
4. Don’t panic if you think you feel a lump. Most women have some lumps or lumpy areas in their breasts all the time, and most breast lumps turn out to be benign (not cancerous).
5. Tell your doctor if anything has changed, or if something stands out as different from the rest of the area (like a rock on a sandy beach), and it persists for several weeks. If a change is clearly new and worrisome, let your doctor know right away. But in most cases, only changes that last more than one full menstrual cycle or seem to get bigger or more prominent in some way, need your doctor's attention.