T-minus and counting...

In ten days the journey will begin again. On November 15th, thousands of dedicated men and women will converge on San Diego for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer. This will be my 8th year of participation in this event, and although I am no longer nervous about what to expect, my resolve is strong as ever. I know I am making a difference with every step. 

Moments ago I opened a letter from the Polak Breast Diagnostic Center with the results of my recent mammogram. "No sign of breast cancer, and did not show any significant change since your prior study".  I breathed a sigh of relief, then thought about all the women and men (yes, men get breast cancer too!) who received a telephone call instead of a 'thumbs up' letter. The call that changed their lives forever. It is for these people I walk, so that not another mother will have to explain to her child why she is not feeling well, why her hair is falling out, why she is too tired to play, why, why, why? 

I am encouraged, however, that despite the fact that the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer has been rising substantially each year, the death rate has been steadily declining. Eighty-three percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer are alive after five years, compared to sixty-four percent in the 1960s. Better treatments and early diagnosis through mammograms and regular breast exams (including monthly breast self-exams) are responsible for these improved outcomes.

So, once again, I will pack my tennis shoes, my hat, my sunscreen and my attitude and show cancer who's boss. Because EVERYONE deserves a lifetime!