BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
You know we love all things bras and lingerie here at Boux, so that means we love our boobs and are passionate about boob health! Breast Cancer Awareness month runs across October every year. It is an important time to raise funds for all the brilliant charities supporting those who live with breast cancer, as well as their families and loved ones. It also helps to fund all important research into cures! Another important part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is education!
Whilst we do all know what breast cancer is and sadly many of us may know someone with it, there is still a lot to learn about prevention!
According to Cancer Research UK there are 55,920 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed each year, 23% of these cases are preventable though and survival rate is at 76%! Which is why checking your boobs regularly is so important as early detection is key to boob health!
3 GIRLS TELL US THEIR REAL STORIES
Meet: Karlah Samantha Louise Daly
My cancer story starts off a bit differently, so I never found a typical lump first. I was actually bathing my 1 year old at the time, as I was leaning over on my right breast/armpit side it was as if something was hard underneath the skin, but I could only feel it when I was leaning on it.
For a few days I was unable to find the lump again, thinking it must have been hormonal as I was on my period at the time. I checked again a week later, and it was evident there was a hard solid mass around the size of a raisin there, which moved between my fingers.
A week later I was seen by my GP. After the examination the Dr had no concerns and thought it was highly unlikely the lump was anything sinister considering the following:
1. I don’t smoke
2. No family history of ANY cancer let alone breast cancer
3. I live very healthy lifestyle
However, for a piece of mind my doctor referred me for a scan.
The day of the scan came 4- 6 weeks later. I met with a consultant prior, who examined me believing the lump could be fibroadenoma. I remember crying the whole time, and I think it’s because I knew something wasn’t right.
I finally got into the ultrasound room, as soon as the sonographer put the device on my lump, she stopped talking and the room was silent. I kept asking her what it was, but she just looked concerned and wasn’t saying much at all. She then told me she was looking at my lymph nodes, which she said were enlarged. She left the room, and someone else took over. I instantly felt sick. I knew something wasn’t right.
I then had around 6-8 biopsies of both my lump and lymph nodes, and would receive the results in a week.
I arrived at the hospital at 9am, with my Mother. I went into the room and there was another nurse there with the McMillan brochure on the table.
I was then informed, the biopsy did come back, that they found cancer. HER2+ and I would benefit from chemotherapy. He told me that they don’t see this often given my age (26) he’s very surprised this has happened to me.
21 weeks later I have completed all my chemotherapy and now I’m awaiting my surgery. I will need a mastectomy, reconstruction and have breast implants. I found my lump accidentally bathing my son and that’s what saved my life.
Remember: Keep checking yourself and trust you gut instinct
Meet: Kara Sloane
I found my lump after taking a shower. It was big, solid, didn’t move and painless. I strongly encourage everyone to check themselves in or after the shower.
I acted quickly after finding my lump.
I was seen by a GP, 4 days later. Due to my age (27 years old) the Dr’s believed the lump to be fibroadenoma, but as it was over 2cm, and was therefore referred on to the breast clinic. I felt reassured that it most likely wasn’t anything serious so I didn’t panic about this appointment.
Fast forward 2 weeks. I was met at the door by a nurse who took me down to the changing room and informed me ‘You won’t be getting a mammogram today because of your age.’ Little did I know what lay ahead. After my ultrasound, I was sent for 2 mammograms and several biopsies and ultimately a breast cancer diagnosis.
There were many big life-changing decisions to be made in a very short period of time. My advice is to do what’s best for you, no-one else.
7 months later, I have completed chemotherapy, lumpectomy, lymph node removal and radiotherapy. I’m still having phesgo injections every 3 weeks as well as being on daily hormone therapy & monthly zoladex. I’m still very much adjusting to the new me.
Remember: Please don’t wait or put it off. Early detection saves lives
Meet: Charlotte Dudeney
I’m Charlotte, I’m 28 and was diagnosed with triple positive stage 2 breast cancer when I was 26, in November 2020.
1. I have no family history of any type of cancer,
2. I have always been super fit and healthy! I was running half marathons!
3. I hardly drank alcohol and had no other risk factors
But as soon as I felt the small hard lump when I was in the shower one night, I had a gut feeling it was something bad.
Thankfully I acted really quickly and was diagnosed 6 weeks later. My cancer was caught early before it had spread, but I still had to have fertility preservation, 17 months of chemo in total, radiotherapy, a single mastectomy and I’ll be on hormone blockers for the next 10 years of my life to ensure I have the best chance of living a long life!
I have thankfully been in remission for a year now, I’m feeling like my old self again and I’m starting to get my life back. I am so grateful for all the incredible treatment I received, and I’m grateful that I listened to my gut and went to have my lump checked asap!
Remember: It’s SO important to get to know your body and know what’s normal for you. If you notice any lumps, unusual changes in any part of your body or any unusual symptoms PLEASE get them checked asap!
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU CHECK YOUR BOOBS?
We recently did some digging into how many women are wearing the wrong bra size, which revealed a huuge 81% of you haven’t been! Which tells us you gals really haven’t been paying enough attention to your boobs!
Obviously, we all know how important it is to be wearing the right bra size, but it is even more important to know your boobs and check them for any early signs of breast cancer!
Whilst we recommend measuring your bra size every 6-12 months, you should be checking your boobs far, far more regularly!! You should thoroughly check your boobs once a month at least!
The NHS recommends getting to know how your breasts look and feel across the month! Knowing your boobs well helps you spot any early breast cancer signs as early as possible!
HOW TO CHECK YOUR BOOBS
Breast Cancer Now recommends you show your boobs some TLC when checking them. This means touching your boobs to see if you can feel anything unusual, looking at your boobs in a mirror to see if anything looks different and checking any of these changes with your GP!
When self-examining your boobs, you should include all parts of them in addition to your armpits and up to your collar bones, as signs and changes can appear in any of these areas! It can be easier to do these checks in the shower by running a soapy hand over each area! You should examine your boobs both with your arms by your side and raised.
THE CHANGES TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN CHECKING YOUR BOOBS
Now you know how to properly check your boobs it is important to know the different kinds of signs and changes to your boobs to be looking out for! There are a few different things you should be checking for, this is why it is vital to get to know your boobs well, so you can notice any small change quickly!
The key breast changes to look for during checks are:
• Lumps or swellings you can feel
• Changes to the look and feel of the skin of the boob (puckering, dimpling, rash, redness)
• Changes in colour to the breast (such as redness)
• Changes to the nipple positions (they may become pulled in or pointing differently)
• Rash on or around your nipples (crusty, scaly, itch or red)
• Any discharge or fluid coming from your nipples
• Changes to the size, outline and shape of your boobs
• Discomfort or pain in boobs or armpit that is very consistent.
If you spot any of these changes to your boobs or the rest of the areas you are checking during a self-examination, it is important to book an appointment with your GP to get them checked out properly!
This is far more important than just checking you’re wearing the right bra size! Get into the habit of checking your boobs regularly to look after your health! It is as easy as doing it before bed when you’re changing into your fave pyjamas, or making sure you check your boobs every morning before you put on your bra!
Happy boob checking gals and don’t forget to check out all the amazing charities doing great work for breast cancer support and research, like Breast Cancer Now and Cancer Research! If you have any tips on checking your boobs on the reg share them with us over on Insta so we can share with all the Boux gals!