Think Pink!! October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Loving Yourself
Breast Cancer is a cause close to our hearts, not just as women with breasts, but also as people who have seen too many friends stricken down by this dreaded disease. We lost two amazing women, teachers who had a profound impact on our children, so we dedicate this section to their memories. Terry and Sandy gone far too soon, your legacy lives on in the lives of the children you inspired.
Know what is normal for you
The signs of breast cancer are not the same for all women. It’s important to know how your breasts normally look and feel.
Many women find their breasts feel lumpy. Breast tissue often has bumpy texture. Lumps that feel harder or different than the rest of the breast tissue (or the tissue of the other breast) or that feel like a change are a concern. If you feel or see any change in your breasts or underarm, see a doctor.
Resources
Susan G. Komen 1-877 GO KOMEN (1-877-465-6636) www.komen.org
American Cancer Society 800-227-2345 www.cancer.org
National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) www.cancer.gov
Signs you should not ignore
Lump, hard knot or thickening inside the breast or underarm area
Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening of the breast
Change in the size or shape of the breast
Dimpling or puckering of the skin
Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple
Pulling in of the nipple or other parts of the breast
Nipple discharge that starts suddenly
New pain in one spot that does not go away
Bra Hacks (Aka Ways to make the bra you have work rather than buying a new one!)
These are some of my favorite ways to change up or fix my bra without having to run to the store for a new one:
Underwire punctures – I don’t know if this happens to everyone but every so often one of the wire bits of my underwire decides to break free and stab me in the breast. Previously I had tried tape, sewing the hole shut and then just trying to live with it by poking the wire back in. (Not easy to do if you’re in public.) Then I discovered this trick – just take a small square of moleskin (In any drugstore or big retail grocery store in the foot section) and put the adhesive side over the hole. No more unpleasant poking and the soft moleskin doesn’t chafe. You’re now good to go until another underwire makes a break for it.
Trying to wear a cute cross back shirt but don’t have a bra with a cross back? (Or you do but its dirty, wrong color etc.) Take your regular bra, loosen the shoulder straps a bit and use a paperclip to keep them together in the middle. Easy to do and just as easy to remove afterward.
Looking to wear a backless or plunging back shirt? Take a bra you don’t mind adapting for this purpose and A) cut off the clasps on each side of the bra. B) Use elastic that is the same width as the back and hot glue the detached clasps to the end C) hot glue the other end of the elastic to the bra. Let it dry (overnight at the least) and voila! A bra that now clasps around your midsection, while maintaining support in the front.
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