Carol Ronzoni's Piece of Art
Breast cancer. I never thought those two words would enter my life. But they did last May when my 83-year-old mom was diagnosed with the disease. She was one of the nearly 290,000 women in the U.S. who have tumors discovered in their breasts, according to the American Cancer Society.
EARLY DETECTION IS KEY
What causes this disease? There are many factors that are linked to cancer including family history, gene mutations and a women’s reproduction history. I can venture to say that almost everyone reading this article knows someone who has been affected by this disease for it is estimated that one out of every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes. One in eight…that’s a number too close to home.
The disease comes in many forms and has a variety of treatments. My mom was extremely fortunate that her lumps were found early in their first stages of cancer. She initially was brought in for one breast tumor, but in a MRI it was discovered that the cancer was also present in the other. As a result, she underwent a double mastectomy and is healing well. Thank you or all your prayers who have been a part of this with us. With that, I can’t emphasize the importance of having an annual mammogram for women over 40 or immediately after a lump is discovered. Early detection is key with this particular disease.
This post is dedicated to my greatest hero, my mom, and to every women, child, husband and family affected by this disease. I am sending you my support and encouragement to all those who are dealing with this disease in your household. I am sending you my best wishes and will happily pray for you if you let me know.
NFL AND BREAST AWARENESS - A GREAT CATCH
PINK IS ALWAYS APPROPRIATE
I appreciate all the attention that is drawn to this cancer every October with Breast Cancer Awareness month. Some companies that doing their part are The NFL who is bringing recognition to the disease by having its teams accessorize in pink; Yoplait for its 13th year is sponsoring “Save Lids Save Lives,” a campaign donating money to breast cancer outreach programs and Lifetime Network who has produced a TV movie about breast cancer, “5″, in support of bringing more attention to this disease.
The hospital, Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital (PIH), who treated my mom planned a special event for breast cancer survivors. The Hospital sponsored a special art show where breast cancer survivors decorated bras to tell the journey of their disease. My mom participated in this project and it definitely assisted in helping to lift her spirits.
Her particular bra for the “Bra-Vo” contest was as a beautiful as she is…it’s a positive look at the cancer and I wanted to share her story with the world. My mom does make this world a better place to live…and I hope that her story helps to inspire others.
Here’s my mom’s story.
