Breast Cancer Awareness

the Adenoma after it was removed surgically [ larger than a fist]

Earlier this year , my cousin had a "Breast Cancer Scare" . She had had this lump on her right breast for over 6 months but had kept it a secret from the family . Eventually it got worse to the point where walking or even bending forward was painful .
Alhamdulilah it wasn't breast cancer but a benign adenoma .

If there is one thing I want to pass out through this post , it has to be the importance of a Self Breast exam . Some of us might be lucky enough to learn about it in schools and other public health education programs but most of us have simply heard of it or we've never been bothered enough to do it .

Please do check these video out [CLICK HERE] for how to do a proper self breast exam. it's only a minute long and I promise you it will be helpful. 

You might think well I'm not really at risk for breast cancer so why bother right? . WRONG !!!
the simple fact that you are a woman puts you at risk for breast cancer aside from all the other risk factors.


What Can you do to Lower your chances of getting it? 

Unlike your gender, there are certain things you can modify to lower your risk of getting cancer.
One that would be relevant for many of the younger generation is Smoking !!! . And No, smoking does not only mean cigarettes. It includes Shiisha, cannabis and whatever seems to be out there that involves lighting up and inhaling .

To the Women with Children - BREASTFEED if you can !!!!. it's been proven that breastfeeding for over a year can lower your risk of getting breast cancer . Subhan-Allah is it not amazing how the Holy Quran mentions breastfeeding for 2 years  .

there is a famous saying that goes like " You are what you eat" and that couldn't be anymore true.
A healthy lifestyle not only lowers your risk of breast cancer but also Hypertension, Diabetes, Strokes, etc etc etc .
A sedentary lifestyle is not a lifestyle!!! it's a highway to illness and painful death.
So, Eat more Bananas with lunch , go for a walk or Dance it off GANGNAM STYLE. Switch your sodas for a home made fruit cocktail and
PLEASE DO NOT RE-USE THE FRYING OIL even if that means getting into an argument with hooyo  [it's been shown to increase your risk of cancer]  

If you do notice any of the changes mentioned in the picture , Do make an appointment with your doctor ASAP !! and get it looked at [ that does not mean next month or 6 months later - the earlier the better ] 

And Finally Breast Cancer is not an exclusively women's only disease . Men can get breast cancer as well . so to all the brothers If you TOO notice any changes , go see a doctor immediately.  

For those of you interested in reading more on it : Do check out BreastCancer.org

Why I've been missing and My Year

So a few days ago , I finally remembered I had a blog that I loved so much from once upon a time and as I was going through it I realized I haven't been blogging as much.
 (understatement for 3 posts over 9 months hehe)
So here I am flexing my fingers , dusting off my grammar and punctuation to put together a semi decent post on why I've been MIA. 

2012 has definitely been a very tough year for my Family and I . Apart from the regular stresses of Uni and hospital rounds and what not . My dad was diagnosed with a stage 4 Esophageal cancer last Ramadan .

As a medical student we're always throwing out differential diagnosis on rounds and one of the answers you can never go wrong with is Cancer. The resident asks you what's your differential ?
Safest Answer : TB, Cancer. Infection. . Overtime we become desensitized and such horrible diseases are just answers to us .
 We don't really completely understand how devastating it is , not only to the patient but also to their entire family .

I remember once having a patient whose symptoms were so similar to my dad's. Diagnosing him was like diagnosing my father , and I kept subconsciously avoiding esophageal cancer even though his symptoms were classic for the case. 
 I knew that would mean there was a big chance my dad had a similar condition .I was in denial  

How Did I find Out ? 

 Just after Eid ('011) , my family decided to move to kenya after spending 6 months with us ,and I wasn't about to miss the trip so I  tagged along for what was left of my summer break. 
A day before we left to Nairobi , my mom was just going through the luggage and she found my Aaboo's medical reports . Like most moms she just passed it to me and my cousin (also a med student) to look at and maybe learn a thing or two from it .
A chance to test my skills and showoff what I've been learning for 4 years . We walked over to the other room , stood by the window and stared at the X-rays and CT Scans. Instantly my heart dropped but I wasn't about to jump to a disease that meant my dad was dying . So I stayed calm , pulled out the medical report and read what the radiologist had to say . - It was Cancer . 

Fast Forward to May 25th '012
My Uncle calls to let us know that Dad passed away .
After a 9 month battle with stage 4 esophageal Cancer, 2 rounds of chemo, and 2 stent placement surgeries .At the age of 54 Aabo was no more with us. 

So that's been most of my year summarized in a few paragraphs , Oh not to forget being suspended twice from Uni . But that is a post for another day ^_^  

PS: just a quick note I might as well squeeze in . I know how most Somalis neglect their health and avoid check ups and all.  But  I just want to emphasize how important and live saving that hour or two you take out of your day to get a check up could be . 

- Dont take your Health for Granted , It's a Blessing so cherish it ;)