Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Even though much "awareness" seems to center around randomly making things pink, awkward jokes about saving the ta-tas and vaguely dirty facebook memes that don't have any logical connection to anything productive, overall awareness does good things. Like reminding people to do self-exams to check for lumps.

I first heard about the importance of doing monthly self-exams a few years ago. One of my favorite aunts had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer (she's fine now), so for once I actually decided to give it a try.

For as much as I appreciate all the aesthetic awesomeness of my breast, my attention had mostly been focused on choosing tops that made them looks fantastic but not overly skanky. Not so much with the getting personal and touchy feely. So it felt a little odd to be feeling myself up in the shower. It felt even worse when I realized that I had a huge lump right in the middle of each breast.

I was sure that meant I was going to die. I couldn't believe that I had waited so long to check, and now it was certainly too late. Fortunately, somewhere in the midst of my hypochondria fueled paranoia, I started to think about how odd it was that I had two, perfectly symmetrical lumps in the same exact place on each boob. And then I remembered that the point of breasts was not just to flirt my way into a free meal, but to actually feed babies. And just maybe, maybe, that might require some sort of a gland that would be in each breast and feel hard to the touch. I felt like an idiot, which at least was better than thinking I was going to die.

So this October, feel free to engage in silly memes and pink ribbons. Especially remember that now is a great time to schedule yearly exams and get started checking things out for yourself. Just remember that some lumps are supposed to be there.