Sunday Walk

Early this morning, my friend Vanessa and I participated in the Susan G Komen Run for the Cure here in downtown Phoenix. We both went to support a good cause, but like everyone there, we know someone who has been affected by this disease. I went for my Aunt Adeline, who is a breast cancer survivor.

Although it was officially a competitive run, we opted to walk the course. There were thousands and thousands of people who attended. The majority of the participants were women, but there were also a significant number of men, children and some dogs who were also there.

As with any race, the customary t-shirts were handed out, however, pink shirts were given to women who are breast cancer survivors. It was chilling to note that many of those pink shirted women were really young- some came to the race with their toddlers. We often assume that this disease only affects older women. While it is true that the older you get, the more your chances of getting breast cancer increase, it also is pervasive in the under 40 crowd. Because we think that it is primarily an older woman's disease, we don't emphasize to young women, how important prevention is to them. As a result, many of them discover their cancer too late.

I sincerely hope that we contributed "the" dollars that lead to the scientific discovery of the cure for this disease. If you are a woman reading this blog entry, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Please do your monthly self examination today. One of our local television station offers a "buddy check" system; it is an electronic reminder to do your monthly examination. Find the link here.