bravo! breast cancer guide 2013

BRAvo!Breast Cancer

Guide

HARRY’SSTORY

One man’s fight with breast cancer.

PREVENTIONHow to conduct a breast self-exam

Reid’s Corporate Mammogram

CHRIS:a free

mammogram saved my life.

pal-item.com

PI-0000167127

Bravo! Breast Cancer Guide October 20132

May 15 Union CountyMay 16 Wayne CountyJune 6 Randolph CountyJune 13 Preble CountyJuly 11 Fayette CountyJuly 18 Darke County

2014 Relay for Life Dates:

Visit the Fundraisers & Fundraising ideas page on your community’s event website page. You will also find information regarding upcoming Team Captain meetings as well as Kick-Off events. Be sure to check back in often as the main event approaches for more details. Good luck to all area teams in 2014!

Looking for even more ways to support Relay for Life?

Area Relay For Life Announcements

Visit RelayforLife.org Source: RelayforLife.org

October 2013 Bravo! Breast Cancer Guide 3

Bra competition raises awareness,

money in fight againstdeadly disease

In the imagination of area residents, there are over 100 ways to promote mammograms and defeat breast cancer.

Reid Hospital Foundation’s BRAvo! Busting Out Against Breast Cancer initiative’s third annual decorated bra competition has secured 105 bras, each with a different theme.

The advice accompanying the decorated bras includes:

• Stronger in the Broken Places T-Cups• Ahoy Matey! Get your Buoys checked!• Ladies of Harley Never Ride Alone• Bravajo - Dreaming for a Cure• Make sure your Mummy gets a Mammy!• Don’t “Lei” down for Breast Cancer• Don’t let your Mammogram S-S-S-S- Slide awayThe BRAvo! initiative promotes breast

cancer awareness and raises money for no-charge mammograms from Reid Hospital & Health Care Services.

In both 2011 and 2012, the initiative inspired more than 100 decorated bras. Some 20,000 votes were cast for favorite bras each year, and funding was made available for 520 no-charge mammograms for women in need in the Reid Hospital service region.

This year, as in 2012, the top 12 vote-receiving bras will be featured in the 2014 BRAvo! calendar.

New last year was a fundraising component to the competition. In 2012 the Gem of Queens bra created by Hoppe

Jewelers raised over $1,600 and was featured on the 2013 calendar. The top money-raiser, will again be featured on the cover of the 2014 BRAvo! calendar.

Jason Troutwine, director of the Reid Foundation, said adding the cash competition for the calendar cover provided a new way to raise money without compromising the the integrity of the voting for the top 12.

“It all goes to the cause,” Troutwine said.

“Since we started doing BRAvo! and since we started talking in a big way about how important it is to get a mammogram, the number of no-cost mammograms has dramatically increased,” Troutwine said.

Mammograms are the primary tool for early detection of breast cancer, and the sooner the disease is discovered, the greater a woman’s chances of surviving breast cancer.

Reid Hospital, through Reid Foundation, has long offered no-cost mammograms to those who qualify. Because of BRAvo! Reid will provide nearly 500 no-cost mammograms in 2013.

Troutwine said their is still work to be done. “There are still women in our area who have never received a mammogram. Through BRAvo! we are trying to reach these women.”

Staff writer Rachel E. Sheeley


Get the low-down on breast cancerHow many women get breast cancer?The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for breast cancer in the United States are for 2012:

• About 226,870 new cases of invasive breast cancer in women• About 63,300 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be found (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer). • About 39,510 deaths from breast cancer (women)Breast cancer is the most common cancer

among women in the United States, other than skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.

The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is about 1 in 8. The chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 36. Breast cancer death rates have been going down. This is probably the result of finding the cancer earlier and better treatment. Right now there are more than 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.

Risk• Most women are older than 60 when diagnosed with breast cancer.• White women are more often diagnosed with breast cancer than any other race.• Physically inactive women have an increased risk for breast cancer.Compiled from CDC.gov, NIH.gov and apps.

nccd.cdc.gov/uscs/. The USCA is produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health in collaboration with the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR).

Risk Factors

Even without any risk factors, every woman is at risk for breast cancer. The most common risk factors are:

• Family and personal history• Certain chromosomal changes• Certain gene changes (BRCA1 and BRCA2)• Race (most commonly diagnosed in white women)• Radiation therapy to the chest• History of taking DES during pregnancy• Large areas of breast density as it appears on mammogram• Over age 40• Early period• Late menopause• Years of menopausal hormone therapy• Late age when having first child• Late age at first full-term pregnancy• Never having a child• Obesity and postmenopausal obesity• Alcohol consumption• Physical inactivityRecent birth control pill use has been linked

to increased breast cancer risk, according to the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute. However, the risk seems to decrease over

time and return to normal more than 10 years after use of the pill is stopped.

Researchers are still studying many other lifestyle and genetic factors that might increase breast cancer risk. Taking fish oil supplements, having a fatty diet and hormones in general and during pregnancy are topics currently under study.

However, some proposed causes of breast cancer have no clear causal relationship, according to the ACS. Currently no scientific evidence supports association between breast cancer and:

• Antiperspirant use• Underwire bras• Breast implants

Tips to reduce your risk of getting breast cancer

While there is no way to eliminate the risk of getting breast cancer altogether, some studies indicate that the following tips could help reduce the risk:

• Be vigilant about breast self-exams, clinical breast exams and mammograms.• Contact your doctor if you notice breast changes, lumps or changes to your skin or nipples.• Use condoms instead of the pill.• Use naturopathic therapies instead of hormone replacement therapy.• Eat right and limit fat in your diet.• Exercise regularly.• Maintain a healthy weight.• Limit alcohol consumption.• Use chemoprevention (Tamoxifen, Raloxifene and other drugs).• Have prophylactic mastectomy and/or oophorectomy.• Participate in a cancer prevention clinical trial.Research is under way to determine the impact

of herbs and dietary supplements on reducing breast cancer.

Note that conflicting study results show that diet and vitamins, active and passive smoking, environmental and chemical factors and oral contraceptive use might or might not impact breast cancer risk, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Steps to breast cancer early detection

Reid Hospital cites the American Cancer Society’s recommendation that women older than 40 get a screening mammogram once a year. Appointments can be made by calling Reid Central Scheduling at (765) 983-3358. No-cost screening mammograms are available to women age 40 and over who do not have insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare. These no-cost mammograms are made possible by BRAvo!.

Without doubt, early detection of breast cancer saves lives. Becoming aware of what your breasts look and feel like normally will help you when following these American Cancer Society guidelines to breast cancer early detection:

• Monthly breast self-examinations beginning at age 20.• Clinical breast exams every three years


breast, but small clusters of cancer cells (larger than 0.2 millimeter but not larger than 2 millimeters) are found in the lymph nodes; or (2) the tumor is 2 centimeters or smaller and small clusters of cancer cells (larger than 0.2 millimeter but not larger than 2 millimeters) are found in the lymph nodes.

Stage II: Stage II breast cancer is divided into stages IIA and IIB. In stage IIA, (1) no tumor is found in the breast, but cancer is found in the axillary (under the arm) lymph nodes; or (2) the tumor is 2 centimeters or smaller and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes; or (3) the tumor is larger than 2 centimeters but not larger than 5 centimeters and has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes. In stage IIB, the tumor is (1) larger than 2 centimeters but not larger than 5 centimeters and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes; or (2) larger than 5 centimeters but has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes.

Stage III: Stage III breast cancer is divided into stages IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC. In stage IIIA, (1) no tumor is found in the breast, but cancer is found in axillary (under the arm) lymph nodes that are attached to each other or to other structures, or cancer may be found in lymph nodes near the breastbone; or (2) the tumor is 2 centimeters or smaller and cancer has spread to axillary lymph nodes that are attached to each other or to other structures, or the cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone; or (3) the tumor is larger than 2 centimeters but not larger than 5 centimeters and cancer has spread to axillary lymph nodes that are attached to each other or to other structures, or cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone; or (4) the tumor is larger than 5 centimeters and cancer has spread to axillary lymph nodes that may be attached to each other or to other structures, or the cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone. In stage IIIB, the tumor may be any size and cancer (1) has spread to the chest wall and/or the skin of the breast; and (2) may have spread to axillary lymph nodes that may be attached to each other or to other structures, or the cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone. In stage IIIC, there may be no sign of cancer in the breast or the tumor may be any size and may have spread to the chest wall and/or the skin of the breast. Also, cancer (1) has spread to lymph nodes above or below the collarbone, and (2) may have spread to axillary lymph nodes or to lymph nodes near the breastbone. In operable stage IIIC, the cancer is found (1) in ten or more axillary lymph nodes; or (2) in the lymph nodes below the collarbone; or (3) is found in axillary lymph nodes and in lymph nodes near the breastbone. In inoperable stage IIIC, the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes above the collarbone.

Stage IV: cancer has spread to other organs of the body, most often the bones, lungs, liver, or brain.

Stage definitions source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms

beginning at age 20.• Clinical breast exams every year beginning at age 40.• Mammograms every year beginning at age 40.• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and mammogram every year beginning at age 40 for women at high risk.

Incidence of breast cancerEvery woman is at risk for breast cancer.

Unfortunately, that’s one factor that so far cannot be changed. Statistics show the following relative to race, age and stage:

• Excluding skin cancers, breast cancer is the most common cancer in U.S. women ages 40-49.

• In 2006, 2.5 million living women in the United States had a history of breast cancer.• In the United States, more than 200,000

women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.• Over age 45, white women are more likely

than black women to be diagnosed with breast cancer.

• Under age 45, black women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer.• Black women at any age are more likely than

white women to die from breast cancer due to later detection.

• Other ethnic groups have a lower incidence and death rate than either black or white women.

• Men also develop breast cancer, but their risk is considerably lower. Each year about 2,000 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States.

• The relative survival rate five years after diagnosis is 89 percent.

Survival rate by stage:Stage: 5-year Survival Rate0 100%I 100%II 93%III 72%IV 22%

Table source: Cancer.org, last revised 09/11/13

Understanding the stagesStage 0: There are 2 types of stage 0 breast

carcinoma in situ: ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). DCIS is a noninvasive condition in which abnormal cells are found in the lining of a breast duct (a tube that carries milk to the nipple). The abnormal cells have not spread outside the duct to other tissues in the breast. In some cases, DCIS may become invasive cancer and spread to other tissues, although it is not known how to predict which lesions will become invasive cancer. LCIS is a condition in which abnormal cells are found in the lobules (small sections of tissue involved with making milk) of the breast. This condition seldom becomes invasive cancer; however, having LCIS in one breast increases the risk of developing breast cancer in either breast.

Stage I: Stage I breast cancer is divided into stages IA and IB. In stage IA, the tumor is 2 centimeters or smaller and has not spread outside the breast. In stage IB, (1) no tumor is found in the


How-to conduct a breast self-exam

Early detection of breast cancer can improve survival rates and lessen the severity of treatment options. Routine mammograms are essential to catching signs of breast cancer early on but so can home-based breast exams.

Over the years there has been some debate over the effectiveness of breast self-exams, or BSEs, is effective. Different breast cancer organizations have different views on the subject. Some studies have indicated that a BSE is not effective in reducing breast cancer mortality rates. Some argue that these exams also may put women at risk -- increasing the number of potential lumps found due to uncertainty as to what is being felt in the breast. This can lead to unnecessary biopsies. Others feel that a BSE is a good practice, considering that roughly 20 percent of breast cancers are found by physical examination rather than by mammography, according to BreastCancer.org.

The American Cancer Society takes the position that a BSE is an optional screening tool for breast cancer. For those who are interested in conducting self-exams, here is the proper way to do so.

• Begin with a visual inspection of the breasts. Remove clothing and stand in front of a mirror. Turn and pivot so the breasts can be seen at all angles. Make a note of your breasts’ appearance. Pay special attention to any dimpling, puckering or oddness in the appearance of the skin. Check to see if there is any change in symmetry or size of the breasts.

• Continue the examination with hands placed by the hips and then again with your hands elevated overhead with your palms pressed together.

• Next you will move on to a physical examination. This can be done either by reclining on a bed or the floor or any flat surface. The exam also can be done in the shower. To begin examining the breasts, place the hand and arm for the breast you will be examining behind your head. Use the pads of your pointer, middle and ring fingers to push and massage at the breast in a clockwise motion. Begin at the outer portion of the breast, slowly working inward in a circular motion until you are at the nipple. Be sure to also check the tissue under the breast and by the armpit.

• Do the same process on the opposite breast. Note if there are any differences from one breast to the other.

If you find any abnormalities, mark them down on an illustration that you can bring to the doctor. Or if you can get an appointment immediately, draw a ring around the area with a pen so that you will be able to show the doctor directly where you have concern.

It is a good idea to conduct a BSE once a month and not when menstruating, when breasts may change due to hormone fluctuation. Frequent examinations will better acquaint you with what is normal with your breasts and better help you recognize if something feels abnormal.


Harry’s story: breast cancer in men

Hitting four black Angus cows on a dark highway doesn’t sound like a life-saving event, but that’s just what it was for Harry “Sandy” Bright of New Paris, Ohio. Driving home late after playing drums with a band at

a Richmond bar, Bright hit the four cows on Ohio 121. The force of the crash totaled the late-model station wagon and jammed the steering wheel into his left breast. “The pain was excruciating immediately,” Bright said. Other injuries from the accident healed, but the pain in his chest wouldn’t go away during that spring of 1977. Bright consulted a New Paris doctor and then a Richmond doctor, who put him in the hospital. The physician discovered that Bright’s extreme pain was being caused by a breast cancer tumor. Bright had a mastectomy, but his treatment didn’t require any chemotherapy or radiation. “If the accident hadn’t happened, it might have kept growing and growing until it was too late to do anything about it,” said Bright, now 68. “I’m still living.” Bright has filled his life well. For 56 years, he was a professional drummer with area bands. He also operated a flower shop in New Paris and was an auctioneer. In retirement, he gave up all of those duties, but found himself at loose ends. He now has a part-time job managing the auction barn and clerking for the Karanovich Auction Service in Richmond. Outside work, he’s been a dedicated member of the Richmond Lions Club, and can be found participating in nearly every project the group takes on. Yet he surprised many of his fellow Lions Club members at a meeting earlier this year when Reid Foundation director Jason Troutwine, while speaking to the club about Reid’s BRAvo! breast cancer awareness initiative, asked how many breast cancer survivors were in the audience. “I raised my hand and everybody looked at

me like, ‘You’re nuts,’” Bright said with good humor. “I’m not that unusual. You just don’t hear about it (breast cancer in men),” Bright said. Although it’s not as often discussed or as well promoted, Bright knows he’s not alone among male breast cancer survivors. He had a friend, a contractor, who had cancer in both breasts. Bright became a father several years after his mastectomy and neither he, nor his children, thought a thing about how he looked when doing yard work without a shirt. Then one day, his children’s playmates asked why his chest looked funny. “Just tell them I was sick and had something done,” Bright recalls saying. “I didn’t want to scare them by talking about cancer.” Bright said he has never worried about breast cancer for his three children. “I don’t worry about stuff,” he said. “It doesn’t pay.” Heart problems might be more of a concern for them because he has had three heart attacks: at ages 32, 47, and 55. Although Bright doesn’t worry, he does recommend that men be as aware as women of the potential for breast cancer. “I’m sure some of them have it and don’t even know,” he said. “I wouldn’t have known.”

Men’s Breast CancerStatistics & RisksAccording to the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 2,240 men and 232,340 women will develop new cases of breast cancer in 2013, and an estimated 410 men and 39,620 women will die. Less than 1 percent of all breast cancers occur in men, most in ages 60 to 70 years old Risk factors for men include radiation exposure, estrogen administration and diseases associated with hyperestrogenism, such as cirrhosis or Klinefelter syndrome. An increased incidence also is seen in men who have a number of female relatives with breast cancer or in families in which the BRCA2 mutation on chromosome 13q has been identified.

Bravo! Breast Cancer Guide October 20138 Bravo! Breast Cancer Guide October 2013

Thank you to all those who donated their

time, creativity and money to decorate these terrific bras

8

99October 2013 Bravo! Breast Cancer Guide

Throughout these pages we’ve shown you the many wonderful bras decorated for BRAvo! Top

vote getters that will be featured in the 2014 BRAvo! calendar.

You can get your calendar at the Ginkgo Boutique at Reid Hospital

starting on November 18. The cost is just $10 and all proceeds

benefit BRAvo! What a great holiday present that will serve to remind your friends to get their

mammograms.

9


Chris’s story: a free mammogram may just

save your lifeChristine (Chris) Hull spent ten years in health care, serving others in the community, but following significant health issues of her own, she was unable to continue working. Three years later, she found herself at the Wayne County Health Department for a well check with Physician Assistant Amber Hibbert.

“Amber looked at me and said, ‘There is a gap in your chart. You haven’t had a mammogram for three years – why?’”, Christine said. She then explained she couldn’t afford one and did not have insurance. “Amber said, ‘Hello? There are free mammograms at Reid!’” Amber proceeded to set up the appointment for Chris, and said, “You have no choice but to go!”

That day, there were no noticeable lumps in Chris’ breast, but she agreed to the screening. “Because Amber set up the mammogram, I sucked it up and did it,” Chris said. With the BRAvo! fund through Reid Foundation, Chris was able to receive a no cost community benefit mammogram…and it would save her life.

When Chris arrived at Reid’s Breast Center, staff immediately treated her with care, which comforted her during the screening and later a biopsy. “Lori Golliher (radiology technologist) patted my shoulder and talked to me. She was very calming – just right for that moment.”

Then the news came. “I can still hear the doctor’s voice telling me it was cancer,” Chris said. “It was surreal.”

Surgeon Dr. Brad Barrett discussed options with Chris, but due to her family history, she chose to have a double mastectomy. The next few months were challenging, but Chris knew she was in good hands. She finished the first surgery and began hormone therapy as well as plans for reconstruction.

Soon Chris changed her focus to helping others and making a difference. Relay for Life was her first opportunity. She approached that weekend with a renewed perspective. “The survivor lap was one of the most powerful things I have ever experienced in my life,” Chris said.

Chris now spreads the word about the importance of mammogram screenings. “If I can get information to even one lady and save her life, it will be worth it – the more the better!” she said.

“I didn’t know about BRAvo!, but it saved my life,” she said. “I will now live to see my grandchildren.”

Chris Hull, Breast Cancer Survivor


Reluctant for years,reporter gets mammogram

by Rachel E. Sheeley

I’ve been guilty of “Do as I say, not as I do.”Every October since 1996, I’ve written stories for the Palladium-Item about breast cancer survivors and the importance of mammograms as a tool in early detection as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Women are encouraged to begin yearly mammograms at 40. At age 40, the same year my mother died with breast cancer, I had my first mammogram. It was clear. And then, well, I didn’t keep going. I kept preaching, however. Five years later, I knew it was time to get back to it. I’ve heard breast cancer survivors say it countless times, “Get your mammogram.” Deadlines drive me to do my job. If I made a story of getting my mammogram, I’d be sure to do it. Oh, the things I do for my job. Some of my past reluctance was in my head, a fear that I would follow in my mother’s path and a cancer would be found. On Thursday, I overcame my fears and had my mammogram. The initial results were good, and my fears were eased. So what was it like? Not too bad for me, but I realize everyone has their individual experience. I made an appointment. On the day of the mammogram, I checked into the Breast Center at Reid Hospital in Richmond with ease, waited a few minutes, then met mammogram technician Shelley Sams Sams handed me a warmed pink bath robe, escorted me to a changing room and asked that I disrobe from the waist up. I wore a shirt, jacket and slacks to make this easy. I also had been told not to wear deodorant, lotion or powder, which might interfere with the screening. After securing my clothing and purse in a locker, I spent a few minutes in an interior waiting room, where magazines and a TV were available. I snuggled into the warm robe, thinking I’d like to have a robe warmer at home. Sams next escorted me into the mammography room. Reid’s mammography is digital and the hospital website promotes it as a state-of-the-art technology that is found in less than 10 percent of similar centers across the nation. Digital mammography, Reid’s website said, provides patients with greater

accuracy, making it possible to detect problems in their earliest stages. Digital mammography allows the radiologists to zoom in, sharpen, and even rotate the images when making their diagnosis. Sams talked to me about what was going to happen and told me to let her know if I experienced any issues during the process.I stepped up to the mammography machine, slipped out of only the right side of my robe and we did the right breast first. I kept my right arm at my side and held my breath during the compression. Sams worked professionally to position the breast for the best image possible. The second step was to do a scan at an angle. This, Sams told me, provides a better look at the pectoral muscle and the lymph nodes beneath the arm. Lymph nodes are part of the immune system and filter foreign particles, such as cancer cells. For this scan, my right arm was positioned across the machine where I grasped a bar, and held my breath. We repeated the process for the left breast.Some women experience pain and discomfort from the process, but I was fortunate not to, beyond the position being slightly uncomfortable and stretching some arm and chest muscles. After my mammogram, Sams and I talked about women’s varied reactions. She said some women do have pain. She said some take an analgesic, such as ibuprofen, before the mammogram to lessen the discomfort. Sams suggested women talk about their pain level with their physician before the mammogram and follow the physician’s suggestions. Women with fibrocystic breasts, in which the tissue is more dense, lumpy or include fluid cysts, might experience more pain, according to several cancer-related websites. Those women are not more likely to develop breast cancer. However, one of the recommendations for women seeking to decrease or eliminate breast pain or fibrocystic breasts is to reduce caffeine intake. It was suggested that I cease my caffeine intake, including soda and chocolate, for as much as two weeks before the mammogram.Since I had done that in the past, I did it again this time. I have no medical facts on which to base this, but both mammograms were relatively discomfort-free, so I’ll probably follow what suggestion again. I recommend

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Schedule a Corporate Mammogram Day in your businessby Rachel E. Sheeley

Mammograms are a key tool in breast cancer diagnosis. The sooner the disease is discovered, the greater a woman’s chances of surviving. Businesses and organizations can encourage employees to get annual mammograms through a special corporate mammogram program offered by Reid Hospital and Health Care Services. Reid staff will come to a workplace and talk about the importance of get-ting mammograms, and bring a team from central scheduling to set up the mammograms. “It is preventive in nature so it is helping the company out, primarily helping the employee out but the company, too,” said Reid director of wellness Tajuan Stoker. Stoker said the hospital knows that there are some companies and organizations that do not provide insurance to employees, or who have employees who are not on their insurance plans, so the team also can help women who qualify arrange a no-charge mammogram through the BRAvo! program. BRAvo! is an initiative organized by the Reid Foundation that raises money for no-charge mammograms and provides them to qualifying women through Reid Hospital. Annual mammograms are recommended by the American Cancer Society for women age 40 and older. Stoker said having a mam-mogram can give a woman peace of mind, knowing she’s taking the best steps for a posi-tive outcome. Reid’s corporate mammogram program has done presentations at a number of companies including Meijer, Warm Glow Candles, First Bank Richmond and West End Bank. At Meijer, an employee who is a breast can-cer survivor shared her story, adding impor-tance to the need for regular mammograms. Stoker said the corporate mammogram program, which is offered for free, can be

done at any time of the year, not just in Octo-ber. The hospital also offers a similar presenta-tion for health fairs. “Everybody knows somebody who has had some type of cancer,” Stoker said. “We really believe in the preventive part of medicine and health.”

How to Schedule a

Mammogram To schedule a corporate mammogram

program, contact Reid Hospital director of wellness, Tajuan Stoker, at

(765) 983-3086 or email him at [email protected]

Warm Glow: 23 mammograms

First Bank Richmond: 48 mammograms


by Rachel E. Sheeley

Since the inception of the BRAvo! initiative to raise breast cancer awareness and money for mammograms for women in need, community support of the program has been growing by leaps and bounds. The Reid Foundation program started in 2011 with a bra-decorating competition and a signature gala event as its primary fundraisers. And while those still bring in the cash, com-munity businesses, groups and individuals are stepping up to add to the coffers and to raise awareness. “Last year, we netted over $45,000. That’s a good fundraiser,” said Jason Troutwine, direc-tor of the Reid Foundation. “We were able to offer almost 500 (no-charge) mammograms. I have a suspicion that there are more than 500 women out there who could use help. That means we still have work to do about getting the word out and letting people know this is there for them.” According to the BRAvo! website, 37 per-cent of the women age 40 or older in the area have not had a mammogram within the past 12 months and about 53 women in the area die each year from breast cancer. Community events have been a key area of growth for BRAvo! The BRAvo! team has been appearing at area high school and college sporting events such as football and volleyball games, but they’re also being invited to more and more activities. “We’re starting to see different groups of people rallying behind the BRAvo! cause,” Troutwine said. “Young people, people who have been in the community for a long time, people from outside the com-munity.”For example, Ova’s Hairum orga-nizes a beer garden and haircut event to benefit BRAvo! “They really put an effort into working hard and trying to sup-port that cause,” Troutwine said. Dire Skates, Richmond’s roller derby team, arranged a meet and greet event at J&J Winery and then had a bout, where T-shirt

sales and admission contributed to BRAvo! “They’re all coming up with their own ideas,” Troutwine said. “What’s unique about it is they email me with an idea and say, ‘Are you OK with it?’ Yeah. It’s exciting, especially when they’re reaching out to us.” The Get Fired! pottery business did a bra for the competition and created special coasters as party favors for the signature event. The business also has donated items for the signa-ture event silent auction. “They’ve been great,” Troutwine said. Several companies, such as Finance Solu-tions, West End Bank and Richmond Radi-ologists, planned special days at work where they charged a $1 for wearing pink or wearing jeans on a certain day. Warm Glow Candles has taken donations in return for posting a paper cutouts of pink boxing gloves in its “Pink Punch: Fight Breast Cancer” promotion. Richmond High School Ninth Grade Acad-emy students, on their community service day, spent an afternoon at Reid decorating bras for BRAvo! displays in the community and a Hag-erstown High School biology class decorated four bras for the competition. “It’s neat to see some kids get involved in the cause,” Troutwine said. Most of the 2013 BRAvo! events have been completed, but one is yet to come: The BRAvo! Cyclecross event organized by Cycling & Fitness Warehouse on Nov. 16. To learn more about BRAvo! or to get involved, call (765) 983-3102 or go online to www.reidbravo.org

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women discuss it with their physician. After the mammogram, Sams checked the scans to make sure they were of the right quality. If they had not been, we would’ve repeated a scan. With the screening done, I returned to the waiting room while Sams forwarded the digital scans to the radiologist. The radiologist reviews the images, which he or she can enlarge to see details. If the radiologist sees something of concern, the technician will return to the patient to either do more scans, arrange an ultrasound to determine the nature of the abnormality in the breast. If there are greater concerns, Reid’s breast center nurse will meet with the patient to discuss more testing and help arrange additional appointments. The objective is to alleviate as much of the waiting and worrying stress as possible. In most cases, if no concerns are seen by the radiologist, the patient receives that positive information before leaving the breast center and a written follow-up letter by mail. Since my case was unusual, a reporter getting a mammogram with a photographer following along, the radiologist departed for the day before my appointment was complete. My scans were processed the next day.

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Sams was reassuring. She showed me my scans on the computer and explained what we were seeing, the veins, ducts and fatty tissue. I left feeling positive about the experience and, surprisingly, it only took about 20 minutes. Sams has been a licensed mammogram technician for several years, and before that she worked in Reid’s emergency room. She said she likes the job. “I think we’re saving lives,” Sams said. I hope that by “baring my chest” for this article, by continuing to write about breast cancer and through daily work of Sams and others in the Reid Breast Center, we are saving lives.Mammogram scheduling• To schedule a mammogram at the Reid Breast Center, call central scheduling at(765) 983-3358, or use the new online scheduling program at www.bravomammogram.org.• Anyone who has concerns about the cost of a mammogram should consult with their health care provider or contact ReidHospital. The Reid Foundation’s annual BRAvo! campaign not only promotes breast cancer awareness, but raises money to pay formammograms for women who cannot afford them.• The Reid Breast Center offers a special program on the third Thursday of each month that enables women to schedule a mammogram and PAP during the same appointment. The appointment includes the opportunity to have DEXA osteoporosis screening plus receive complimentary chair massage and a gift bag. Appointments last about two hours, but the number available each month is limited.Did you know?• Reid Breast Center uses recyclable spongy pads on the equipment during each mammogram. The pads are shipped to a California company that recycles them into carpet padding.

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Local Resources

The stories behind the bras truly bring meaning to the purpose of BRAvo! Cathy Cline shares the inspiration behind her decorated bra, “Stronger in Broken Places: T-cups”, pictured at right. “One terrible afternoon a whole shelf of my beloved tea cups came crashing down on a second shelf, destroying them all. My heart sank – the Connecticut antiquing with my sisters, San Francisco china stores visited with Mom, lovingly picked gifts from dear friends laid shattered on the floor. I couldn’t bear to throw them away, so they sat in my garage waiting to be re-born. What a perfect opportunity BRAvo! presented to remember and celebrate all these women, from across the country, that had been so important to me over the years, many of them touched one way or another by breast cancer.

And to jump into the bra decorating project with my daughter made it all the more special. Every piece of broken china on this bra celebrates a sister, some of them biological.”

Every bra tells a story

• Reid Breast Center, with digital mammography services, in the Outpatient Care Center at 1100 Reid Parkway. Reid offers free mammograms to community members. (765) 983-3358.

• Wayne County Health Department Clinic, 203 E. Main St., Richmond, (765) 973-9294. The clinic offers information about self-exams and basic care, and makes mammogram referrals.

• Cancer Support Group, a spiritual support group for people coping with cancer of any kind, meets on the last Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at West Richmond Friends Meeting, 609 W. Main St. If the last Monday is a holiday, the group meets on the preceding Monday. Contact Peggy Lear at (765) 966-3810. The group also is willing to provide speakers for organization meetings.

• The Indiana Women in Need Foundation (I-Win), which has a Richmond branch, helps women who during breast cancer surgery and treatment with $500 grants for services such as child care, housekeeping, yard maintenance, in-home pet care, personal

errands, transportation, meals, professional photographs, massage, exercise and yoga. Each woman undergoing treatment is eligible; there are no income criteria. All administrative details are handled by the Indianapolis headquarters. For more information, visit the foundation’s Website at www.inwinfoundation.org or call the Indianapolis office at (866) 900-4946. Information and referrals also are available by contacting Jackie Vanderpool at (765) 935-1656.

• American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 689, 923 Fourth St., Columbus, IN 47202 or (812) 376-6781; or nationally at (800) 227-2345 or on the Internet at www.cancer.org.

• American Cancer Society, 40 S. Perry St., Suite 120, Dayton, OH 45402 or (888) 227-6446.

• Whitewater Valley Imaging Center, 1475 E. SR 44 in Connersville. (765) 827-8670. Mammograms at this location may also be scheduled at bravomammogram.org.

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bravo! breast cancer guide 2013

Documents

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breast cancer dont

breast cancer guide

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