Breast Cancer Awareness – Rotaract Club of Matopos Chapter

The month of October is universally dedicated to this cause, call it the pink month; a colour that was chosen in the early nineties (90’s) to highlight this cause. You have probably heard about breast cancer, know a person suffering from breast cancer or have lost someone to this cancer, so you definitely already have an idea as to what I am sharing on. Like any other cancer, early detection of the cancer can save a life. However, we are usually caught off guard when the cancer is past its early stages and can therefore not be curbed. The awareness campaign is ideally one whose base is; not just to know about breast cancer but rather detect the cancer at its early stages and encourage others to do the same whether you are male or female.

Many foundations, organizations, bodies’ etcetera have set out to create awareness to the best of their ability. Personally, one group of people have gotten my attention due to their consistent campaign across social media; The Rotaract Club of Matopos (all the way from Zimbabwe in D9210). These Rotaractors have dedicated their month’s activities to creating awareness about breast cancer. Everything they eat, walk, dress, talk is aimed at creating awareness.

To increase breast cancer awareness in Zimbabwe and all over the world, the club is using social media to the best of their ability. With the motto “Weeding out Breast Cancer from the roots”, they are targeting as many people as they can. Some of the hash tags (#) that are being used are #PowerOfPink, #PinkOctober, #ThePinkMove and #PinkMovement (do remember to check them out).

Further to their campaign, there are pod-casts that have been shared by club members to create awareness, something that everyone should listen to; https://soundcloud.com/rotaract-club-of-matopos/sets/breast-cancer-campaign-october-2015-weeding-out-breast-cancer-from-the-roots is one you can start with.

Thando (a member of the Rotaract Club of Matopos) also told me about “Pink Fridays”, Fridays where clubs members post “selfies” wearing something pink. A tweet by @peter_oracle from the same club saying his way of going pink was by getting himself a pink tooth brush; clearly a sign as to how committed he was to the cause. Therefore the next time you see someone putting on pink, do not simply admire the pink, but be reminded about the need to check for breast cancer. So whoever you are, whatever you are doing, join the pink cause during this month and let’s create awareness about breast cancer; but most importantly do remember to check your self-first (at least once a month).

How can you do that; here are 5 steps to an effective self-checkup as per the Breast Cancer Organization on http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/self_exam/bse_steps

Step 1: Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips. Here's what you should look for:

• Breasts that are their usual size, shape, and color
• Breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling

  If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor's attention:

• Dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin
• A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out)
• Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling

Step 2: Now, raise your arms and look for the same changes.

 Step 3: While you're at the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood).

Step 4: Next, feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a quarter. Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.

Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. This up-and-down approach seems to work best for most women. Be sure to feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts: for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light pressure; use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you've reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your ribcage.

Step 5: Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in step 4.

Step 6 – Yes, I said they were 5; the 6^th is create awareness, spread the message and advise your friends to do the same.

“Let’s weed breast cancer out from the roots”