Power In The Pink Bow

As a little girl, I ate, prayed, and loved pink. I desired pink highlights in my hair. Pink heels to wear. Pink dresses to accompany everything. But the most important accessory I needed to complete my look was a large pink bow. However, at the age of 23, my favorite accessory has shifted to be a little alarming. It wasn’t just my grandmother who received a diagnosis of breast cancer in May of last year. It was also my mother who was diagnosed last month. Which nearly doubled my chances of getting a similar diagnosis later in my life. I couldn’t figure out a poetic wordplay to write this blog so I thought about holding off until breast cancer awareness month. However, it’s imperative every month, every week, every day for women to be aware of this cancer swarming us. While black women have a 4% lower incidence rate of breast cancer than white women there’s a 40% higher death rate according to the American Cancer Society. So with my genealogy and race, you could understand why the pink bow has to be more than an accessory. Despite the unfortunate, you must remember that God hath not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. So while 1/8 of women will have this diagnosis in their life. Also, know that about 80% of women with breast cancer will live at least 15-plus years after their diagnosis. So if you or a loved one has gone through, going through, or will go through a breast cancer journey remember God’s promises for your life. Remember Psalm 91:9-11 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, Even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways.” Never allow the trials of life to make you forget the calling God has over you. So please utilize these tips below but also always Purposely be Purposeful.

Here Are Five Tips To Help You Be Proactive Regarding Breast Cancer…

Self-Exams 

Ask your doctor to show you how to perform a self-exam on your breast. When I was 21 I had a bilateral lumpectomy due to fibroadenoma I had in both breasts. It’s a very common non-cancerous tumor found in young women. However, the only reason they were found was due to the self-exam I performed on myself. Sometimes it takes years for lumps or other symptoms to appear which is why you must perform self-exams but also get your yearly mammograms. 

Change Your Diet 

So many illnesses have been directly linked to the foods we eat. While of course breast cancer is not one of those things, there have been foods linked to fighting off cancerous cells. Some of those foods are garlic, tomatoes, cauliflower, ginger, leafy greens, beets, and carrots. Juicing can help fight cancer as well. But you should avoid processed foods and terrible quality meats. It has been proven they have as many carcinogens as a pack of cigarettes. While no diet can make it impossible for you to get cancer, being proactive and taking charge of everything you put in your body can help. Try your best to stay away from alcohol and caffeinated beverages as much as possible. Please read the following article for more information. https://www.maxhealthcare.in/blogs/revealed-top-5-cancer-fighting-foods

Annual Mammograms 

It does not matter if you have a family history of breast cancer or not you can still be at risk for this diagnosis. Statistically, only about 15% of breast cancer cases have a first-degree relative with this diagnosis. Meaning most breast cancer diagnoses are not linked to genealogy. Therefore make sure when you reach the age of 40-45 you begin to receive your yearly mammograms. However, if you’re someone like me who has a first-degree relative with breast cancer it’s best to start getting them 10 years before the age of your relative’s diagnosis. For example, if your mother was diagnosed at 46 you should begin your annual mammograms at 36. 

Support System 

Proverbs 17:17 friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity. God stated in Genesis that it was not good for man to be alone. So don’t isolate yourself. However, don’t be insensitive and cast all your worries and fears onto your loved ones. That can potentially drain them. But don’t go through things alone. Go out and dance. Go to a concert and sing. Take a trip and relax. Go to a friend’s house and bake cookies. Go get that haircut. Go buy that bag. But most importantly love one another. God created us for community. So bask in that. Don’t stop living and being in relationships with one another. Also, know it’s okay to have a therapist be a part of that community cause it is neither healthy nor ok to burden your family and friends, but know you are supposed to lean on them. 

Positive Mindset 

Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. It is important to find the beauty of life despite all that may be transpiring throughout life. God never promises that life won’t get hard. Loved ones will betray. Illness will come about. However, God’s love and favor continues. Don’t allow the negativity to take away your joy. You were fearfully and wonderfully made. You have purpose and you are worthy of a life filled with joy, abundance, love, family, friends, and whatever other promises God will fulfill. Don’t carry the weight of the world but rather rejoice and be glad in it. Your life will change when you purpose your thoughts to be positive. Shift your mindset and believe in God’s promises for you. 

Psalm 55:22…Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

My poetry book “Unclothed” is now available 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unclothed-jordan-alexis/1142860693?ean=97988231