Breast Cancer Awareness by Robin Turner

Teal is the color for Ovarian Cancer Awareness. I am impressed with how teal is not merely a color for ribbons, t-shirts and accessories but has a greater meaning. T.E.A.L. is used to help women remember the potential warning signs of Ovarian Cancer, which are:

T= Too Frequent Urination
E = Eating & Feeling Full Quickly
A = Abdomen Bloating and/or Pain
L = Loss of Appetite or Lack of Energy

With Breast Cancer Awareness month upon us, anything and everything that can be “pinked” is pink for the month of October or what I have seen referred to as “Pinktober”. As a breast cancer survivor, I wear pink to remind myself how blessed I am to have found out extremely early my diagnosis during an annual mammogram, and also in support of other survivors, those continuing in their fight, and those who have lost their lives because of breast cancer. And like ovarian cancer’s T.E.A.L, I want pink to be more than just a cute color to wear in October.

Truth be told, there is nothing cute about breast cancer (or any type of cancer). It’s actually the opposite of pink. It’s not cute, pretty or proper. I thought – why not give P.I.N.K. a real purpose? P.I.N.K should help women be proactive in the fight against breast cancer. So the next time, you put on that pink ribbon, bracelet or t-shirt…tell someone what P.I.N.K. really stands for. P.I.N.K. with Purpose!

15 SYMPTOMS OF CANCER THAT MEN AND WOMEN SHOULD NOT IGNORE

By Robin Turner

With ovarian cancer awareness month coming to a close and breast cancer awareness coming soon, this is the season of a host of races, runs and walks to find a cure for various forms of cancer. I have been wearing the color teal all month in support of a dear friend who is fighting ovarian cancer. I, myself, am a one-year breast cancer survivor and I am compelled to help others either avoid cancer altogether or know the warning signs so that it can be detected early enough to be effectively treated.

In my research on cancer prevention, I found two separate articles on WebMD.com outlining the symptoms that men and women should not ignore. I thought it would be helpful to have the warning signs for both men and women available in one place to make it easy to remember, so I took it upon myself to make the following chart. Many of the warning signs listed below are very common and alone should not cause alarm, but when symptoms persists and do not get better over time, they should not be ignored. Seek medical advice immediately.

I am not a medical professional. The information posted below is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all the possible warning signs. It is meant to help increase your knowledge and help you to be proactive in detecting cancer early. The first steps in fighting cancer are knowing your family history, knowing the warning signs and then not ignoring them. When found early, cancer is more treatable. Take a look at the list below and talk to your doctor about anything that may be concerning you.

15 Symptoms of Cancer