Hi Yoga Barre Babes!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and this is a subject that is near and dear to our hearts at The Yoga Barre.   As I sit down to write this, I am currently in Houston at MD Anderson Cancer Center completing my own treatment for breast cancer.  I am truly blessed and have SO MUCH to share with each of you when I return home, which will be SOON!   But, until then, I want to share some important facts with you about breast cancer. 

·      About 1 in 8 women (12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.

·      In 2020, an estimated 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S. along with 48,530 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.

·      Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women.   In 2020, it is estimated that about 30% of newly diagnosed cancers in women will be breast cancer.

·      Mammography is good at finding breast cancer, especially in women ages 50 and older.   Overall, the sensitivity of mammography is about 87%.  This means that mammography correctly identifies about 87% of women who truly have breast cancer.   Sensitivity is higher in women over 50 than younger women.  

Even though, mammography is not 100%, I urge every woman reading this to "not put off" scheduling her yearly mammogram.   I wanted to share this fact about mammography because many women, like myself, think, "My mammogram is clear, I'm fine."   I urge every woman to request a copy of her mammogram report and read it!   And, yes, request your mammogram report even if you are fortunate enough to receive the letter from your scanning facility that your mammogram is normal.   You may be wondering, "Why do I need the mammogram report?"   I think it is so important that every woman knows the particular findings on her own mammogram.   Here is just one example "why" your findings are so  important:  Did you know that dense breast tissue is a risk factor for breast cancer?   “Normal findings letters,” do not state findings. Without your mammogram report, you would never know you had that risk factor. Keep a file of all of your mammogram reports and refer back to the previous year's mammogram yourself to compare the findings.  I have so much more I want to share with each of you about arming yourself with as much knowledge about your body as possible, and I look forward to sharing more of this knowledge with you soon!

My journey has taught me so much about my faith, my strength, diet (yes, diet) and the toxicities that hide in our cosmetics and cleaning products.   And, lastly, one of the most important things I've learned is how to "re-balance my life."   As women, we do so much.   The demands are endless, and we put ourselves last on our own lists.   Prior to my breast cancer diagnosis, I was guilty of putting myself last just as many of you are.  I have realized in order to stay healthy, this must change.   I'd love to see you at The Yoga Barre where we can find our “re-balance” together.   

So ... stay tuned to our website, Facebook and Instagram pages for our reopen date.   Hint:  It won't be much longer!     But, most importantly, schedule your mammogram or give a woman you know a friendly reminder to do so.   And remember to request your mammogram report.

See you soon!

Much love, Sandi