pink partners

By Linda Hankemeier

f you ask my mom, she will tell you she thinks I saved her life, shared Gabby Jaeger of Bloomington. Three years ago, Maria Hernandez was visiting her daughter Gabby in Bloomington having traveled from her residence in Mexico. While here, Gabby convinced her mom to have a physical which included a mammogram. And, unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look at it breast cancer was found.

Gabbys mom had no signs or symptoms of cancer, so the diagnosis came as quite a surprise. But, it was found early a Stage Zero tumor which allowed her to receive much needed treatment for her cancer and even evaluate which treatments she felt were best for her life. Without the mammogram, Marias cancer would have gone undetected possibly with fatal results. But now, according to Gabby, her mom is 100 percent back to normal and very active. Gabby smiles when she says that her mother tells people she saved her life. I tell her it sounds like I jumped in front of a bus and pushed her away from the bus, states Jaeger. But it really didit saved her life getting a mammogram. Mom, rememberA Mammogram is a Beautiful Thing As we grow older, one of the many ironic turns our lives take is the need to become more involved in supporting our parents. And, talking to your parents about their health is one of the many ways you can provide this support. Mammograms can be particularly awkward to discuss. If your mom had a wound on her arm, youd encourage her to have it treated. But, a mammogram involves a sometimes uncomfortable exam on a part of the body that we dont usually sit around and chat about. So, the idea of discussing mammograms can be a difficult topic. This year for Mothers Day, give your mom the greatest gift: Your interest in her health and longevity. Remind her to get a mammogram. Pink Partners, an initiative of the Community Cancer Center that is focused on encouraging women to have annual mammograms, suggests to children of all ages to remind their moms to have an annual mammogram. One of the many reasons women give for not getting a mammogram is that they simply forget. Setting an annual date like Mothers Day as the time for her annual mammogram to occur will help ensure she remembers her mammogram and to take care of her health. A Mammogram is a Beautiful Thing because it can save a life. Mammograms, coupled with regular clinical breast exams and self-breast awareness, are still believed to be the best combination for catching breast cancer early, increasing the patients chance

Page 46 Healthy Cells Magazine Bloomington May 2013

of survival, states Dr. Shermian Woodhouse, Medical Director of the Community Cancer Center, Normal. If women get their mammograms, we have a chance of detecting breast cancer early, she continues. No mom wants to think about the pain her children would feel if they had to watch her suffer or die from a disease that may have been treatable if caught earlier. But, the most current statistics available indicate that only 48 percent of women in our community age 40 and older had a screening mammogram in 2011, with the percentage being even lower in minority populations. National statistics show that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, the mammogram continues to be one of the most effective ways to detect cancer early when the chances of survival are better for the patient. To schedule a mammogram, contact your doctor for an order. If you do not have a doctor, contact the Community Cancer Center at 309-451-8500 for assistance with scheduling your mammogram appointment. Financial assistance is available for women who have no insurance coverage or cannot meet their deductible, as well as help with other services needed for a mammogram to be completed. Pink Partners, an area initiative of the Community Cancer Center, focuses on increasing the percentage of women in the local population who have screening mammograms. Pink Partners encourages all women to invite their moms and family members, friends, and neighbors to partner with them in committing to complete an annual mammogram. For more information about Pink Partners, visit http://www.cancercenter.org/pink-partners.html.

Congratulations
to Dr.Pankaj Kumar Oncologist/Hemotologist with Illinois CancerCare, P.C.
Recipient of the 2012-2013 UICOMP Outstanding Clinical, Technological, or Scholarly Achievements Applied to Medical Research Award, for his continued efforts in cancer research. His award will be presented at the Celebration of Excellence at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria this fall.

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May 2013 Bloomington Healthy Cells Magazine Page 47