It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
Tags: asda, breast cancer, breast cancer care, burgens, my mum, tickled pink, yankee candle.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and a number of companies are coming together to raise money for Breast Cancer Care, and to raise awareness about breast cancer.
I want to talk a little bit about this on my blog today as breast cancer awareness is a topic close to my heart, after my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. Thankfully she can be counted as one of the lucky people who are included in the increasing survival rates; thanks to earlier detection, better breast awareness and more targeted treatments, a higher percentage of people are breast cancer survivors than ever before.
This October around 4,000 people in the UK will receive the news that they have breast cancer. I can’t think of a single person I know who hasn’t been affected by breast cancer in some way; either a relative or friend has been diagnosed in the past, or they have friends who have lost someone due to this terrible disease which kills almost 12,000 people each year in the UK.
On the High Street
Breast Cancer Care is the only UK-wide charity dedicated to providing emotional and practical support for anyone affected by breast cancer, and you can help raise money for this important charity by buying one of the many fundraising products that are on sale throughout October from a variety of companies.
I was sent a loaf of Burgen Sunflower & Chia Seed bread to try out this week by Burgen’s PR company and I can attest that even though the loaf unfortunately sat around our local Royal Mail delivery office for a few days it is still really tasty! For each loaf of bread sold 2 pence is donated to Breast Cancer Care, with the aim of raising over £35,000. That’s a lot of loaves!
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the charity’s pink ribbon logo will be featured on all Burgen packs to highlight the partnership and to encourage you to make a difference while you’re out doing your weekly food shop. There are three varieties avaliable which all make great sandwiches, snacks, or toast: Soya & Linseed, Buckwheat & Poppy Seed and the new Sunflower & Chia Seed.
As well as the Burgen’s loaves, there are loads of other products out there this year that you can buy to help raise money for Breast Cancer Care. Here are a few of my other favourites:
Asda are getting in on the action with some of their Tickled Pink products this October, which includes these gorgeous flowers (£5, 50p of which is donated), pink lemonade Lucozade (£1.99, 10p of which is donated), a stripy hot pink & black umbrella (£5, 50p of which is donated) and lastly a special edition pack of Jaffa Cake Bars (£1, 5p of which is donated). All four of these items are available from Asda stores nationwide and I certainly don’t think I’d be kicking James out of bed if he came home with that bouquet (in fact, someone might want to email him the link to this post!).
Yankee Candle have also gotten involved by releasing a special edition Pink Blush candle jar. £1 of the £19.99 price tag is donated for each jar, and you can find them at their website or Yankee Candle stands nationwide. Expensive though they are, I have a bit of a soft spot for Yankee Candles. They last absolutely ages and I find them so much nicer than chemical air fresheners – I would much prefer to light one of these on my window sill any day. Yankee Candle describe Pink Blush as ”a bouquet of soft pink blooms with a gentle kiss of vanilla” which sounds pretty scrummy to me!
To see more of what’s hot on the high street this month, head over to this list!
Breast Awareness
It is really important for every woman to get to know their breasts and to perform regular checks to make sure that everything is alright – early detection and better awareness of our bodies is vital. Here is some information from Breast Cancer Care to help you:
How do I check my breasts?
There’s no right or wrong way to check your breasts. Try to get used to looking at and feeling your breasts regularly. Remember to check all parts of your breasts, your armpits and up to your collarbone.
What changes should I look and feel for?
Nobody knows your body like you do, so you’re the best person to notice any unusual changes.
- Changes in size or shape.
- Changes in skin texture such as puckering or dimpling.
- Inverted nipple.
- A lump or thickening of breast tissue.
- Redness or a rash on the skin/around the nipple.
- Discharge from one or both nipples.
- Constant pain in breast or armpit.
- Swelling in armpit/around collarbone.
The five-point code
Whatever your age, size or shape it’s important to take care of your breasts. And remember, although it’s rare, men can also get breast cancer so they need to be breast aware too. Being breast aware is easy – just follow these five simple steps.
- Know what is normal for you.
- Know what to look and feel for.
- Look and feel.
- Tell your GP about any changes straightaway.
- Go for breast screening when invited.
And on a more personal note…
Please, please follow this five-point code. My mums breast cancer was only detected so early because she went to her routine breast screening when she was approaching her 50th birthday. I truly believe that the early detection of her cancer was a major factor in saving her life, so I’m asking everyone to go to those appointments. Just like your smear test, they might be horrible experiences but they ask you to go through them for a simple reason: they save lives.
To find out more about Breast Cancer Care or get in touch for their help, you can visit their webstite at www.breastcancercare.org.uk or call their free helpline on 0808 800 6000.
