October is breast cancer awareness month. Behind
the glamorous events, deluge of hashtags and celebrity appearances in the pink,
have we really thought of the real meaning of the awareness? While happy campaigns
show fun activities, we should reflect that it is about a malicious illness
that has caused suffering to millions. When I see the pink ribbon, it instills
a sense of seriousness in me. I believe it is not a straightforward deal of
staying alive. It is an emotional struggle when parts of the body cannot be
saved that makes you doubt whether staying alive is the best choice.
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| October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month |
Being a woman myself, I have always been
paranoid of the sickness. The fear has always lingered in me since I was old
enough to appreciate my breasts. People that know about my thoughts would dismiss
it by saying that I am negative until I met Dr. Saunthari Somasudaram, Medical
Director and President of National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM). “You
should be paranoid about it!” she assured me. For the first time, I felt that I
have a positive attitude towards my body.
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| Dr. Saunthari who told me that I should be paranoid about breast cancer |
I was at Shokobutsu’s Pledge-To-Self-Check During Shower Campaign when
I met Dr. Saunthari. In my eyes, it came across as a very sincere initiative by
the company. Yes, there were Shokobutsu products everywhere but they stayed
humble at the corners while the event gravitated around breast cancer and the heartfelt
reach to help women to understand it. Breast cancer is the 2nd most
common cancer in the world. More than 90% of women diagnosed with breast cancer
at the earlier stages (stage 1 and 2) stand the chance of surviving the disease
for at least 5 years.
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| Dr. Delilah teaching the crowd how to self-check |
Shokobutsu’s campain Pledge-To-Self-Check during
Shower hails women to just check their breasts during shower. This life-saving action
is often underestimated. There is no hard and fast way to prevent breast
cancer. There is only early detection and treatment. While there are mammograms
and ultrasound to check your breasts, it is best to refine your checks with
monthly self-checks. Three breast cancer survivors were open enough to bare their struggles and tell the story of their battle against the Big C. I
listened intensely and empathized deeply. It is a respect of a different dimension towards the determination to live
and courage of these ladies.
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| Sengolmany, aged 52 years old, a cheerful housewife from Ampang who survived cancer for 15 years |
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| Valli who has outlived breast cancer for 10 years shared her journey fighting with the Big C at the event |
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| Stella Voon who survived breast cancer for 11 years shared her story at the event |
For young woman like me, mammograms are
rarely recommended due to thicker tissues. Therefore, I bought myself a peace
of mind this October with an ultrasound scan at the NCSM in KL. I took the
trouble to brave the traffic, haze and challenged my sense of direction in KL
to check my breasts at RM150. I was advised to self-check them monthly, one
week after my menses. I strongly recommend to women below 40 years to do an
annual ultrasound check. Do not shun this matter and take the extra precaution.
Spare not only yourself from the torment, save your loved ones from the
emotional agony.
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| I did something for myself this October. This is the ultrasound result at RM150 at NCSM. I strongly urge all ladies to have their breasts checked |
Shokubutsu's campaign will run from 1st October to 30th November 2015. For every bottle sold during the campaign period translates, Shokubutsu Malaysia will contribute RM0.10 to NCSM.
For more information, kindly go to:
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