October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to honor the month, my moms’ group has formed our first team to participate in the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure this Saturday. 

According the American Cancer Society,

About 182,460 women in the United States will be found to have invasive breast cancer in 2008. About 40,480 women will die from the disease this year. Right now there are about two and a half million breast cancer survivors in the United States.

The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is about 1 in 8. The chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 35.

Mammograms are recommended for women over the age of 40.  Women with a history of breast cancer in their family can begin receiving mammograms as early as age 35.  Although breast cancer is unlikely to occur in women under the age of 35, there have been some cases.   

As reported by the National Cancer Institute,

a woman’s chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer is

from ages 30 to 39. . .	0.44 percent (often expressed as “1 in 229″)
from ages 40 to 49. . .	1.46 percent (often expressed as “1 in 68″)
from ages 50 to 59. . .	2.73 percent (often expressed as “1 in 37 “)
from ages 60 to 69. . .	3.82 percent (often expressed as “1 in 26 “)

In addition, the American Cancer Society reports that “70% to 80% of women who get breast cancer do not have a family history of this disease”.

Given these statistics, why aren’t women under the age of 40 with no history of breast cancer in their families candidates for mammograms?  Why do women under the age of 40 have to wait to feel a lump in their breasts to be referred for a mammogram?

Upon researching mammograms, women will learn that breast tissue in younger women tends to be denser than breast tissue found in older women.  Dense breast tissue presents as white areas on an x-ray as does breast cancers, which could result in a misdiagnosis in younger women.  As women age, the tissue density decreases and becomes fattier, which allows for a more accurate screening.  Therefore, the most effective screening for women younger than 40 is a yearly clinical breast exam and monthly breast self-exams.     

More than likely, each of you has been touched by breast cancer in some way.  You can probably name a friend, family member, loved one or co-worker who has been stricken by this disease.  You may be a survivor.  

A few weeks ago, my sister’s co-worker recently lost a battle to breast cancer that no one even knew she was fighting.  At age 36, Tisha Cassaway passed away with no history of breast cancer in her family.

A former Moms on the Go member, Shelley Middleton has been a cancer survivor for 14 years.  Her mother, Nancy Lochner, lost her life to breast cancer at age 37.

This Saturday, we walk (and run) for women like Tisha, Shelley and Nancy.  We walk to remind women the importance of early detection.  We walk to move closer to a cure.  

Please find it in your heart to donate to our team. 

Moms on the Go Donation Page

Since September is Menopause Awareness Month, I thought I would share my own menopause memoir to commemorate the month.  I should warm my male readers that this post will contain information about my girlie parts, hormones and my periods menstrual cycles.  If you are squeamish of such topics or simply just not interested, then now would be a good time to click away.  However, if you stick around to read my post, you may learn a little more insight to the baffling female species.

Before children, my cycle was 21 days, but at the age of 34 after the birth of my second daughter, I began to have irregular periods.  For some cycles, my period would arrive 6 weeks later.  As you can imagine, these irregular period patterns would cause me to think I was pregnant, but then my old reliable Aunt Flo would finally arrive. 
About two years ago in the midst of this new pattern of irregular menstrual cycles, I became pregnant.  Unfortunately, the pregnancy was not viable and I lost my baby at 10 weeks, which was my first miscarriage and my first experience with all the awful symptoms that occur as a result, such as severe cramping and weeks of very heavy bleeding. 
Then, almost a year later to the date, I experienced another episode of severe heavy bleeding, which I thought I was another miscarriage.  I took a pregnancy test which read negative, but I doubted the accuracy of the test and tried 2 more tests which also read negative.  I began to think there was something more serious happening with me and I made an appointment with my obstetrician.

When I visited my OB, a number of tests were performed on me: a pregnancy test, blood work and an ultrasound.  As the other pregnancy tests already demonstrated, I was not pregnant.  Thyroid was also ruled out.  Nothing irregular showed up on my ultrasound.  So, what could be wrong with me? 

That’s when the nurse practitioner revealed to me news I was not ready to hear.  “You are experiencing pre-menopause.” 

*Freeze frame for dramatic effect and insert tragic climatic music.*

According to my NP, my heavy and irregular periods could only be explained by perimenopause.  It would not affect my ability to get pregnant, but simply my biological clock ticking and reminding me to get cracking if I want more children.

After I left the doctor’s office, I researched pre-menopause and I even recalled a show that Oprah did years ago about the topic.  When the episode aired, I remembered thinking what an unfortunate situation for these women in their thirties to face.  Who knew I would be one of those women? 

    
As I read the symptoms of perimenopause, it became a checklist for all my bizarre ailments over the past 2 years, particularly an increase in allergies and insomnia.  Even my poor sex-deprived DH would attest to my change in libido. 

Upon my research, I also discovered that perimenopause can occur 5-15 years prior to the onset of menopause.  I recalled my mother’s menopause experience.  My mother went through her change when I was teenager.  When I did the math, I realized my mom could have very well been my age when her symptoms of perimenopause surfaced.

As with everything else, diet and exercise seem to be the key to ward off the symptoms of perimenopause.  At the time of my menopause manifestation, I consumed a lot of Diet Dr. Pepper, so my first course of action was to replace my daily dose of diet soda with green tea.  I began to eat more flax seeds and other foods with Omega-3.  I added soy milk and soy beans to my diet.  I also limited my morning coffee to one cup.  I increased my number of work-out days from 3 days a week to 5 days. 

Within a week of changing my diet and increasing my exercise, I felt remarkably better.  My energy levels rose and my sleeping patterns improved.  My menstrual cycles became more regular and my menstrual flow gradually decreased.

It has been a year since my menopause manifestation.  By simply changing my diet and increasing my exercise routine, I feel I have found my own Fountain of Youth.

For this week’s edition of 5 Minutes for Fitness, I offer you another one of my favorite strengthening exercises: Squats!  Squats are great for the gluts, quads and hamstrings. 

With your legs shoulder distance apart, sit an invisible chair.  Dig your heels into the floor to tighten your gluts as your squat.  Remember to not let your knees bend over your toes.  But don’t take my word for it!  Here’s a video to show you proper form. 

How low can you go with these songs?

 Flo Rida- Low (3:53)

Push It- Salt-N-Pepa (4:28)

For this week’s edition of 5 Minutes for Fitness, let’s do some lunges, which are one of my favorite strengthening exercises. 

Lunges are great to help strengthen and tone your legs.  For forward lunges, stand tall with your hands on your hips and step with one leg forward.  Be sure your front knee does not pass your toes.  Then, switch legs.  Make sure to keep your abdomen pulled in tight and your posture straight. 

 I even found a fabulous visual to help you.

If you want to challenge yourself, try a few reps of walking lunges, but watch your alignment.  For an even greater challenge, hold 5-10 pound weights while you walk.    

And of course you need some music keep you moving and Mercy by Duffy (3:40) is the perfect song for lunges.  After a few reps of these, you will find yourself “begging for mercy”.