Anyone who has known me for more than ten minutes will tell you that I am a glass-half-full person: someone who makes every effort to see the positive side of life. But, make no mistake about it, my eyes are also wide open to harsh reality. Balanced perspective is the operative phrase here.

So, when I decided, at age 24-the year my dad died, 17 years after my mom’s death, and four years after my college graduation-to have a baseline mammogram, I was prepared for the doctor’s bemused, even patronizing expression. Without any pain or symptoms (and without a primary care doctor or even insurance yet), you may consider this an oddly premature decision on my part. I suspect that may have been the doctor’s initial impression as well. (The AMA’s general recommendation for a baseline mammogram has been 40 years old since I can remember).

Yet as I recounted my somewhat unusual family medical history-my mom’s death at age 38 from stage 4 breast cancer, and a long list of aunts, cousins, a grandmother and other relatives who died young of the disease-the doctor’s expression softened into a mixture of surprise and concern.

He directed me to an examining room. Since then, I have had an annual mammogram which has never-thank God-indicated the presence of breast cancer or other irregularities.

According to the American Cancer Society statistics for 2024, there is a “1 in 8 chance (that a woman) will develop breast cancer, and a 7 in 8 chance she will never have the disease (Key Statistics for Breast Cancer. https://www.cancer.org ). And be aware that some men are also diagnosed with breast cancer at some time in their lifetime.

“For men the average lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about 1 in 726. But each man’s risk might be higher or lower than this, based on whether he has risk factors for breast cancer…” (https://www.cancer.org. 800-227-2345)

Since my first mammogram nearly a lifetime ago, most states have established helplines, support groups, and community and resource programs that can provide information on current research, financial support assistance, and support for those who have been diagnosed and are undergoing treatment, and for concerned family, friends, and the general public.

Regular readers of my articles for Trenton Daily (since 2018!) know that I have been a lifelong advocate of volunteerism. Learning more about breast cancer research and listening to the testimonials of survivors have inspired me to get involved in promoting awareness of the disease.

As with many other social issues that concern me, volunteering for cancer awareness walks has helped me to put my connection to the disease in perspective. For me, whatever the challenge, knowledge brings clarity.

I still have the tee shirts from the afternoon I volunteered to stuff goody bags and hand out race numbers to runners and walkers under a tent on the grounds of Bristol Myers Squibb in Lawrenceville. In New York City, I redirected traffic away from the race in Central Park in an orange vest with the names of deceased family members and the year of their death from breast cancer printed on my back.

Whether you walk or run in a race, or work behind the scenes, you will be encouraged, supported, and uplifted by the camaraderie of strangers: survivors (women and men), and their supporting husbands, wives, friends, children, coworkers and others. You will get caught up in the celebratory vibe as you are reminded that no one has to go through this alone. No one.

Register now for the October 20th American Cancer Society Strides of New Jersey Against Breast Cancer (of Greater Philadelphia and South Jersey) from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, at Cooper River Park in Pennsauken, NJ. Registration is free!  Go to https://secure.acs or call 1-800-227-2345 for directions and other information. For non-drivers, you can take the #418 Trenton Express bus or the River Line to Pennsauken.

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Correction Note Re: “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste”, 9/9/24, Trenton Daily: Operating hours for the Mercer County Community College (MCCC) student food pantry, “The Pantry” are: Weds and Thurs, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the James Kerney Campus, (Rm JKC 403) in downtown Trenton, and Mons and Tues, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the MCCC West Windsor (WW) campus. The Pantry website is: https://www.mccc.edu/pantry.shtm/

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