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A Mother's Life
Life has a special way of becoming a wonderful journey, if only you allow it to show you the beauty. This is about the path, the journey, the beauty I have found. This...this is about me.

Name: Sharbeans

Mother to: My girls and those I love

Wife of: Ben

Favorite Quote: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."- 1 Corinthians 13:13-

Autumn Quote '. . . we paused and looked about us, and, slowly, as the sun made its way, we saw something, something that was all around and above us. We did not see the trees, we saw the gold, the same gold that some people spend their whole lives looking for. And, just as quickly as it came, the sun went down behind the mountain, and our gold disappeared. . .'

For those of you seeking daily updates on Shar, please click here. It will take you to a page that explains it all and will offer daily updates as much as time allows.





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Saturday, October 02, 2004


This is going to be a pleading post. Be warned.

As you all know, it is October 1st (err, now the 2nd). This officially kicks of the annual Breast Cancer Awareness month. Most of you are familiar with it due to the pink ribbons, charity events, and numerous reminders for each woman to remember to schedule a mammogram among other items. I believe that all cancers should have an awareness month, each should have equal attention so that we can conquer this disease. However, there are only 12 months in a year, but there are more than 500 types of cancer. It leaves little time to acknowledge all. I know that each of us has been affected in one form or the other by some type of cancer. Some of us have family members who lost against the war on cancer, some of us have friends who have been touched, some of us are fighting our own battles with various types of cancer.
If we are ever going to find a cure for this, we need all of the "awareness" we can get. Not only to breast cancer(s), but also for ovarian, brain, lung, bone, kidney, and a host of other cancers. These too need awareness, prevention, and early care. Today, as you read my post, I ask that you also remember the many types of cancer which take lives each day. All of them need awareness just as much as breast cancer does. These cancers take loved ones away, rip familes apart, destroy marriages, break hearts and shatter dreams. I plead of you, please be aware of them, I know I am.

Facts:
Every 13 minutes a woman dies of breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the second
cause of death for of women between the ages 35 and 54.
Every three minutes, a new case of breast cancer is diagnosed.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women between the ages of 40 and 59.
75% of all breast growths, whether malignant or benign, are discovered during self-breast examination.
The smallest detectable lump is about 2-3 mm and could contain approximately one billion cancer cells.
In 2004~ An estimated 215,990 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in the United States and an estimated 40,110 women will die.

Scary facts, I know. The truth is this is the disease that will take me away from everything I love. This is the disease that will rip my family even farther apart. This is the disease that will destroy my marriage. This is the disease that will make me just another statistic very soon.

What’s my purpose in telling you all of these facts that you will hear repetitively for the next month? To save just one of you. I am begging you . . . do self exams, stay up-to-date on your mammograms, have a yearly physical . . . do whatever it takes to prevent statistics from rising in 2005.

This is the month that you are supposed to remind your friends to schedule a mammogram . . . however, I know that not everyone can find the money to do this for various reasons. I am offering you something here . . . if you can’t afford to have a mammogram done (there is a host of reasons, I know. Just to name a few . . . lack of insurance, money for co-pay, follow up visits, etc.) . . . I am offering to pay for your mammogram this year. No cost to you. I will cover all expenses, if you will just have this done. Why am I offering this? If it saves just one of you from going thru the hell I am going thru right now? It would be entirely worth it to me. (To take me up on the offer, send an e-mail here, and we will work out the details.)
One last closing thought . . . pass this reminder to your friends and family. Remind them each month, do a buddy check, do whatever you have to do to stop this disease (as well as every other terminal cancer) from taking another mother away from her family and friends.
Sharbeans blew the autumn leaves at 7:26 AM 2 comments

2 Comments:

Shar (and Ben),

Your words always touch me. Today, they hit home more than usual. It is because of you that I DO my self-exams, because of you that I DO get an annual physical, and because of you that I DO get a yearly mammogram. You have been so brave, so thoughtful during your treatment and this post just makes me realize once again why I love you so much.

In God's Peace,
Tessa & Denver

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:12 PM  

Mom,

I miss you.

-S

By Blogger Shelly, at 7:19 PM  

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