WE ARE THANKFUL FOR YOU!

Often we are on the receiving line of the “thank you”; contacted by men, who have found us, found an outlet to share and to know they are not alone with a breast cancer diagnosis.  Today however we’d like to take some time to thank those that have helped us to spread awareness of Male Breast Cancer

HIS Breast Cancer Awareness was Co-founded in 2009 by Harvey I. Singer and Vicki Singer Wolf because we learned the hard way there is not a great deal of information available on Male Breast Cancer. When Harvey was diagnosed, the humiliation and stigmatism that went along with his diagnosis made dealing with breast cancer as a man, even that much more challenging than the diagnosis alone. As a breast cancer survivor I could guide him, as his sister, I was there to support him, however being a male with breast cancer took a whole different level of support and that’s when we vowed to help others.

We want to begin by thanking our amazing Medical Advisory Board. Without their guidance and continued information, our web site would not be what it is. We look forward to continuing our journey together and constant efforts in sharing significant information as new treatments, ways for prevention and hopefully a cure are discovered.

In addition, a big thank you to our dear friends AlanBassman, CPA for taking the time to assist us with obtaining our non profit status and all that you continue to do to oversee HIS from an accounting perspective. As well as Shelly and Guy Homer of The Homer Group for your hard work and contributions for our informative brochure and donation cards.

A huge thank you goes out to Fred Cohen of Championship LLC for creating awareness of Male Breast Cancer by being a pioneer in the Billiard world. We know you and Championship have numerous ideas that will continue to help us spread awareness together.

The partnering with other non profit organizations such as FORCE for Hereditary Education and Caring Bridge, a place for people to go to journal and share their days while enduring their treatments have been great assets to HIS and we hope vice-verse.

We also want to thank Woman’s World for their informative article in the April 30, 2012 edition for Male Breast CancerAwareness with HIS. Appearing in Woman’s World, was a wonderful outlet for women to teach and educate the men in their life. AOL’s You've Got, for doing such a great job with 2 creative pieces showing different perspectives for their “You’ve Got” web episodes on Harvey as a male breast cancer survivor and myself as a breast cancer support person. Thank you also to Bob of the PhiladelphiaInquirer for the wonderful article you wrote and taking the time to listen to our stories and sharing them in the special insert edition during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness month. Also the Huffington Post for their article on The Silent Story of Male Breast Cancer as well as the opportunity for Harvey to speak out  on HuffPost Live call about Male Breast Cancer. WOW it's been a busy year! 

We also want to thank those of you who have been our guest writers, who have written of your experiences and shared them with our readers so others can gain knowledge from you. We welcome others to share their story as well as this is so important for many to read and learn from.

Of course, we could not have done any of this without the support of our wonderful families and friends. Harvey has been married for 33 years to his amazing (saint) wife Donna and has 2 wonderful sons (my nephews) Matthew and Jameson. I have been married for 33 years to my husband Gary and have been blessed with 3 sons, Samuel, Jeremy and Sean and now my daughter in law Melissa as well as Jeremy’s girlfriend Melissa. All of them are not only understanding of our health needs, but have all added to the development and growth of HIS Breast Cancer Awareness in one way or another.

Our mother Libby (now 87) and our Aunt Ruth (now 97) both are breast cancer survivors and the foundation for our being.  We are very thankful for their good health, their great support and are our biggest advocates! They are both truly an inspiration to how a quality life can exist post a breast cancer diagnosis so many years later (plus their baking is superlative!).

My son Sam is the creator of our fabulous web site and continues to maintain it in addition to his very busy “real” job (and recent marriage). We can’t thank him enough for ALL that he has done and continues to do to assist and guide us. Without him, HIS could not reach so many people in such an informative way.

Without our amazing families, extended families and friends we could not have had the strength to endure our diagnosis and build this great organization.

Together we are making a difference with awareness and saving lives and we hope you all feel an overwhelming amount of gratitude. For all of you, we are very thankful.

HIS Breast Cancer Awareness relies on donations to help with education and awareness. Before this year comes to a close, please consider making a donation or SHOP our page for awareness products or donations cards in honor, in memory of someone you care about or a great way to send your Happy Holiday wishes.Click here to SHOP or donate;  http://hisbreastcancer.org/shop.html

HIS Breast Cancer Awareness is a registered 501(c)3 organization and all donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. HIS Breast Cancer Awareness acknowledges all donations by email or mail, with a tax receipt to the provided address.

Especially during this Thanksgiving Holiday; Modah Ani- I/We are very thankful; We hope you are too.

Editor, Co Founder; Vicki Singer Wolf

MOVEMBER-GROW IT FOR MALE BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

“Give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen
Give me down to there, hair, shoulder length or longer
Here baby, there, momma, everywhere, daddy, daddy...”

During November each year, “Movember“is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world to bring awareness and funds for men’s health issues. Most of the funding is for the promotion and awareness of Prostate and Testicular Cancers however this is another way we can help spread the awareness for Male Breast Cancer!

Since its humble beginnings in Melbourne, Australia, Movember has grown to become a truly global movement inspiring more than 1.9 Million “Mo Bros and Mo Sistas” to participate with formal campaigns in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the UK, South Africa, Ireland, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Belgium and the Czech Republic. No matter the country or city, Movember will continue to work to change established habits and attitudes men have about their health, to educate men about the health risks they face, and to act on that knowledge, thereby increasing the chances of early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment.

Movember works to change and improve the habits and attitudes men have about their health in addition to educating them about their health risk; education like the recent findings related to the benefits of men taking a multi vitamin daily being diagnosed with 8% fewer cancers.   Without education, we cannot act on the knowledge and especially regarding Male Breast Cancer as most men are not aware they can be diagnosed with this disease, unlike Prostate and Testicular cancers.

So take that clean shaven face, or semi started facial hair and now’s your chance (excuse) to try out that mustache for a great cause!  When asked why you are “changing your look”, you can explain your cause for education, awareness and survivorship. In 2011, over 854,000 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas around the world got on board, raising $126.3 million USD.  In addition to educating others, they can also make a donation in honor of your month long growth to either Movember or directly to HIS Breast Cancer Awareness. For HIS donation information visit us on line at; http://hisbreastcancer.org/donate.html This month- show your face for the cause and all men's health issues.
“Flow it, show it
Long as God can grow, my hair”

Modah Ani- I Am Thankful
Vicki Singer Wolf, Co-Founder, Editor

Be Pro Active, Take Care of Your Body

Breast Cancer Awareness Month has officially ended- what should you do NOW? Are you the pro-active type or the wait and see if you really need type? I believe prevention is a key component in regards to cancer and overall health and wellness. Now prevention does not mean you will never have to worry about a cancer diagnosis because you're taking all precautions, however I believe it can help, or even delay a diagnosis and can especially assist our body with a stronger immune system if or when you are diagnosed.

Prevention for breast cancer may include all or some of the following. First it's a lifestyle which includes the foods you eat, the products we apply to our skin, the nutritional support of vitamins and minerals which our body is lacking, natural anti-inflammatory, exercise, relaxation techniques and hopefully laughter in your day.

Making better choices in the foods we eat is really important as it builds the base for everything else. Choosing foods lower in fat and organic when possible, less intake of sugar, higher intake of leafy green and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and kale, as well as whole grains and less or no white flour are a great start. Choosing organic products helps by eliminating the added hormones, antibiotics and pesticides animals are fed and found in the soil. Vegetables found to grow in an organic soil have also been shown to have healthier mineral/vitamin content. Even men have estrogen in their bodies and can be estrogen dominant in their breast cancer diagnosis so they also need to be concerned with added hormones especially found in meat,poultry and dairy. These are not just women's hormones! Sugar aids in feeding cancer cells so try choosing a natural sweetener like Stevia which is plant based and contains no chemicals and no calories.

Our bodies can’t possibly consume in the foods we eat all of the nutritional daily requirements which is why we recommend supplementation. Begin with a probiotic for the right environment to absorb vitamins and minerals. Taking a dry broccoli powder capsule, the spice Turmeric (works as an anti inflammatory), and medicinal mushrooms such as Maitake are just a few that may aid in prevention. See our Prevention tab on the HIS Breast Cancer Awareness web site for more nutritional suggestions. A book I also recommend for additional suggestions is called Anti-Cancer, A New Way of Life.

There are many skin care products available now that do not include parabens (Parabens can mimic the hormone estrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancers) and other artificial ingredients. Look for items such as deodorant without aluminum, moisturizers, shampoos, sun tan lotions, oral care and more without parabens, dyes and other preservatives. What we put on our body is absorbed into our body, so choose "clean" products.

Of course we all know how important exercise is! So no matter how little time you have, try to fit some in, even if it means taking the steps instead of the elevator during your work day. Every little bit helps.

And above all, make time for some relaxation (read a book, sit on a bench, meditate, spend time with friends, etc) and most importantly be sure to include laughter in your day. Laughter is the best prevention, a great medicine and it feels good too! 

October may have made you more aware of Breast Cancer, and hopefully you’re doing your own self examinations but don’t wait for a diagnosis. Maybe you have already started, or you have just learned about a few more ways, take the preventive steps to assist your body to stay healthy. Be Pro-active.

Modah Ani- I Am Thankful

Vicki Singer Wolf; Co-Founder, Editor