Friday, June 17, 2011

The Best Father's Day Gift You Can Give

On Father’s Day you’re probably thinking about the family of men in your life. In addition to your father or father in law or husband, you probably send wishes to sons, brothers, uncles, friends and neighbors. This Father’s Day would be a great opportunity to help make them all aware that breast cancer is not just a woman’s disease.

How many men are diagnosed with male breast cancer? The percentage is small, but is even a small number not important enough? Because it is few, does this mean we should ignore the possibility? For a large percentage of the men diagnosed, it is often more fatal since no one is looking, it is found much later and more progressed. The first step for HIS is to bring awareness. We talk about different diseases and tragedies all the time with our families, so why not discuss Male Breast Cancer? Although it may not appear as such due to its low numbers for men, it’s still equally as difficult when a female has to verbalize they have breast cancer. No matter how you look at it-it’s a life threatening disease and male or female, once diagnosed with breast cancer, your life is never the same.

Do the men in your life conduct self-breast exams? Probably not! So who’s checking? This most likely doesn’t take place at their annual physical examination, no one is suggesting a yearly mammogram, and when was the last time they were given an instruction sheet on how to check them-self?

Looking for the right gift? You might just save a life! So start with a simple gift this Father’s Day. Print the self-breast exam instructions below, laminate on your favorite paper, frame it, or present it with that perfect tie inside the box. At HIS Breast Cancer Awareness you can also shop for Male Breast Cancer Awareness t-shirts, wristbands, lapel pins or send a donation card in honor of those special people in your life.

Make Father’s Day the perfect reminder time for all men to take a minute out of their day, right after breakfast in bed, to examine their breast (yes men do have breast). It just may be the best Father's Day gift they'll ever receive because it shows how much you really care.

Thinking of you and missing you always but especially on Father's Day Dad. We love you xoxo

Modah Ani- I am Thankful 
Editor; Vicki Wolf, Co-Founder


Step 1: Begin by standing in front of a mirror with your arms on your hips to tighten your chest muscles and inspect yourself.  Watch for any changes such as dimpling, swelling and areas around the nipple. Raise your arms above your head and continue to examine your breast and arm pit areas.
Step 2: Move around the breast in a circular motion with the fingertips.  You can perform this in either an up and down method, a circular or a wedge pattern, but try to be consistent using the same method each time. In addition, check the nipple area for any discharge. Complete on both breast.
Step 3: In addition to standing, you can also examine your breast lying down. To do so, place a pillow under your right shoulder and bend your right arm over your head.  Then with your fingertips on your left hand, begin checking by pressing all areas of the breast and armpit.  Once completed on the right, move the pillow to under your left shoulder and repeat the same process.
offering insight and education on male breast cancer
                                                              PRINT AND SHARE 

  

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

Is your glass half full or half empty? Do you find something positive no matter what or only have negative thoughts? Does the way you think have an effect on your health?  POSITIVELY!

This is an easy question for me to answer personally. I have always been a “glass half full” kind of person.  No matter how bad you think things are or can be, there is always something good if you search hard enough. I may not always like what is going on around me, but I know deep down, there is also something good.

Being a pessimistic thinker can affect your over -all health and well being starting with your outlook on life. If you see partly cloudy skies, then you expect it to rain and maybe even cancel your plans. Then you might feel depressed that you can’t go outside. Studies have shown that pessimism has been linked to a decrease in physical functioning, mental health problems, pains and chronic illnesses.  With feelings of low self esteem this can lead to depression which can spiral to hostility, a poor diet, loss of sleep, weight gain, high blood pressure and ultimately a lower immune system.

When you view your glass half full, as an optimist, people tend to have a better outlook on life and work to take better care both physically and emotionally. This positive outlook will then assist with regular exercise, healthier diets, a lower risk of heart disease and better preventive care.  The overall benefits can include lower rates of depression, better immune system, better coping skills, lower stress levels and better overall psychological and physical well-being. A better immune system may assist in the prevention or treatment of Male Breast Cancer or any illness.

So how do you change or become an optimist? The first step is to create positive thoughts which can be assisted through meditation or spiritual guide books. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be a realist, but how you approach a situation, the thoughts you have to identify and resolve life’s difficulties will make the difference. Martin Seligman, a psychologist at the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania has even gone so far as to create an optimism test and believes the re-thinking process to be as easy as ABCDE.

In order to make changes to the way you think, you must first identify what areas of negative thoughts you need to make the most changes to; is it work, relationships or your own self esteem? Check in with yourself and be aware of your (negative) thought and how you can change it to be a positive one. Surround yourself with positive people as they will be more helpful, offer good advice and be supportive. Most importantly, remember to laugh, especially during challenging times. You’ll feel less stressed!

So are the skies partly cloudy and you’re expecting rain or partly sunny with a day filled with sunshine? Is any percentage of rain a reason not to plan an outdoor activity or do you plan and hope the weather holds out? I choose to plan and hope for the best, and if it rains while I’m outside, then I might get a little wet, but hopefully I also brought my umbrella, just in case!

Modah Ani- I am Thankful
Editor; Vicki Wolf, Co-Founder