In 1985, when I was a student at Indiana University Southeast, I met a woman who would become my friend. Lisa was the program coordinator for the university’s “Children’s Hour,” and I was the artist for the Campus Activities Board. As I worked on her calendar, we spoke of life, in general, and her best friend, specifically. Lisa introduced me to Nancy, and we have been “The Three Amigos” ever since. We have shared laughter and love, been through marriages and divorces, the births of children, the deaths of mothers, fathers and a spouse. But of all the things that CJ, Lisa and Nancy have shared, I am the only one of the three of us who is not a survivor of breast cancer.
In June of this year, I wrote a column called “The Case For Pink,” ostensibly about the pink case I use to carry my pool cues, but more about stimulating a conversation about breast cancer. My mother’s sister is a survivor, having had a mastectomy in an unknown (to me) year. She never spoke about it — at least, not to me — and I only found out about it in the last couple of years. Aunt Louise is 91 years old, now and may be the oldest breast cancer survivor I know. But I’m sure that there are more women of my acquaintance that are survivors than I am aware of; that conversation is not one that I am likely to have with any woman who is not a close friend.
So I am going to be brief, here: These are facts about breast cancer from the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and I ask that you make yourselves aware of them.
• One in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
• Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women.
• Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women.
• Each year it is estimated that over 252,710 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,500 will die.
• Although breast cancer in men is rare, an estimated 2,470 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 460 will die each year.
• On average, every 2 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer and 1 woman will die of breast cancer every 13 minutes.
• Over 3.3 million breast cancer survivors are alive in the United States today.
Read my column aloud, and time your reading; divide the total minutes by 2, and imagine the women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer in that time, and the number who have died.
For the sake of our mothers, sisters, daughters, lovers, and yes—our brothers, be aware, have a conversation and speak up, and speak out.