Claire Warner, a 41-year-old British woman, recently had a photo of her breast go viral.
In early July, Warner shared a photo of her breast on Facebook with the caption “Blink and you’d miss it. I only spotted it thanks to a post shared by an amazing friend.”
What was it that she spotted? When looking at the photo, it wasn’t noticeable on first glance. Was it the beauty mark? A small bruise?
The post she was referring to was that of Lisa Royle, a 42-year-old mothe of four battling breast cancer. Just before her mastectomy, Royle shared a photo of her breast on Facebook to urge others to check their breasts for subtle dimples.
What can you learn from Claire and Lisa?
Sometimes, cancer symptoms aren’t obvious. While breast cancer is often associated with the discovery of a lump, this is not always the case. In fact, Claire said that she never felt a lump before, or after, noticing the dimple.
Start by knowing what your great feels like. Conduct regular self-exams of your body and benchmark your health so that you will recognize changes quickly. Things like normal energy level, sleep patterns, weight, bathroom habits and what your skin looks like are all important things to be aware of.
Once you have an awareness of how you feel when you feel great, you will easily be able to recognize health changes. Cancer often reveals itself as subtle and persistent health changes that don’t interfere with your daily routine. Instead of accepting these changes as your new normal, use the 2-week rule. If you notice a subtle change in your normal health that lasts 2 weeks or more, it’s time to call your doctor.
Finally, be open and honest with your doctor. Advocate for yourself by sharing what you know and don’t let embarrassment or fear stop you from sharing all of your concerns with your doctor. Claire spoke up for herself quickly and honestly which led to her early cancer detection.
Symptom
- dimple in breast
