Last month, Advent Health honored me by asking if I would be one of their "faces" during their "Pink Porch" campaign for Breast Awareness Month. They arranged for a photo shoot and an interview, and said I could invite anyone I wanted to be in the photos with me.
Without hesitation, I suggested Jess Bolton, my daughter-in-law, and Felicia Trawick, my nurse navigator-turned-friend. These two were with me every day of my cancer journey, either in person or by phone. God knew what I needed during that time because Jess and Felicia kept me laughing, and we're still at it, as you can tell from the photos below. The lovely and patient photographer, Emily Long, had us talk to each other, and to look at each other, and we just got silly. (Please note: these photos are the only time you'll see me NOT talking with my hands! Such a surprise to all of us!) It was a windy but fun day, and Zach, my son and Jess's husband, surprised and blessed me by coming, too.
During the Pink Porch campaign, Advent Health offers free pink light bulbs to put on their porch during the month of October (while supplies last), to remind women to have mammograms and to do regular monthly self-exams. During the interview with Amy Adams, which you can read here, I admitted that I didn't always do the monthly exams, but now I'm a firm believer. We caught the cancer in early stages and all of it was removed with clear margins all the way around. I'm incredibly grateful.
I hope it will remind and encourage anyone reading this to do your self-exams and get your mammograms (or thermograms, if offered in your area.)
The mammogram I had after I discovered the lump detected a second lump that we could not feel or see. Thankfully, it was benign, but what if it hadn't been?
A few pictures from our photo shoot. Thanks, Emily, Amy, and Advent!
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