October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October, Australia’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, provides an opportunity for us all to focus on breast cancer and its impact on those affected by the disease in our community.

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among Australian women (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer). Survival rates continue to improve in Australia with 89 out of every 100 women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer now surviving five or more years beyond diagnosis.

Take the time this month to find out what you need to know about breast awareness and share this important information with your family, friends and colleagues.Finding breast cancer early provides the best chance of surviving the disease. Remember you don’t need to be an expert or use a special technique to check your breasts.

Changes to look for include:

• a new lump or lumpiness, especially if it's only in one breast
• a change in the size or shape of your breast
• a change to the nipple, such as crusting, ulcer, redness or inversion
• a nipple discharge that occurs without squeezing
• a change in the skin of your breast such as redness or dimpling
• an unusual pain that doesn't go away.
• Most changes aren’t due to breast cancer but it’s important to see your doctor without delay if you notice any of these changes.

This information was sourced from Cancer Australia there are contact details and much more information at the link. Share with your family and friends. let's keep talking about this important health issue.

One of our beloved suppliers Sonya Michele, who is the woman behind our popular scarf brand Dog and Boy has her own Breast Cancer story and we thank her for being so willing to share it here with us below. These are Sonya's words.

Dog and Boy Scarf from the Summer collection

MY STORY |  SONYA MICHELE

29 June 2022, about a week after my 48th birthday, I became the 1-in-7 who was diagnosed with breast cancer; stage-2 HER+.

3 weeks later, I said goodbye to my G-cup girls.

I’d always had a love-hate relationship with my G-irls. They brought me equal parts pleasure and frustration, but oddly, the decision, whilst surreal, for a total mastectomy was purely academic; my goal was to not only survive this disease but thrive. I have way too much to live for and still too much to do and see and experience.

I was ‘fortunate’ that the progression of the disease had not spread to other parts of the body, so I avoided needing radiation or chemotherapy, only a long-term course of hormone blockers. Overall, my prognosis is excellent.

It’s a bit of an odd place to be, having something that identified you for most of your life to suddenly be gone. But oddly, it’s been far more liberating than I had ever expected (not to mention it’s opened up a whole new wardrobe for me!). I feel far more confident and at peace with my body now than I’ve ever felt before. It has survived a huge trauma and, so far, this disease.

So why am sharing my story? Well, telling stories is what we do at dog&boy. Stories of love, loss, courage, and resilience. But much more than that, I know my story will be so familiar to many others.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. At some point, we will all be touched by breast cancer.

There is a whole month dedicated to awareness because breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. It is not just an ‘old lady disease’. It is not just a hereditary disease. In fact, hormone positive breast cancer accounts for 80% of all breast cancer diagnosis.

Don’t wait until you get to that 5-0 milestone before you start taking a concern about your breasts with regular checks. Do it today. If I had of waited another 2 years, this post would read very differently.

Thanks for coming along on my journey with dog&boy and reading to my story.

Sonya X

**This month Sissa Sorella has pledged to donate $1 from every sale to raise awareness about Breast Cancer for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.