I'm not a big fan of Schwarzenegger movies, but there is one scene in Kindergarten Cop that cracks me up. Arnold is in a class of 5-year-olds when he announces that he has a headache. One kid immediately suggests that it might be a tumor, to which Arnold responds, in his perfect Austrian accent, "It's not a tumor!"
Depending on my mood, I have a great capacity to become that 5-year-old kid, even if just for a split-second. Headache? Must be a tumor. New freckle? Wasn't that what the picture of melanoma looked like in that skin cancer story we ran in SELF? Then, of course, that fleeting panic leaves my body and logic takes hold for two big reasons:
1. The numbers are on my side.
I always get nervous about getting my checkups, but knowing the statistics helps calm my jitters. Of the nearly 152 million women in the United States, 692,000 will get cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. That works out to new diagnoses in about .005 percent of women, or 1 in 220 women. Translation: Most lumps and bumps turn out to be nothing.
2. I'm on my side.
I approach my health care the same way I approach everything in my life: If I see something that scares me, I face it, head-on. (After all, if I don't confront what's on my mind, I know I'll worry about it nonstop.) I know that there is only one way to truly eliminate my cancer fears: Keep a close eye on my body and get anything worrisome checked by my doctor immediately. If it turns out to be nothing, I can rest easy. If it turns out to be something, then I can take comfort in the fact that I caught it early. It's a way of giving yourself back the power, quelling your fears and deciding that you are in control of your actions, if not everything else. You can go get checked, and you can be your own best advocate. In fact, only you can do this for yourself, so treat it like a job and make it a priority, the way you do everything else in your schedule. Don't skip your chance to be your own best friend.
To avoid senseless worry in your life, start by learning the early warning signs of cancer. They include:
- A hard, oddly shaped lump on or in the breast or underarm; bloody nipple discharge; a change in breast size or shape; redness of the nipple or breast skin; dimpling of skin on the breast
- Persistent bloat; pelvic or abdominal pain; difficulty eating; feeling full quickly after eating
- Swollen glands; neck pain; unusual lumps
- Persistent cough; bloody saliva; hoarseness
- Bloody urine; frequent or urgent urination
- Itchy skin or changes in skin's appearance (darkening or a yellow hue); changes in the size, shape, color or borders of a mole, wart or freckle; or sores anywhere on skin that don't heal
- Excessive hair growth anywhere on the body
- Changes in bowel habits; side pain that persists
Notice one? Insist on an appointment with your M.D., and in the meantime, try to hold off playing that worst-case scenario game. A quick exam will most likely put your mind at rest.
Everything look and feel good? Enjoy life and stop worrying. You deserve a break from all stress, including the medical kind.
For more cancer-prevention tips, visit the 2008 Women's Cancer Handbook.
Take the guesswork out of looking and feeling your best with these handy tools from SELF.
For more cancer-prevention tips, visit the 2008 Women's Cancer Handbook.
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