Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women in the United States. As of 2021, it accounts for 12% of all new annual cancer cases worldwide.
Just recently, journalist Katie Couric opened up about her diagnosis in an attempt to help raise awareness among women to get checked regularly.
Couric took to Instagram to share with her fans details of her health. Along with a photo of herself in a hospital gown and with a mask on her face, she wrote, “Every two minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. On June 21st, I became one of them
“As we approach #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth, I wanted to share my personal story with you all and encourage you to get screened and understand that you may fall into a category of women who needs more than a mammogram.”
The 65-year-old journalist explained that she missed her 2020 mammogram and her doctor told her to have her check-up the subsequent year. She’s now recording her experience “in a PG way.”
The results which came with the check-up concerned her doctor who ordered a biopsy. Soon after, she was delivered the news that she had breast cancer.
“I felt sick and the room started to spin. I was in the middle of an open office, so I walked to a corner and spoke quietly, my mouth unable to keep up with the questions swirling in my head,” she recalled.
Sadly, her husband Jay Monahan passed away of colon cancer back in 1998 and most of her family members, including her parents, her sister, and her mother-in-law, have been diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life.
She then accepted and faced the reality. “My mood quickly shifted from disbelief to resignation,” she recalled. “Given my family’s history of cancer, why would I be spared? My reaction went from, ‘Why me?’ to ‘Why not me?’”
The good thing was that she received the diagnosis at an early stage and had underwent a procedure known as “breast conservation” or “lumpectomy.”
Once her olive-sized tumor was removed, she was prescribed medications she needs to take for five years. Luckily, as it was discovered early, she won’t be undergoing chemo treatments.
Couric’s story is yet another proof of the importance of regular check-ups and screenings and when someone as influential as her is sharing their life experience it helps raise awareness. One thing is certain. People need to be more proactive about their health.
“I can’t tell you how many times during this experience I thanked God that it was 2022. And how many times I silently thanked all the dedicated scientists who have been working their a**es off to develop better ways to analyze and treat breast cancer,” she wrote on her website. “But to reap the benefits of modern medicine, we need to stay on top of our screenings, advocate for ourselves, and make sure everyone has access to the diagnostic tools that could very well save their life,” she concluded.
We wish Katie Couric good health.
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