Every year, we launch our Boobs Rock & Kick Ass campaigns to raise funds for cancer research and donate them to M.D. Anderson. Our unwavering goal is to provide relentless support to cancer research through sales and donations. We want to extend our sincere appreciation to all those who have supported this exceptional cause. We also want to acknowledge and thank our partner, BMP, for their exceptional work in printing and designing our merchandise and maintaining the online store. Together, we will continue to fight cancer with all our might!
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Here's the email from Kelley that sparked the conversation:
Rod / Tessa / Teresa,
A super loyal listener since I moved to TX in 2008! I'm going to apologize for the long read, but I promise it is worth it.
I love what y'all do for breast cancer awareness and supporting the super important research going on. I thought we, as a society, discussed it enough, but I think the under-40 crowd doesn't realize how common it has become in really young women. I, unfortunately, am part of that emerging statistic. I'm a 36-year-old mom of 3, and found a lump several weeks ago that felt nothing like all of the education describes, and I had no other symptoms that would raise a significant concern. Honestly, had it not been for my boyfriend, I probably would have blown it off. You look online, and it says only roughly 10-15% of all lumps are cancer, especially under 40, so it gives a false sense of security... Long story short, I did get it to check, and before I could blink, I was being fast-tracked into MD Anderson for scans and tests, and now will start a very aggressive treatment plan on 10/17 (I know, happy BC awareness month to me) because I have stage 3 triple positive invasive ductal carcinoma. By the time I discovered it, cancer had spread into the local lymph nodes. I am so thankful to be so close to MDA, I am lucky the type I have has many well-proven treatment options, and I am lucky that I have medical insurance because, holy crap, cancer is expensive. However, a routine mammogram most likely would have detected my cancer in earlier stages and required a lot less aggressive treatment and a smaller risk of metastasis. I now have about 18 months of chemo, surgeries, radiation, reconstruction, etc., and then I will be on therapies for hormone suppression for the rest of my life.
I am not sure if this will get to you guys, but if so, I'd love for it to make the 20s and 30s crowd more aware that it is possible to get breast cancer this young and it is becoming much more common. Younger women tend to have their cancer diagnosed at later stages because mammograms don't start until 40 and we aren't conditioned to check as vigorously as needed. Anything that feels out of place, any swelling, any strange arm / armpit / finger pain, any skin changes - just go get checked out. If it feels off to you, advocate for yourself!
Please feel free to share this story on air (maybe without my name please lol). Happy to provide as many additional details as needed if that helps!
Thanks for listening!
Kelley
Local Breast Cancer Survivor Sits Down with Tessa
Shoni Powers is a long-time listener who moved away from Houston in 2014.
She came back temporarily to undergo breast cancer treatments at MD Anderson for her second round of breast cancer.
She was originally diagnosed in 2013 at the age of 32 and purchased a “Boobs Rock” back then. Since then she has educated herself on ‘pink’ items and the importance of purchasing items that truly support research.
She was thrilled to hear the proceeds for the “Boobs Rock” campaign go straight to research and specifically MD Anderson!