Patients visiting the Bald Mountain Surgical Center in Orion Township throughout the month of October may notice the person examining them is wearing a pair of pink gloves.
The gloves aren’t meant to be a trendy fashion statement.
They’re designed to get people talking about Breast Cancer Awareness Month and help raise funds to fight this horrible disease.
‘I think it’s a really great way for us to participate and raise awareness for breast cancer prevention,? said Patient Communications Coordinator Melissa Scott, 24, of Addison Township. ‘It’s a good conversation starter.?
For every case of the new Generation Pink Exam Gloves purchased during the month of October, the company that makes them, Medline Industries, Inc., will donate $1 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women and takes the lives of approximately 40,000 women annually.
It has many risk factors such as age, genetics, obesity and family history, but women who exercise regularly, maintain healthy diets and have regular visits with their doctors may be less likely to develop breast cancer.
Breast cancer awareness is a cause that’s near and dear to Scott’s heart because the 2003 Oxford High School graduate’s mother, Pam Scott, will be a five-year survivor in December.
‘I think that’s a great idea,? said Pam, referring to Bald Mountain’s pink glove program. ‘The people that work there are very caring.?
Pam’s breast cancer was fortunately discovered during her annual mammogram.
‘They found the cancer actually two years prior to any lump forming,? said the 54-year-old Addison resident. ‘Normally, by the time you feel it, it’s been going on for a while. They got mine early.?
When she first got the news, Pam was understandably ‘frightened,? but she didn’t let that feeling overwhelm her or get the best of her.
She decided ‘to do what I needed to do and take care of it, so I could get on with my life.?
‘I didn’t let it get me down,? Pam said. ‘The hardest part was actually telling my family.?
Even though the cancer was initially detected in one breast, Pam chose to have a double mastectomy, meaning both of her breasts were surgically removed.
‘I opted for a double mastectomy because I felt like if it was in one, there’s a possibility it could appear in the other,? she said. ‘It was a good thing that I did because when they biopsied the other one, they found precancerous cells.?
Melissa was impressed by her mother’s attitude during her fight with cancer.
‘She’s the toughest person that I know,? she said. ‘She was brave. She never broke down. It’s like she knew the whole time that everything was going to be okay. She believed it.?
Pam admitted she didn’t do it alone. She had tons of support from family and friends, which made the whole ordeal much easier to cope with.
To any woman reading this who’s battling breast cancer or may have to take up the fight someday, Pam advised them to have a ‘positive outlook.?
‘It’s the best thing that you can have in dealing with this,? she said. ‘You can’t let it get you down.?
Pam encouraged women ? and men, too ? to be ‘proactive? by getting their annual mammograms. ‘I really want women to get those mammograms,? she said.
The American Cancer Society recommends women age 40 and older get a yearly mammogram along with a clinical breast examination, which is a physical exam of the breast done by a health professional.
On average, mammography will detect about 80 to 90 percent of breast cancers in women without symptoms.
‘If something does show up, then you’ve got to take charge, face it and do what you have to do to get your life back in gear,? Pam said.
Because of what happened to her mom, Melissa is already planning to make mammograms a regular part of her life.
‘I will have to start earlier than normal,? she said. ‘I’ll have to start them when I’m 35.?
Typically, women in their 20s and 30s should receive a clinical breast exam as part of a periodic health exam about every three years, according to the American Cancer Society.