New Jersey Women, Please Don’t Skip Your Yearly Mammograms

Checkups and medical tests can bring up anxiety, but they could save your life.

If there's one person who understands medical anxiety, it's me.  I haven't been officially diagnosed, but I'm pretty sure I have White Coat Syndrome - the disorder where your blood pressure increases simply by being around a doctor.  Doctors visits freak me out, but getting checked up once a year is important.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and according to Cancer.org, women ages 45-54 should be getting yearly Mammograms.  Obviously, this varies by women, and factors like family history of cancer play a role in whether or not you should start screening sooner.  Always consult with your doctor to find out when and how often you should be screened for breast cancer.

Once you know how often you should get your mammograms, it's important to schedule them and stick to that routine.

I am so thankful that my Mom got her mammography done yearly.  Usually, she'd always come back with clear results, but sadly, that was not the case in 2015.  That year, we found out she had a small mass that turned out to be cancerous.

Thankfully, it was caught so early that she only needed surgery and radiation. After that, she was cancer free, and still is today!  I can't imagine life without my Mother, so I want to get the word out about how these screenings saved her life.  I know it could change many lives here in Ocean County too.

Being afraid of doctors visits and yearly exams is totally understandable.  But, if it means getting ahead of something potentially serious, it's worth the jitters.

I hope this post inspires you to make that yearly appointment.