Hands up who regularly checks their breasts?

I’m guessing right now you could be squirming in your seat.

I am hopeless at checking my boobies…hopeless.  In fact, I can’t tell you the last time I checked them, which is pretty irresponsible considering I have a family history.

My own mother was diagnosed with breast cancer about 20 years ago. We were lucky. It was picked up through a regular mammogram and it was very, very early.

She had the lump removed and to this day remains healthy and strong. But around the same time, her beautiful sister passed away from cancer, which they believed started in her breast.

I’ve also found two lumps in my own breasts when I was in my early 20s. I found the first one when was in the shower as I literally just wiped my hand under my left breast, and there it was.

I remember the fear that filled me that moment. The dread I felt when I went to my GP. The relief I felt when a fine needle biopsy confirmed the lump was benign.

As a bit of a control freak you would think I’d be all over my breasts. But I’m not, apart from my yearly visit to the breast clinic for my mammogram and ultrasound (they make me go yearly because of my family history).

So when I watched this documentary below made by Tracey Spicer I found myself nodding. Like Tracey, I have dense and lumpy breasts. Like Tracey, I always found checking my breasts too confronting and scary. Like Tracey, I stopped.

And like Tracey, I’m feeling a little irresponsible. Especially when my own mother is a survivor thanks to early detection.

Today is Pink Hope’s Bright Pink Lipstick Day. Pink lipstick isn’t exactly my colour (plus given I’m stuck at home with the kids on a rainy school holiday day, I’m not sure they’d appreciate my pink lips). Instead, I’ve decided to support this important conversation by sharing my own story, and sharing Tracey’s documentary.

I really encourage you to watch it. It has some really important helpful information. Stuff I didn’t know, like, when you check your breasts don’t use the tips of your fingers, instead use the side of your fingers. This helps you to feel the texture of the breasts, instead of poking and prodding all those lumpy bumpy bits.

I also encourage you to watch it because Hologic (a developer of medical imaging systems for women’s health) has promised to donate $1 for the first 10,000 views to Pink Hope.

Knowledge is power. Taking action gives you control.

Watch this video, and then in the immortal words of Chrissy Amphlett, ladies…it’s time to touch ourselves.