News from Our Parish Nurse

Celebrating October

In October we observe the Festival of St. Luke the Evangelist and Physician (October 18th) as well as National Breast-Cancer Prevention month. We rejoice with the words of Moses “I am the Lord, who heals you” (Ex. 15: 26).

Almost 175,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. this year. It is the most common cancer among American women. One out of every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime. Almost 30% of the women diagnosed with breast cancer will die from it. Women at increased risk are those with a personal history of breast cancer or in a mother/sister. Being over 50 years of age is another risk factor. The good news is that breast cancer is treatable and curable if detected early. Many breast tumors are benign. Most breast lumps are found by women doing Self-breast exams, but mammograms can detect tumors 12 times smaller than those found by chance.

The most important thing we can do for ourselves is self-breast exam once a month. Check all breast tissue, including the armpit and above the breast area on the chest wall using a circular motion with your finger pads. It is important to examine your breast in a mirror to detect any changes. Between the ages of 20-39 a breast exam should be done by your health professional every three years, then yearly from age 40. A baseline mammogram should be obtained before age 40, 1-2 yrs until age 50 then yearly or as often as your Dr. recommends. Please see a Dr. right away if you feel anything unusual or have any nipple discharge.

Ways to reduce your risk of breast-cancer are as follows:

1. l. A diet with a high percentage of fruit, veggies, legumes and whole grains & a limited intake of animal products.

2. Tamoxifen may cut risk by 50% for some persons, but there are some health risks. A careful consultation with your doctor is needed.

3. 3. Estrogen doesn’t seem to cause cancer, but it may cause an increase in breast cancer growth if it is already present.

~ Carol Hough, Parish Nurse

Carol Stevenson, Parish Nurse for Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church, is filling in for us on a temporary basis while Carol Hough is out with health challenges. Carol is full time at Shepherd of the Bay, and she invites members of Ephraim Moravian to call her any time at 854-5260 with health concerns, wellness questions, or requests for blood pressure checks.