Three Ways to Help Women in the Fight Against Breast Cancer
Did you know that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives? October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it’s a great time to learn more about how you can support women through this disease. In this blog post, we will discuss three ways that you can help women in the fight against breast cancer.
#1 Encourage Screening
Testing and early detection is one of the ways to save lives. Breast cancer screening with mammograms saves lives. It won’t prevent cancer but it can help find cancer early when it’s more treatable. Annual physicals and mammograms establish a baseline for future tests.
Woman-owned businesses like ours understand how important it is for women to get regular cancer screenings. That’s why we partner with Curémonos, a grassroots, community-based organization created to provide education, support, and advocacy to medically underserved women, who are dealing with breast health concerns or a breast cancer diagnosis. They make presentations to our employees encouraging screenings Working through this organization one of our employees completed the testing and detection of stage 2 breast cancer and underwent the needed surgery.
Even though October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it’s important to remind women all year-round to get their annual mammograms. You can do this by sharing articles and posts on social media, talking about the importance of cancer screenings with your friends and family, or even writing a blog post like this one!
#2 Offer Help at Home
One thing that can be really tough for women undergoing cancer treatment is keeping up with the housework. Offer to help out around the house, whether it’s doing the grocery shopping, cooking dinner, or just taking care of the kids for a few hours. This will give her some much-needed time to rest and take care of herself.
If you are going to clean for someone with cancer read on…
Cleaning is super important for people with cancer, as the immune system is compromised by the treatments. Removing bacteria or viruses that could make them sick is key.
If you do not have access to a professional cleaning service or, even if you do, but the service you are using doesn’t know how to clean for someone with cancer, it’s important to take extra care. Here are some tips:
- Wear gloves when cleaning to protect your hands from chemicals.
- Avoid using strong cleaners and opt for gentle, natural alternatives instead, in areas other than the bathroom.
- Ventilate the home well to avoid inhaling harsh chemicals.
For bathrooms, keep in mind that medications for chemotherapy can stay in the body for up to a week, so take extra precautions to clean surfaces that might have blood or other bodily fluids. Wear double gloves for added safety when cleaning the toilet or cleaning up any bodily fluids. To clean it, use a bleach product or other toilet-cleaning solution into your toilet according to the manufacturer’s guidance, brush the sides and rim, and then let it sit for a few minutes. Spray a household cleaner on the outside, seat, and handle, and let the cleaner sit for the recommended time. Then wipe clean. You can also buy disposable brush toilet cleaners at the grocery store.
For more in-depth information on cleaning, a good resource is Cancer.net.
Join us in the fight to help those undergoing treatment by donating to Cleaning for a Reason, an organization that provides free housecleaning for women undergoing cancer treatment. Through our partnership, we donate cleanings to local women who need help when they were undergoing debilitating cancer treatments. This year we are also starting a fundraiser and you can participate by visiting: https://connect.clickandpledge.com/Organization/cleaningforareason/Campaign/cbfl100k/Fundraiser/Total_Home4Good . This is a great way to help out.
#3 Offer Emotional Support
Cancer can be a very emotionally draining experience, and it’s important to offer support to your loved ones who are going through it. Be there to listen to their concerns, offer words of encouragement, and just be a shoulder to cry on. You can also join a support group or volunteer at a local cancer center to help others.
We hope these tips are helpful. No one should feel alone in the fight against cancer! There are many people who are ready to support each other.