Recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Notice I did not say celebrate. I will say celebrate once we have "No Breast Cancer Anymore" Month.

1. Complement a bald woman, even if she is wearing a cap, a scarf, or a wig. Even those with regrown hair. (Any woman who has been bald carries a bit of bald with her forever.) Tell her she is beautiful, looks healthy, or just that you like her shoes. Let her know you see her.

2. Click here to help fund mammograms.

3. Click here to create a personalized animated doll to honor a friend, family member, or acquaintance who has overcome or who is fighting breast cancer. For each doll created, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals will donate $1 to a breast cancer charity, up to $25,000.

4. Pray (or wish, or hope, or send good thoughts) for an end to breast cancer. Not just a cure, but a preventative.

5. Read these facts about breast cancer.

6. Please do monthly self breast exams, and get annual (or more frequent) clinical breast exams, mammograms, or other diagnostics. (If you are a man, encourage the women you love to do this.) The earlier breast cancer is detected the less debilitating the treatment and the better the outcome. Denial and fear do not detect, treat, or save women from dying from breast cancer.

7. Honor all persons affected by all cancers, including the caregivers. Other cancers do not have their own month, but they present the same burdens for people affected by them.