Podcast, New Business and Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Have you been listening to the 40+Fitness Podcast? I hope you’ve found these podcasts interesting and informative or at least entertaining! They have been fun to record with Allan, though I feel like I’m still getting the hang of it. For being such a talker, I still get nervous speaking into a microphone and being recorded! I’m sure I’ll sound less dorky eventually…


After completing the NASM Certified Personal Training course, I started working on establishing an LLC. It took quite a while for the paperwork to be filed, but the LLC now exists and liability insurance is in place. I’m looking for a local lawyer to help with the other paperwork – contracts, waivers and whatnot. When all this is done, the real fun begins!

In the meantime, as you know, the month of October is earmarked for Breast Cancer Awareness and I want to honor that by sharing information from the Fxck Cancer website:

  • Breast cancer isn’t biased: Men and women can develop breast cancer. White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer, although African-American women are more likely to die from it.
  • Lifestyle can impact your risk for breast cancer: Being overweight or obese and/or drinking 2-5 alcoholic drinks per day are two lifestyle factors that increase your risk for developing breast cancer. Physical activity, any form of exercise, is a lifestyle factor that decreases your breast cancer risk.
  • Symptoms aren’t always obvious: Swelling, skin irritation, nipple pain and other breast changes can be signs or symptoms of breast cancer. Breast cancer can also cause swollen lymph nodes, which could occur even if you don’t feel lumps in the breast tissue. Any changes in the breast, including the lymph nodes in the armpit area, should be further investigated!
  • Screening is critical: Mammograms, ultrasound and MRI are commonly used for screening and additional investigation when warranted. According to the American Cancer Society, women between the ages of 40-44 have the option to start screening with mammogram every year. Women 45-54 should get annual mammograms. Women 55 and older can choose to continue annual mammograms or switch to every other year.

I started getting annual mammograms at age 29. My doctor at that time agreed to early mammogram screening due to the strong family history for breast cancer on my maternal side and a lump I found (still have). After moving to Middleville, my new doctor referred me to a High Risk Breast Cancer (HRBC) facility in Grand Rapids. According to their assessment tool, I have a 26.7% risk for developing breast cancer. In comparison, the general population has a risk of 12.5%.

In addition to annual mammograms, I have focused on the lifestyle changes that reduce my risk. As you can guess, I exercise quite frequently, I don’t smoke and I don’t drink alcohol on a daily basis. I also eat an anti-inflammatory diet and supplement with Omega 3s and other vitamins that I don’t regularly get from food. I focus on what I can control and rely on annual mammograms for the things I can’t see or control.

I have two more Fxck Cancer bracelets for the next two people who donate using my personal Fxck CancerFundraising Page. Please donate what you can, when you can and thank you for your support! Spreading the word and early detection can and will make a difference in the outcomes for cancer patients.

Thank you for your continued support!


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