Entire months are set aside for diseases, social issues, and everything else under the sun – including mustaches and bird feeding. Yet only one day of the entire year is
dedicated to mothers. And it’s already over.
Dear Women, Self-care Saves Lives
The mother who ‘lives for her family’ is lauded as a paradigm of perfection, while the mother who prioritizes her needs – like exercise or even her career – is called ‘selfish’. Even as our society claims to be moving away from traditional gender roles – the reality is that the bar is set higher for mothers.
Mothers are literal life forces – yet we often forget to take care of our own life force: our health. As Benjamin Franklin once said: “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.”
But as mothers, we can’t afford to let that water – our health – dry up. If it dries up, we die. And then we’re no good to anyone.
Osteoporosis & Breast Cancer – Being Female is the Risk Factor
One in eight women will get breast cancer; one in 3 women over the age of 50 will get osteoporosis. Just being a woman is a risk factor for both diseases. While a number of risk factors are uncontrollable – many are controllable. Those fall under ‘self-care’ – like maintaining a healthy diet, exercising, and getting regular mammograms and bone density screening.
Early detection of breast cancer saves lives. But that means putting yourself first by showing up for the mammography appointment. With a little advanced planning, you can also schedule an appointment for DXA bone density screening on the same day.