Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Klobuchar published an op-ed in Marie Claire sharing her breast cancer story to encourage preventive care
WASHINGTON — In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) published an op-ed in Marie Claire sharing her breast cancer story to encourage people to take advantage of preventive care services.
In the piece, Klobuchar noted that promoting routine health exams is especially important this year, as many Americans have put off health care due to coronavirus-related concerns.
From the op-ed:
- “I will always remember the afternoon I got “the call.” I was about to head to the Senate Chamber to vote when I received the news from my doctor that we all fear: I had cancer.”
- “That was eight months ago—the start of a path that would include surgery and radiation, which also coincided with my dad’s illness and death. Of course this has been difficult at times, but today my doctors say that my chances of developing cancer again are no greater than the average person’s.”
- “As we recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I am thinking about the many Americans who may have breast cancer but not know it because they’ve been putting off physicals or routine examinations due to the pandemic, just like I delayed mine.”
- “But routine health checkups, exams, and follow-through are essential. By some estimates, thousands of people who missed their mammogram due to the pandemic may be living with undetected breast cancer.”
- “If there is one thing I have learned through this experience, it is that every day is a gift. This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, cherish that gift by putting your health first and taking advantage of preventive care services. Go schedule a doctor’s appointment—and then call your friends and cheer them on when they do the same. It just might save their lives.”
Read the full op-ed here.
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