Oct. 3, 2023 • Volume 26, Issue 19 • Complimentary • BlufftonSun.com
INSIDE • Beaufort Memorial Expands Facilities to Hilton Head 12A • Ongoing Forums Held To Discuss School Bond Referendum 14A • Beaufort County Council Passes Budget For 2024 18A • Its A Great Time To Take Fall Day Trips 28A • At Home Golf Cart Service Company Fill Niche In Market 40A
Mammograms Front Of Mind For Breast Cancer Awareness Month By Gwyneth J. Saunders CONTRIBUTOR
It’s October — when more attention is traditionally paid not just to pumpkin spice, but to breast cancer and all of the statistics that describe the disease. If you’re a woman over the age of 40, and you haven’t scheduled an annual mammogram, you are reminded everywhere you look to do just that, particularly this month as it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Nine years ago, that annual pilgrimage made a difference to Kathy Gabel and her daughters. The Philadelphia native was living in South Jersey before moving to Sun City 18 months ago. “I went for my annual mammogram every year, and everything was fine until this one year,” Gabel said. “They came back with a very, very small tumor, but it was stage one cancer. I had a lumpectomy. The incision was about two inches long. I got it done on a Friday afternoon, took the weekend off, went back to work Monday.” Gabel’s recovery was not yet complete. After six weeks of healing, she began a series of 15 shots of radiation, and then took the
pill Exmestine once a day for five years. The only side effect she experienced was a feeling of tiredness by the time she was near the end of the radiation. She described her experience as “very good,” but only because of the mammogram. “When I had the tumor, I had gone to the doctors. I couldn’t feel it. There were no symptoms at all. No lumps, no discharge, nothing at all,” she said. Her family’s reaction was shock and concern because there had been no family history of breast cancer. “I have two daughters. That was a concern for me that it would run in the family. When this started, they were both in their 30s. They went to their doctors immediately to start annual mammograms, and they’re both clear,” said Gabel. “I go get my mammogram every year, and it’s been clear. In fact, I just had one two weeks ago.” Each year, 240,000 women get breast cancer. That’s about one in eight women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 42,000 women die from it. Most are 50 years or older, but younger women can be affected.
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Breast cancer survivor Kathy Gabel, with her dog Cannoli, is a Sun City resident, and a strong proponent of encouraging annual mammograms.
Gabel had a lumpectomy — a procedure that removes the tumor and minimal surrounding tissue. It’s not a decision everyone makes, but for her, it was enough.
“When I went to the surgeon, there was a choice that they give you like, you can
Please see BREAST CANCER on page 8A