Change Breast Cancer Awareness Month to Body Awareness Month

I've learned a lot this month.

We've been devoting the majority of our effort on our radio station and website to breast cancer awareness.

I knew that we would learn. Besides helping the amazing women in our lives, I figured we'd hit November with a new perspective.

And I will.

I know this. I don't want the 'C' word in any more of my radio station's imaging statements. I believe that saying it gives it power. When you hear me saying it for the remainder of the month, it's because I'm part of a team and the 'coach', with the agreement of the team, decided we are 'Going Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.'

Next year, I'm going to suggest that we celebrate Body Awareness Month and talk about the prevention of disease.

First, please don't be insulted if you are engaged in the fight against breast cancer. You are doing amazing work and your contribution is so important. But if you knew that you could still contribute just like you are, but slightly tweak what you are doing toward a more effective end, would you want to?

I understand that letting people know that early detection is the key, but shouldn't the ultimate goal be to have less women with breast cancer?

The fight against breast cancer has been going on for a long time, and it isn't going well. The death rate is dropping, and that's the true blessing from the long time effort. However, the diagnosis rate is spiking. It's going up at a horrific rate.

That's why I think we should move to Body Awareness Month.

First, if there is nothing a woman can do to prevent breast cancer, then at least Body Awareness Month could educate on the importance of knowing our bodies and doing self exams to find scary changes.

If there is something that can be done to prevent breast cancer, it probably also falls into the category of body awareness.

• Be aware of what we are putting into our body, in case it could increase the risk of breast cancer and other cancers
• Be aware of toxic situations we could put our body in that might increase the risk of breast cancer and other cancers
• Be aware of what we need to do to make our body do (exercise, sleep, nutrition) to prevent disease
• Be aware of anything and everything we can find to help prevent this disease. And I mean anything.

Right now, the whole effort feels like women have to sit around and hope that they don't get breast cancer, and that if they do, their best and only hope is early detection. Once again, not knocking early detection education efforts. They will be included and prominent in my Body Awareness Month campaigns. Front and center.

I simply believe it is time to move past 'sit and wait' and go toward 'I have power in my journey, and that power resides within my body. Now, what do I do to harness it?'