ST. SIMONS, Ga. — It's so easy to trick yourself. You're young. You think, "well, most people I know with breast cancer are older."
Don't ever let that fool you.
Lauren Belt from St. Simons, Georgia is proof that younger women can get breast cancer and that they need to do self-exams.
Why? Let's do some simple math.
Doctors recommend most women begin mammograms at age 40. Lauren is 28.
She had 12 years until she'd get her first mammogram.
Good thing she did Buddy Check, her self-exam, and found her cancer early.
Dr. Jennifer Crozier, her oncologist at Baptist/MD Anderson says, "she was able to detect it herself through Buddy Check. She found it when it was nice and early."
Lauren says, "I was laying on my stomach. I felt something hard and I thought, this couldn't be right."
Lauren is going through chemo now with an incredible spirit. "It's a God thing," she says "he's looking out for us."
Crozier says she caught it so early that no cancer showed up in her lymph nodes.
So, congratulations Lauren! As your husband says, you are a strong woman. He's proud of you. For good reason.
If you'd like a Buddy Check kit, just call Baptist/MD Anderson at 904-202-CARE. They will mail you a kit for free.
If Buddy Check has helped you find your cancer, Jeannie Blaylock would love to hear from you. Her email is: jblaylock@firstcoastnews.com
