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Believe in pink. Believe in miracles.

What it Means to be a Breast Cancer Survivor I believe in pink. I believe laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day. And I believe in miracles. ~…
The gloves are on

Fighting back with risk assessment and prevention The greatest risk factors for breast cancer are being female and getting older. For women living in the United States, breast cancer is the second most common form of cancer next to skin cancer. It is also the second leading cause of cancer deaths next to lung cancer.…
Mammogram memo

How often should I get checked? One in eight women will get breast cancer in their lives. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women. One way to improve these outcomes is by having appropriate screenings whereby we are able to detect cancer earlier. Mammograms can be uncomfortable for many women and…

Editor’s Dose: Tips for minimizing back-to-school stress

IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, then come early July you were already thinking about preparations for the new school year. Parents and children in the community this year are getting ready extra early because Polk County public schools moved up their calendar by one week — day one of school is August 15.
Making the choice to breastfeed

THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH in Polk County (DOH-Polk) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) recognize August as Breastfeeding Awareness Month. This is a wonderful time of year to promote breastfeeding as a vital health activity and discuss the health benefits breastfeeding provides. Although every woman has their own…
Editor’s Dose: Keeping kids’ bodies and minds active this summer

WHEN I FIRST had the twins, my mom would say, “Have a schedule for them, or they’ll have a schedule for you.” Basically, she was cautioning that I’d better keep those little minds and bodies active, or chaos would inevitably ensue. Being a mother of eight children, I think she was speaking from personal experience.…