California Educator

September 09

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Take it from me “I had my first mammogram when I was 40 years old and then followed a routine of getting mammograms every two years until I hit age 48. I felt very h e a l t h y, ha dn’ t discovered any lumps t hr o ugh se lf- examinations, and was not wor r ied ab out cancer since there was no history of any type of cancer in my family f or at lea st thre e generations. “So I waited three years before scheduling my next mammogram, and bingo, I had a cancerous tumor which had grown to over 2 centimeters in diameter, and cancerous cells were also detected in one of my lymph nodes. “Ear ly detec tion is such a key Patti Perkins Carpenter Modoc Teachers Association determinant in the prognosis for cancer survival, so I still lose sleep over not going in for a yearly mammogram that might have detected my tumor at an earlier stage. I was told by a couple of my doctors that be cause of the specific location of my tumor and the density of my breast tissue, the tumor would have been hard to detect through self-examination alone. Even after I knew the tumor ’s loc at ion, I couldn’t feel it. “My first e-mail that revealed my cancer diagnosis to friends, family, and all of my teaching colleagues in Modoc Joint Unified School District ended with me imploring all women reading the message to schedule a mammogram and all husbands, sons or brothers of women to encourage their wives, mothers or sisters to have a regular mammogram. I think the word got around quickly that if you didn’t want to be hounded about having regular mammograms, stay away from Carpenter. But hearing from women that they had scheduled a long-overdue mammogram because of my sometimes assert ive encouragement seemed to help empower me in my own personal fight against breast cancer. “Some women need to get over the feeling that mammograms are inconvenient, uncomfortable and somewhat embarrassing. Your life or the life of those women you care for may depend on the early detection of breast cancer that a mammogram can provide.” Programs for California Professionals in Education Designed to advance your career Credentials and Certificates  Multiple and Single Subject  Administrative Credentials  CTEL  Education Counseling  School Psychology  Special Education  Reading and Language Arts  Child Life Specialist Bachelors  Liberal Studies  Child Development  active faculty   the state      Celebrating more than 100 years of excellence in teacher education. Masters  Educational Management  School Counseling  Special Education: Mild/Moderate  School Psychology  Reading  Special Emphasis  Child Life  Child Development  Advanced Teaching Doctoral  Organizational Leadership (Ed.D.) University of LaVerne COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP 1950 Third Street La Verne, CA 91750 Call toll free: (877) GO-TO-ULV or email: degreeinfo@laverne.edu www.laverne.edu september 2009 | www.cta.org 21

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