Helpful Resources for Breast Cancer Survivors in SE Minnesota

About 8 years ago, I sat at a table in Rochester, Minnesota and held a meeting called an "intake" with a woman who was extremely nervous. You know when someone is sweating, it was that type of nervousness. Her body was also weaker than it was before. And the strength it took to walk in the door to meet with me that day, it was everything she had as well as every ounce of courage to just show up. This woman was a breast cancer survivor who just had her last radiation treatment a week ago. And the fear was still in her eyes.

Canva

1 in 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime

Throughout my time working with cancer survivors through the LiveSTRONG program at the YMCA, I met over 150 individual cancer survivors who all shared their stories with me. I knew from my training for this program that over 50% of the survivors that I'd meet would be breast cancer survivors but honestly, I didn't realize how many people in our community were impacted until I met these amazing women face-to-face.

Canva

1 in 8 women in the U.S. hear the words "breast cancer" in their lifetime. When people hear that statistic the first time, most of us don't really take a moment to think about what that truly means. Eight people. We all know at least eight women and based on that statement, the odds are that one of those women we know will be sitting at a Dr.'s office at some point in their life hearing their new diagnosis.

A Rochester Nonprofit is Here to Help All in Their Journey with Breast Cancer

Women and men are diagnosed with breast cancer every day in our community and luckily, an amazing nonprofit in Rochester, Minnesota is ready to help those individuals through their journey; Join the Journey. This organization provides a mentoring program called Pink Ribbon Mentors, support groups, a dragonboat team that meets at Silver Lake, and several resources for patients. You can learn more about what they provide or even request support at their website: www.jointhejourney.us

Join the Journey's Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk - Credit: Join the Journey

Additional Resources for Individuals Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

Townsquare Media cares about our community. If you know someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer or you have questions, please check out the following information:

LOOK: Milestones in women's history from the year you were born

Women have left marks on everything from entertainment and music to space exploration, athletics, and technology. Each passing year and new milestone makes it clear both how recent this history-making is in relation to the rest of the country, as well as how far we still need to go. The resulting timeline shows that women are constantly making history worthy of best-selling biographies and classroom textbooks; someone just needs to write about them.

Scroll through to find out when women in the U.S. and around the world won rights, the names of women who shattered the glass ceiling, and which country's women banded together to end a civil war.