One woman’s super-brave “breast selfie” could save lives
Last week, we asked you to take a look at a graphic selfie of a woman’s face to show the dangers of tanning beds. And now, we’re telling you that you should probably check out this picture another woman took of her breast. No, it’s not what it sounds like. This photo could actually save your life.
On May 11th, Lisa Royle had one week left until she had to undergo a mastectomy due to breast cancer. That’s an incredibly frightening experience to have to go through, and it’s totally understandable to want to shut down social media and just take some time to mentally prepare (if that’s even possible) for the procedure. But Lisa did just the opposite, selflessly turning her cancer experience into a teachable moment that could help millions of women.
She posted an image of her breast, along with an important message, on Facebook, in hopes of raising awareness about an easily overlooked warning sign.
“. . . I never thought I’d post a boob picture on Facebook but I thought I would before it gets chopped off next week,” Lisa wrote in the caption. And in the picture—her nipple covered up with a heart emoji—the only evidence you could see were a few subtle dimples that were practically unnoticeable. “This all that I found on my boob,” Lisa wrote. “Very subtle dimples underneath that could easily be missed when we’re all rushing [around] getting ready in a morning.”
The photo has since been shared over 60,000 times, and with good reason. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, this is just one of many often unnoticed signs that could point to breast cancer.
Lisa has since undergone her mastectomy and is in recovery, according to her husband, Craig. “Lisa is out of surgery and doing really well,” he commented on the post. “Bit groggy from the morphine but in good spirits and should be home later this evening. The support has blown us away to a massive thanks to [you] all.”
We’re totally in awe of Lisa and her bravery after sharing something so personal, in order to help others. We hear about the danger of breast cancer often in the media, but a message like this is not easily forgotten. Breast cancer isn’t always easy to spot and it takes vigilance to stay on top of your health. We all should be checking our breasts at least once a month with a self-administered breast exam and staying on top of the warning signs.
We have all the respect, gratitude and love for Lisa for sharing her story, and helping countless women in the process.
Images via
