Video Courtesy of Something Private Youtube
It’s been quite a whirlwind for us since our official launch almost 2 weeks ago! We’ve been touched by the positive responses and truly honoured by the trust placed in us by those who have shared their personal stories through our DMs and emails. Honestly we’re a little overwhelmed and so this is a quick post to recap what’s been going on so far.
This is just the start to a very meaningful journey for Shy & Curious and we’ve a long way to go towards building this budding community. We always welcome your feedback and ideas since this is your safe space so feel free to drop us an email and we promise all communication are kept private and anonymous!
We also have to thank Nicole and the team at Something Private for sharing our personal story and raising awareness about breast cancer and my mum Ju’s experience hiding her breast cancer until her passing. When Nicole asked if I was comfortable to share it with her listeners, I thought about it for 5 seconds before a resounding ‘Yes!’ because I knew that was what my mum would have wanted. For no one else to dismiss themselves and face such a painful and fearful journey alone.
Do check out the rest of the episodes of Something Private for your dose of unfiltered conversations on female health, gender, society and love. Nicole is doing such great and brave work at such a young age – she’s who I want to be when I grow up!
So one of the things that struck me from the messages and feedback from the interview so far – is that as much as many women agree and know that early detection can save lives when it comes to breast cancer, yet they’re still afraid of making that first step.
There’s a ton of useful literature (Singhealth’s Breast Health Booklet is very comprehensive and easy to digest) and associations out there like the Breast Cancer Foundation Singapore . However, as much as we may share our stories and reference all the educational materials about breast cancer – it won’t work unless you decide to take care of your breast health.
And we totally get it, the unknown is scary and isn’t it easier to just take care of everyone else first and you’ll get to yourself eventually? I’m guilty of that too and have yet to schedule my appointment for a breast check-up. I worry about actually finding something. I worry about following my mum’s medical history. I worry about the finances. I worry about life being changed forever.
But you know what’s worse?
Dealing with the uncertainty alone. Letting your head space be occupied by fear. Realizing you could have a better fighting chance if you just found out earlier.
So we’ve decided that if we can’t hold your hand and be there at the doctor’s, the least we can do is to help make keeping track of your breast health a little easier. We’ve designed a monthly tracker that we call LOVE YOUR BOOBS.
We’ve included a cheatsheet on how to do your own self-examinations and a checklist where you can keep a record of each month’s observations. Don’t panic if you do find a lump in your breast as they are common and quite often benign. Just mark the spot on the diagram in your tracker and keep a note of its size. Bring your log to the doctor’s so it can ease the conversation and you’ll feel more confident and aware of your body.
Click here to download the free LOVE YOUR BOOBS MONTHLY TRACKER.
Feel free to print it and paste it in your journal, your fridge, your bulletin board or anywhere else that will help you keep track of your breast’s health! You can also share the love with your girl friends and family who need that nudge….
P.S. If you’re in Singapore and if at the end of the day, you just need a friendly face to be there while you’re getting your check-up, please reach out to me. The first step is always the hardest and I understand if you don’t want your friends and family to worry yet. I promise it won’t be weird but I’ll be happy to just hang out and distract you with one of my many stories.