October 5, 2024

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Hello ladies! I hope all of you are doing well! I have had so much going on that my head is spinning, but it’s all been good. Before I write another word, I wanted to give my heartfelt thoughts and prayers to all the people affected by the hurricane. I have looked at so many pictures and videos, which is heartbreaking. It’s hard to grasp that a hurricane in the ocean can do that much damage to places that aren’t even close by.

It’s October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you are new to this blog, I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) in 2013. I want to explain what exactly TNBC is because when I was diagnosed, I had never heard of it.TNBC is an aggressive form of invasive breast cancer. It differs from other types of invasive breast cancer in that it tends to grow and spread faster, has fewer treatment options, and tends to have a worse prognosis. TNBC refers to the fact that the cancer cells don’t have estrogen or progesterone receptors and don’t make any or much of the protein called HER2. The cells test negative on all three of those markers. It’s funny: every time I tell someone that I had TNBC (and if they know about it), they always respond with, “You had the bad kind,” and my thought is, aren’t they all bad?

What I’ve learned about TNBC is that it affects women of all skin color and age, but it’s more predominant in black women. After talking to so many women of all ages and races, I believe that it is an environmentally-caused cancer. I’m no doctor, but it makes a lot of sense. Because it is October, I want to emphasize the importance of getting your mammograms and self-checks on this blog. My breast cancer was found through my annual mammogram, but it was not a tumor they saw, but calcifications that looked abnormal. My actual tumor was hiding in the duct. That is why it is so important to stay on top of it.

I am passionate about telling younger women about TNBC because it does not discriminate based on age. I know of a precious girl who just finished her chemo treatments for TNBC, and she is thirty years old! I don’t know what’s going on, but cancer (particularly turbo cancers) is on the rise, and I hope that everyone reading this will take it seriously. If you need a mammogram, please schedule it because early detection does save lives! It’s been eleven years (Praise Jesus!) since I was diagnosed, and a lot of treatments have changed and gotten better. TNBC is a type of breast cancer that almost always needs chemotherapy and (possibly) radiation because it is so fast-growing, but it responds well to these treatments.

Please tell your daughters, daughters-in-law, nieces, granddaughters, or any young women you are close to about this kind of breast cancer. I never thought you could get breast cancer until you were older, and boy, I was wrong about that!

I had the privilege of flying to NYC in August to participate in the Sisterhood of Strength campaign for Breast Cancer research. This partnership is with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Knitwell Group. Please check out our stories here!

Okay, I am moving on! I am showcasing a pair of boots from Donald Pliner today. I love supporting and focusing on brands that give to breast cancer research, and they are doing just that. Donald Pliner has teamed up with Shoes for a Cure, the leading fundraiser in the footwear industry for breast cancer research. Over the last 30 years, Shoes for a Cure and the footwear industry have raised over $60 million for breast cancer research. For the entire month of October, Donald Pliner is donating a portion of every sale made on their website to breast cancer research through Shoes for a Cure, and these boots are helping make a difference! If you are in the market for shoes, check out the website and even if you don’t purchase anything, you can donate. I love the color of these boots and the very substantial and stable heel!

I wore these boots with the most fabulous (I think) suede studded jacket. I’m sure you know that studs are everywhere, and I flipped over this jacket! It is such a statement piece! I am wearing this top with it and a pair of slit hem (makes your legs look super long) boot-cut jeans. I couldn’t wait to pull out this faux fur leopard print bag I purchased a few years ago, and they brought it back low and behold! Now, if it would just get cool enough to really wear this out!

I had so much fun shooting a reel with my mom and daughter-in-law for Blue Lagoon Skincare! We all loved how these products made our skin feel, and this lip balm (which they donate to the Icelandic Cancer Society) is incredible! We thought all of the products were so moisturizing! They are giving my readers 20% off with Code: CATHY20. I have also been trying this new SCULPT Neck + Décolleté Concentrate from UBeauty! Every lotion I’ve used from UBeauty (especially this one) makes my skin feel like velvet, and this is no exception! I love it! Use Code: WILLIAMSON for 20% off there too!

One more brand that I love is donating to the Women’s Cancer Research Fund: Look Optics. I am obsessed with their readers and progressive eyeglasses, and I just ordered this pair.

I hope you all have a great weekend! Stay well and Be safe! xx

JACKET // TOP // JEANS // BOOTS // BAG // EARRINGS

Photos: Heather Johnson