#BeProudlyAware

With medical research for cancer treatment slowly but surely reaching the epitome of its existence, cancer, as a disease, has started to become much less frightening than it used to be. Reports state that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women with at least 25% of cancer cases in women worldwide being breast cancer. What is scarier is that 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer at least once in their lifetime!

Almost every one of us knows or is acquainted with somebody who has breast cancer, maybe a close friend or a distant aunt. The emotional roller-coaster that breast cancer, terminal or otherwise, can take you and your loved ones through is immense. It is heart-breaking and nerve-wracking for everybody involved because, sometimes, honestly there’s nothing you can do, there are no choices to be made here. The only choice that you have the freedom to make is how you plan to approach the situation and how much you’re going to let it affect you, mentally. Acceptance and honesty with oneself and everybody around you are very critical. It is vital that importance is given to mental health at every step of the way. For those of you with little to no experience of dealing with such a situation, imagine this: one fine day, you are pushed into a whirlwind of down-slopes, with almost no idea of what’s happening. You have no choice but to do what needs to be done and no certainty of what the outcome might be. Sounds tough/scary? It definitely is!

But, what is inspiring is that there are hundreds of women (and a small percentage of men, <1% cases) fighting this monster every day of their lives. Adding to this, there are multiple communities dedicated to being the pillars of strength and support for all our fighters. Today, mastectomies are proudly worn. Because, after all, breasts can never come close to defining who a person is. It is more important to love and respect your body as it is than be affected by what people who don’t even know the half of it, think. They are bodies worn from battle, but alive, and stronger. Be yourself and love yourself.

This October, on occasion of Breast Cancer awareness month, we at Ayurkruti, an internet retail organization inspired solely by the idea of organic and Ayurvedic products, proudly salute all the fighters out there. The rest of you, this is so you know more today than you did yesterday. Stay strong, Stay aware. #ProudlyAware