More Than October, More Than Pink

More Than October, More Than Pink -By Christene Long (My color is Peach)

Christene Long was a faithful member of the Health and Wellness ministry. She was scheduled to submit the October topic on cancer, and she gave permission to continue with the submission posthumously.

October each year is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, developed by the American Cancer Society (ACS) and a division of Imperial Chemical Industries, which later became part of AstraZeneca (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Breast-Cancer-Awareness-Month). The Pink Ribbon has become the symbol for Breast Cancer Awareness. It is important for all women and men, especially African Americans, to get screened for breast cancer to detect the disease early and receive healing through treatments. Breast cancer, however, is not the only cancer people develop, but it is spotlighted in October each year so people will want to help with funding to lower the mortality rate of patients with breast cancer.  

There are so many more types of cancer that researchers have studied, and they are all dreadful to the human body. Time and space will not allow an inclusive list of the many different types of cancers. Some are caused by diet or lack of a good diet. God prescribed the diet for humans to eat starting with the fruits and vegetables in the Garden of Eden, Genesis 2:15-17, ‘Then the Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. And the Lord God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil; for in that day that you eat of it, you will surely die.” (Berean Standard Bible). Some causes of cancer could be environmental, such as smoke, radiation, viruses, carcinogens, obesity, genetic mutation inherited from parents, hormones, chronic inflammation, and lack of exercise (ouch). Just know that most cancers manifest from the inside out of the body.

Thank God for medical centers/hospitals, libraries, the internet, and organizations that keep lists of any type of ailment a person may have. Having a list is okay, but people need to be advocates over their own bodies and health. Different cancers are symbolized by certain colors. There are charts on the internet that depict the different types of cancers, colors representing them and the months they are observed. Look them up.

Please avail yourself to praying to God for a healthy body and doing something to help keep it healthy. Seek professional medical advice but be an advocate for your own health by asking questions of the doctors. Friends and family are good support systems, but God has gifted medical doctors with abilities to service your body. God is in control, but He has given you something to do; watch and pray.