A woman's chances of surviving breast cancer, the most common cancer in American women, are greatly improved with early detection and treatment. Success in early detection is in large part due to educational efforts. Congregations provide an excellent opportunity to educate women of all ages about this disease that will touch one in every eight of them. Church school classes, study groups, and circles are appropriate places to invite a Parish Nurse or other health educator to speak about early detection. Studies show that religion is an extremely important resource for the majority of women living with breast cancer.
Faith helps one cope with cancer.
The month of May is Osteoporosis Awareness Month, a time to think about how we care for our bones. Twenty eight million people suffer from this devastating disease. EACH DAY is spent on direct medical costs for fractures associated with osteoporosis. Fragile bones are a common problem for many older women and some older men. We must not wait to begin to think about the health of our bones.