Bozrah, CT – According to the American Cancer Society, about one in eight women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime. Indeed, with the exception of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women.
But breast cancer today is not what it was 20 years ago. Thanks to greater awareness, early detection and advances in treatment, there are currently more than 2.8 million breast cancer survivors in the US.
“You don’t laugh about cancer, but you can laugh in its face,” says breast cancer survivor Eileen A. Kaplan. Kaplan is a speaker, humorist, women’s wellness advocate and the author of Laughter is the Breast Medicine, an inspirational book of humor documenting Kaplan’s own journey with the disease from diagnosis to bilateral mastectomy.
“I’ve always taken things and made them silly. It’s just the way I am. I love to laugh,” says Kaplan. “Being diagnosed with breast cancer is difficult enough, so my hope for Laughter is the Breast Medicine is for people to find one thing in my journey they can relate to that can make them smile or laugh.”
Kaplan found a good attitude is essential when dealing with this dreaded disease. Upon receiving her diagnosis, she and her family resolved to turn every negative into a positive.
“I never said ‘Why me?’ recalls Kaplan. “Saying ‘why me’ isn’t going to help you get over the bumps in the road. I have to have humor in everything I do because it makes life lighter, so whatever I did I put a funny spin on it.”
As an inspirational speaker and cancer awareness advocate, Kaplan encourages women to make the necessary lifestyle changes to help minimize their risk for all types of cancer.
“Just because you’ve been diagnosed with cancer doesn’t mean you’re going to die,” says Kaplan. “So this has been my mantra, awakening people to the fact that you are in control. There is a ‘CAN’ in cancer.”
Close-Up Talk Radio will feature Eileen Kaplan in an interview with Doug Llewelyn on May 23rd at 12pm EST.
Listen to the show www.blogtalkradio.com/closeuptalkradio. If you have a question for our guest, call (347) 996-3389.
For more information on Eileen Kaplan, visit www.eileenakaplan.com