Addition to paper

Being a male and having breast cancer is rare and nonetheless extremely awkward. Let’s take for example Jimmy Roan, a father, husband, and grandfather, who while showering one day discovered a “marble-sized” lump in his left breast. He immediately assumed it was breast cancer and in order not to startle his wife, he kept it a secret from her until he found out what the lump really was. Jimmy’s venture led him to his doctor’s office, where his doctor performed tests and later confirmed that it was a tumor, but at the moment did not confirm it was breast cancer. He sent Jimmy off to do a mammogram. Because of the lack of study that is concentrated on males with breast cancer, Jimmy had no option but to go through the same procedure as a woman with breast cancer would go through. Needless to say, Jimmy had to walk through hospital doors that read “Women Only”. For a guy whose dealing with a delicate matter such as breast cancer, it was a feeling of isolation for Jimmy, as it would be for any other male under the same circumstances. "At the hospital, I had to go through a door marked 'women only' to get to the mammography area. I got some really odd stares when I walked through that room!" (Article) Being a male and coming face to face with any type of cancer is scary, but being a male diagnosed with a type of cancer that rarely targets men is just plain out fearful.
One important factor in Jimmy overcoming and defeating breast cancer, which is a great example all men should follow, was taking action immediately. As soon as he felt that lump on his breast he didn’t hesitate to get something done. He immediately contacted his doctor. Men like to be tough, and in many cases act tough. But the more an individual holds in what is going on, the more he jeopardize his own life. Jimmy, like many males, has multiple responsibilities such as being a dad, a husband, provider for the home, etc. It’s not only important for males to take immediate action when they detect anything that is abnormal within the body, it is crucial. No one is more familiar with the body than the individual himself. It is understandable that people have busy lives and hectic schedules but if a person fails to regularly check themselves for irregularities within the body, that person could be doing more harm than good to their bodies. So if going to the doctor for a visit is too time consuming, perhaps that person doesn’t value their life as much as they think they do. Yes, perhaps it is difficult and something that is hard to confront, but the key to breast cancer, as is with any other type of cancer, is being persistent and having the determination to overcome the emotional rollercoaster.
The fact that men endure the same procedure as women is a telltale story on how there hasn’t been enough research gathered to perform and treat men with breast cancer. The fact that a male has to walk into a hospital mammography area labeled “Women-only” is probably just added discomfort to an already uncomfortable situation. Throughout it all though, men should keep in mind that their life are on the line. There shouldn’t be any type of embarrassment or humiliation big enough to ignore a death threatening situation such as breast cancer. As humans, one of our natural instincts is to adapt to change in order to survive. The key in that sentence is survive. No matter what it takes, the goal of life is to survive, and going to the doctor when feeling a lump is no different. Technology and medicine has advanced. People are living longer, healthier lives. Men shouldn’t feel embarrassed if they are diagnosed with breast cancer, but instead should feel optimistic because of the advancement in technology and medicine. What was an obstacle for doctor’s years ago is now an obstacle doctors can overcome. Still today breast cancer is viewed as rare in males, but as our knowledge starts to broaden on the subject, so will solutions.