Dear Friend of BB!, 

Happy New Year!  A time of new beginnings, right?  Talk about new beginnings...  I remember the day I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  It was my son's seventh birthday.  I was supposed to be working the concession stand that evening for his little league baseball team.  Instead I was sitting at home overwhelmed with shock, confusion, and fear.  My father told me then that this day would be a dividing moment in my life and that everything from this point forward would be defined in terms of "before cancer" and "after cancer."  He was right. Yes, it was my son's 7th birthday, but in many ways, it was my first birthday. While everyone experiences it differently, a cancer diagnosis pushed me to examine my life and set a new course for who I wanted to be and what I wanted to do.

Thankfully welcoming in a brand new year isn't that dramatic or traumatic!  But, isn't it cool how everyone recognizes this one special day of the year when it is acceptable and expected to discard the old and begin anew? You don't need to face a life-threatening diagnosis to evaluate your life and contemplate the things that are working and the things that aren't.  You really don't even need an internationally celebrated holiday to examine your life and chart your own new course. You do need to know what you want to change, refine, or remove and the desire and motivation to make it happen. Think big, and start small.  A new year awaits us all!

Wishing you a happy and healthy year filled with hugs,

Mary Beth
 
P.S. We have a lot of new things planned at Beyond Boobs! in 2016, and we look forward to sharing them in the upcoming months.
BB! Angel Update!

This year marked our most successful Annual Angel Appeal yet, and that's ALL because of our fantastic supporters - like you! We met our goal for 2015 and all of our donor dollars were matched to the penny by our secret angel! We know 2016 will be an exciting year for us, full of hard work, fabulous fun, and celebration, but we always keep our focus on the young women we serve... and the funds we raised will help us do just that! 
BB! Blog

by Jamie McAllister

At Beyond Boobs! we celebrate every single day, but there is something truly magical about the first day of a New Year. We have so much to look forward to in 2016 and that got us to thinking about what another year means for our Boobers! We turned to Facebook to ask "As a breast cancer survivor, what does beginning a New Year mean to you?" Numerous Boobers! talked back and we are excited to share their responses here on our blog. Happy New Year!
January Calendar Model

JENN:  45, DIAGNOSED AT 41
FAMILY HISTORY: NO KNOWN  GENETIC MUTATION

Facilities manager and single mother to a teenage daughter, Jenn learned she had stage 2 breast cancer following an annual mammogram that found the 2.5 centimeter mass not found during her annual clinical exam two days earlier. Further testing revealed two additional lumps, and she underwent chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction, and radiation. Because of a family history of cervical cancer, she then.. read the rest of Jenn's story here.
Looking Ahead...

The 9th Annual "Breast" Ball Golf Tournament is coming up on April 22 at Ford's Colony Country Club! You've been FORE-warned! (A little golf humor). Get a team together, or become one of our fabulous sponsors! Get all the details by clicking here
Looking Ahead, Take Two...

We just flipped the page to 2016, but at Beyond Boobs! we are already thinking about 2017!  Work has begun on the 2017 calendar which will be the 10th  edition A Calendar to Live  By.  We have some special stuff planned, so stay posted.
Thank you to our Calendar Sponsor this month!

Women's Imaging Pavilion &
Dorothy G. Hoefer
Comprehensive Breast Centers
Beyond Boobs! is dedicated to healing and saving lives by supporting young women diagnosed with breast cancer while providing breast health education for all. Each year, Beyond Boobs! publishes A Calendar to Live By featuring breast cancer survivors and their stories. Tucked inside the calendar, "A Guide to Caring for Yourself" offers important, even lifesaving, breast health information that every woman should know. Learn more at www.beyondboobs.org.

So many ways to
KEEP IN TOUCH!

'JUST FOR THE HEALTH OF IT!' COLUMN
How to Make Your New Year's Resolutions Stick
Once the fun of the holiday season and the buzz of making New Year's resolutions has died down, do you usually stick to your goals? According to recent research, only 12% of New Year's resolutions are ultimately achieved. But there is another way...

New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines at Odds With Congress
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts whose members are appointed by the federal government, issued a final set of  recommendations late Monday saying that women between the ages of 50 and 74 should get routine screening once every two years. The task force's guidelines are important because...

African Peanut Chicken Stew
Courtesy of SimplyRecipes.com 
This remake of a popular West African dish will keep you warm on a cold day, plus it's packed with good stuff! Get the recipe here.

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To all our fabulous
Sustaining Sponsors: