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On the most recent episode of her reality TV show, We Got Love: Teyana & Iman, 30-year-old Teyana Taylor underwent emergency surgery to get the lumps in her breasts removed.
Since cancer runs in the multi-talented star’s family, she didn’t want to forgo the surgery and subsequently put herself at an even greater risk for the disease.
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E!, the network that hosts Teyana’s show with her hubby 31-year-old Iman Shumpert, reported that the “Rose In Harlem” singer had gotten a biopsy done by her physician Dr. Altman of her “dense” breast tissue in Miami and that it was a “complicated” procedure.
“I just want this to be the last time I go through this,” Teyana said on the August 25 episode of We Got Love: Teyana & Iman. “Cancer runs through my family, so it’s a scary thing both for me and Iman.”
According to the outlet, the first question the performer asked her doctor post-op was related to her daughters Junie, 5, and 11-month-old Rue.
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“When will I be able to hold my babies again?” Teyana had asked Dr. Altman.
The physician suggested she wait six weeks before holding her daughters again since the procedure involved her chest and underarms. In a confessional, the entertainer expressed the loneliness she felt during her week-long recovery; and time spent away from her family
“It’s tough, I’m definitely overwhelmed because I miss my kids so much, I miss Iman so much,” she shared candidly. “I think that’s probably the longest I’ve been away from them. My number one priority is to hurry up and get back home, but I know I need to take care of what I need to take care of as well.”
When she returned to her family and home in Atlanta, Teyana emphasized, “Oh my gosh, it’s so great to see them right now because honestly this week in Miami has been very, very emotional for me because it’s very seldom that we’re apart.”
Early breast cancer detection can significantly increase the likelihood of survival from the disease.
Breastcancer.org reports that self-examinations can be a great way of regularly gauging what’s going on with your breast tissue so that if a lump does arise, you can get it assessed as soon as possible.
As a “no-cost” method that can save lives, the nonprofit recommends that self-examinations are performed once a month, “several days after your period ends, when your breasts are least likely to be swollen and tender.” The more you do it, the more you’ll know what the different “neighborhoods” of your breasts feel like — which will make it easier for you to see and feel an irregularity in your tissues if that should ever happen.
As a further recommendation, consider keeping a journal full of each monthly examination so that you have a record of “what’s normal for your breasts.”
To conduct a complete breast self-examination, check out the steps below:
Step 1: Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips.
Here’s what you should look for:
- Breasts that are their usual size, shape, and color
- Breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling
If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor’s attention:
- Dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin
- A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out)
- Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling
Step 2: Now, raise your arms and look for the same changes.
Step 3: While you’re at the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood).
Step 4: Next, feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a quarter.
Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.
Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. This up-and-down approach seems to work best for most women. Be sure to feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts: for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light pressure; use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you’ve reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your ribcage.
Step 5: Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in step 4.
