Letter: "This Effort Is About People"

Amber Cartwright

Mobile mammograms are opportunity for women to get screened locally

October is breast cancer awareness month. On Friday, October 6, a mobile mammography vehicle will come to Holton and offer 3-D mammograms, capable of taking detailed, precise images that can more accurately identify abnormalities. A 3-D mammogram is quick, minimizes discomfort and pain during screening, and provides accurate, timely results.
As a resident who cares about our community and my neighbors, I’m pleased that Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial is bringing the mobile mammogram on wheels to Holton. As a woman business owner, I’m excited that this service is now making it easier for people to get screened and I’d like to add my voice to the reminder that early screening can save lives.
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Cancer in all its forms touches so many lives. It affects the individual, their families and sometimes entire communities. Ours is no different. Here in our area, we know so many people who have faced this disease with courage. We know those who took proactive steps to address cancer early. Unfortunately, we also know those who caught the disease too late.
Breast cancer is curable. When found early, breast cancer can be treated and cured. The challenge is detecting it early, and that’s where 3-D mammograms can help.
Here’s what I’ve been told about the technology: 3-D mammograms can look through dense breast tissue, by taking 1-millimeter-thin images at a time. The result is a three-dimensional image that a tech or doctor can look at from all angles, as opposed to two-dimensional images like a simple photograph.

More than the technology, this effort is about people. According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer will affect one in eight women during their lifetimes. The ACS recommends that every woman 40 years or older get a mammogram once a year.
This Friday, we can take that opportunity by getting screened when the mobile mammogram comes to Holton. It’s also free to those who qualify.
I’m honored that my business, The Pizza Mill, can be part of this effort by serving as the location for the bus-sized pink-and-white vehicle. You can’t miss it in our parking lot!

So, please stop by between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 8485 Holton Road, MI 49425, almost exactly midway on the main road between Fremont and Muskegon. I’ll be opening the Pizza Mill a little earlier and women who come for a screening are more than welcome to stop in for coffee.
Free mammograms will be available for uninsured or underinsured woman, and if you’d like to check to see if you qualify, call 616-486-6050.
While walk-ins are welcome, scheduling an appointment is the best way to secure a screening. Call 616-774-7998, and select Option 1.
Hope to see you women on Friday!

Amber Cartwright
Owner, The Pizza Mill, Holton