Thursday, January 6, 2000

Breast cancer survivor chairs First Friday

Jane Ibanez remembers exactly where she was when she made the decision that ended up saving her life.
   Ibanez, who is married to former Texas A&M University-Kingsville president Manuel Ibanez, was pulling out of her driveway 14 years ago as she headed to the University of New Orleans, where she worked as a yoga, fitness and wellness instructor. She heard a public service announcement over the radio that day encouraging women to get a mammogram and decided on the spot to schedule such an appointment.
   "I had an idea that something wasn't right, but I didn't know what," said Ibanez, who at the time had been debating whether to get a mammogram because she was only in her 30s. "When I heard the PSA, I thought it was a message for me. God had spoken loudly."
   The mammogram indeed revealed a tiny, suspicious shadow. A biopsy eventually proved it cancerous.
   "Luckily, it was small and they were able to remove it," said Ibanez. "And it's been a wonderful life ever since. Instead of looking at it as a dark day, I decided to look at it as the beginning of a new life."
   Today, 14 years later, Ibanez embarks on yet another beginning.
   Ibanez and JoAnn Kernick recently were appointed co-chairs of First Friday, a local organization that promotes breast cancer awareness. It also raises money for free mammograms for women who are unable to afford them.
   Fear is a stumbling block
   Ibanez, a past president of the local American Cancer Society, is the first breast cancer survivor to chair First Friday.
   "I would hope that I become other women's PSA," Ibanez said. "I hope that when women hear me say 'Take charge of your life and don't be afraid' that they'll go out there and live. And one way to do that is to fight breast cancer with early detection."
   First Friday begins its yearlong events with a millennium rally and walk at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Holiday Inn Emerald Beach. The group's emphasis this year, Ibanez said, is helping women confront the fear factor of the disease.
   "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't afraid every time I go in for mammography," Ibanez said. "But fear should not paralyze us."
   Fun day for mammograms
   One way First Friday hopes to take the fear out of mammography is through a grassroots effort encouraging groups of women, be it women of the same church, workplace or family, to get their mammograms on the same day and providing transportation for those who need it.
   "We want them to make a fun day of mammography," Ibanez said. "We want women to see if there's someone in their neighborhood who hasn't thought about going and has no one to go with."
   To contact the Christus Spohn Breast Care Program, call 985-5600 or 1-800-582-7327.
  
  
 

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