Adjusting Life Priorities
- Veteran MSNBC news anchor Andrea Mitchell, 78, announced in late October that she would be stepping down from her long-running daily news show, Andrea Mitchell Reports — which first aired in 2008 — after the inauguration, and that day has finally come.
- The New York native, who lives in Washington D.C. with her husband, former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan, 98, talked about the calling she felt as a “reporter first” ever since the 6th grade, and will continue working at NBC doing just that, doing more connecting on the ground and continuing to serve as a Washington (and foreign affairs) correspondent.
- A cancer journey, while highly challenging to go through, can often bring positive life lessons for many survivors, especially when it comes to priorities moving forward. Healthy aging isn’t just about accomplishing medical check-ups or managing illnesses. It’s also about maintaining a high quality of life as you age, keeping your body and mind as robust as possible, and living life to the fullest.
On her last air date on Friday, Mitchell introduced a highlight reel of her biggest moments with a proud smile and warmly said, “I’ve had such a wonderful ride.”
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Mitchell explained that she no longer desires the schedule of a daily show (which is understandable considering the rigorous early wake-up call and pressure to be “on” every day), but promised viewers more coverage “for many years to come.”
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The New York native, who lives in Washington D.C. with her husband, former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan, 98, added, in her televised “personal note” about the calling she felt as a “reporter first” ever since the 6th grade.
According to Mitchell’s spotlight page on International Center for Journalists, she first joined NBC news in 1978 as a general correspondent, then “was named NBC News energy correspondent, reporting on the energy crisis.”
She worked at CBS prior to NBC and kicked off her broadcast career on local network KYW-TV in Philadelphia, where she also worked in radio on KYW after graduating from University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in English Literature.
Over the course of her career, the media pioneer has interviewed a wide array of world leaders and many rock stars (such as U2’s singer, Bono).
After Mitchell’s final tune-in tweet on X for Friday’s show, her fans dropped by to wish her well: “Thanks for honest journalism over the years. You will be remembered.”
Life Lessons Learned from Cancer
A cancer journey, while highly challenging to go through, can often bring positive life lessons for many survivors, especially when it comes to priorities moving forward. And women in their older years may feel even more monumental change, which is definitely not a bad thing.
Sometimes there are things people may look back at with regret. And while you shouldn’t beat yourself up for things you could have changed or done differently, especially when it comes to your health, having those realizations and sharing those stories to inspire others can have a lot of impact.
Mitchell is thankful for an incredible career, but has admittedly put work over her health – she once delayed getting breast reconstruction following her diagnosis to continue covering a presidential campaign.
She said she desperately wanted the elongated campaign to end so she could get beyond the treatment phase of her breast cancer journey. Since battling the disease, Mitchell says her unexpected cancer diagnosis taught her a life lesson in early detection. And it appears she is finally giving herself a bit of a break, easing her schedule to follow other passions.
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“For you women out there and the men who love you, screening matters,” Mitchell said on NBC News.
Andrea Mitchell’s Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Mitchell, a staple to news viewers for more than four decades, was in her mid-60s when her cancer was detected following a routine breast cancer screening.
“Luckily for me, I am one of the fortunate ones; we discovered it in the earliest stage, it hadn’t spread, and I’m already back at work with a terrific prognosis,” Mitchell said on the air following her 2011 diagnosis.
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Mitchell had jokingly told a crowd of Washington, DC viewers outside, “It went on so long, I thought it would never end because I knew I had to get back into the hospital.”
She mentioned having to scrap a trip to Wyoming, where she had planned on going hiking, “but instead discovered that I am now among the 1 in 8 women in this country — incredibly 1 in 8 — who have had breast cancer.”
Since her cancer journey, Mitchell has advocated for early detection and breast cancer screening. And in 2020, she was awarded the Pink Ribbon Award for breast cancer advocacy.
“I’m looking at this as another of life’s lessons,” Mitchell said. “For you women out there and the men who love you, screening matters. Do it. The disease can be completely curable if you find it at the right time.”
Survivors: Embracing Age
Women who have gone through breast cancer often have a different view of aging than others.
While some women (and men) may cringe and throw out a self-deprecating joke or two when there birthday rolls around every year, cancer survivors, as a whole, tend to embrace those years and milestones, because aging is a gift.
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Facing cancer, you can’t help but have a deeper assessment of what you truly want out of life, and sometimes facing that fear can help you seize the day — and set you up for living a fuller life than you potentially would have before.
Healthy Aging Tips
Healthy aging isn’t just about accomplishing medical check-ups or managing illnesses. It’s also about maintaining a high quality of life as you age, keeping your body and mind as robust as possible, and living life to the fullest. SurvivorNet has put together some tips that can help you age healthily:
- Physical Activity: Try to incorporate at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise into your daily routine. This could be walking, cycling, swimming—any physical activity you enjoy!
- Nutrition: Eat a balanced diet heavy on fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains. Limiting processed foods, sugars and unhealthy fats can make a big difference in your overall health.
- Social Engagement: Stay socially active. Whether it’s attending family gatherings, participating in group hobbies, volunteering, or just catching up with friends, maintaining social connections can significantly enhance your emotional health and well-being.
- Mental Stimulation: Engage in activities that stimulate your mind. This could include reading, doing puzzles, learning a new skill or language, or even playing memory-boosting games.
- Regular Check-ups: Don’t forget about your regular medical, dental, and eye check-ups. Prevention is always better than cure.
- Sleep: Good sleep is vital for your overall health. Practice good sleep hygiene – keep a regular sleep schedule, make your sleeping environment comfortable and quiet, and try to avoid screens before bed. In describing a recent study that connected sleep apnea with cancer risk, Dr. Eric Zhou of Harvard University told SurvivorNet, “the use of proven therapies like continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for sleep apnea could potentially reduce a patient’s cancer risk.”
Breast Cancer Screening: Self-Exam vs. Mammogram
While self-exams can be a quick and helpful way to check in on your breasts, mammograms are still considered the best tool in detecting signs of breast cancer. However, it never hurts to give your breasts a self-exam every so often in order to keep tabs on any changes in between mammograms. Here are some helpful tips in giving yourself a thorough breast exam.
Step 1: Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror.
Stand with shoulders straight and arms on hips, and look for the following:
- Breasts that are their usual size, shape, and color
- Breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling
- If you notice dimpling, puckering, or bulging, bring this to your doctor’s attention.
- Also check with your doctor if a nipple has inverted or changed position; or you see redness, soreness, a rash, or swelling.
Step 2: Now, raise your arms and look for the same changes.
While you’re facing 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 3: Next, feel your breasts while lying down.
Use your right hand to feel your left breast; your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping 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 4: 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 3.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) suggests women should begin annual mammogram screenings for breast cancer at age 45 if they are at average risk for breast cancer.
The ACS also advises:
- Women aged 40-44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year
- Women aged 55 and older can switch to a mammogram every other year
- Women aged 55 and older could also choose to continue yearly mammograms
For screening purposes, a woman is considered to be at average risk if she doesn’t have a personal history of breast cancer, a strong family history of breast cancer, a genetic mutation known to increase risk of breast cancer such as a BRCA gene mutation or a medical history including chest radiation therapy before the age of 30.
Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.
Don’t delay speaking with your doctor to make sure you are staying on top of your breast, and overall, health.
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