I never met my mom's mother and I don't remember meeting my mom's grandma. But I think about them often in October. I also think of Dr. Charles Jones.

October is, of course, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the month when Denver's Komen Race for the Cure takes place.

My mom's maternal grandmother, Fay Berends, was diagnosed with breast cancer in the 1960s. She had a mastectomy and went on to live a healthy life into her 80s.

My mom's mom, Verla Green, was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 1970. When her doctor found the lump, my grandma opted to get a mastectomy. But that didn't wipe out the cancer. Not too long after the surgery, cancer was detected in my grandma's lungs and she died in July 1970. My mother was 19 years old.

I recall fearing breast cancer even as a child because I knew it had taken my grandmother.

When I was 8 or 9, my mother, Sherry, had surgery to remove a benign lump from her breast. Around the same time, my mom's two sisters, twins Jean and Jeri, also had lumpectomies to remove their benign tumors.

And when I was 14, I discovered a lump in one of my breasts. I lived in Wichita at the time and was days away from flying to my dad's house in Western Colorado for the summer. After I had a mammogram and ultrasound in Wichita, my doctor determined it was not malignant and told me I could remove it to put my mind at ease or just leave it alone and see if it went away as I advanced in adolescence. I opted to leave it alone and went to my pop's as scheduled.

Fast-forward to college. It was summer 1999. I was 20. My lump had grown. That October, my friend Lisa took me to Boulder Community Hospital for surgery. Soon, I was wheeled into the operating room. Dr. Jones greeted me, and I felt at ease hearing Pink Floyd on his stereo. Before I knew it, one of his assistants showed me my golf ball-sized souvenir. I let them keep it. They needed to confirm if it was benign.

That weekend, my roommates and friends took incredible care of me. When you have a lumpectomy, lifting your arm is not an action you can comfortably perform. So my roommate Elizabeth washed my hair, roommate Erin's boyfriend Keith helped me scoop some food onto my fork at one meal (Erin smartly married Keith a year and a half ago) and other friends gave me flowers and love.

Days later, Erin went with me to get the stitches removed and Dr. Jones let me know the lump was benign.

In theseven years that have passed, I have been scared at times to check for lumps. But the practice is too easy and too well-promoted not to do it. Early detection is, after all, better than the alternative. And being outside on an autumn Sunday morning in Colorado isn't too challenging either. On Oct. 8, I'll be honoring the women in my family and Dr. Jones at the Race for the Cure.

Oct. 8 update: Here are the photos I took of some of the more than 65,000 people at the 2006 Komen Denver Race for the Cure.

Useful resources:
- share your story
- learn how to do a self-examination
- learn breast cancer facts
- learn breast cancer prevention tips
- see if you qualify for a free mammogram
- learn about breast cancer patient care in Colorado
- learn about Denver area events during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month