In less than a month, three friends have contacted me because an immediate relative was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. With the disclaimer that I’m not a medical professional and every person’s case and experience are unique, here are my thoughts for these women: Make sure that you surround yourself with a team of doctors […]
Educate | Advocate | Titillate In June 2010, Stef was diagnosed with triple-positive, stage one breast cancer. Since her aggressive cancer was thankfully caught early, she’s vowed to do whatever she can to educate others and raise money for the cause. To that end, she: * Speaks and writes about breast cancer prevention, surgery, chemotherapy, […]
What happens if you test positive for the breast cancer gene? If you carry the BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 gene mutation, your doctor or genetic counselor will present you with several options: Surveillance: You’ll need a clinical breast exam every six months, and a mammogram and breast MRI once a year. The hope with this approach […]
How much do you know about the breast cancer gene and genetic testing? Are the following statements true or false? 1. There is only one breast cancer gene. FALSE. At present, there are two known breast cancer genes, BRCA-1 and BRCA-2. Researchers continue to search for additional gene mutations that play a role in hereditary […]
My friend, Kai, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2007. The prognosis from the start wasn’t promising. “She’s dying. I don’t know what I should say to her,” I shared with a friend. “You don’t think she knows she’s dying? You don’t need to pretend otherwise. All you can do is continue to be you and […]
“I wish I had gotten a double mastectomy so I would have had an excuse for not breastfeeding. I was in tears when Emily couldn’t latch, and the nurse kept forcing me to try.” “Well,” I told my friend with an odd look in my eyes, “I’m very thankful that you didn’t have breast cancer […]
I’m not a fan of pregnancy websites. I haven’t bought a single book about pregnancy or parenting. I have little interest in receiving well-intentioned advice from my friends who are moms. Likewise, I'm not one for rejoicing or commiserating much with my friends who are pregnant. With only three months left to my pregnancy, I […]
Every month, I receive calls from women who were recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Almost all of these women ask me the following: How should I deal with my diagnosis? My answer is always the same: There is no right or wrong way to deal with having cancer. Just do whatever you need to do […]
I regularly receive emails and texts from friends and readers who are concerned about breast lumps. It can be nerve racking if you or a loved one has found a breast lump! What are my suggestions? 1. Try not to panic, if you can. Remind yourself not to let your emotions be controlled by that […]
Do you know what it means to “Trash Cancer?” Trash Cancer is a movement started by Fran Drescher, cancer survivor and founder of the nonprofit, Cancer Schmancer. On September 29, 2012, 10,000 people across the United States gathered to learn about toxic chemicals in our homes, food and personal care products. I was honored to […]