The Underutilization of a Social Worker in an Oncology office"Mental health refers to the cognitive, behavioral and emotional wellbeing of a person. It does NOT refer to a mental health diagnosis. A cancer diagnosis for an individual and their...reactions5comments
Community Shares: How Other People Respond to the News of Advanced Breast CancerWhen it comes to talking about difficult subjects, few people lean in. There aren’t many topics more difficult for others to talk about than cancer, which explains why people with...reactions3comments
Of Hello and GoodbyeIt was a Spring day in 2018 when I met Katrina. Pollen covered the streets of Chattanooga like a thin blanket, and birds whirled around overhead. It was the first...reactions2comments
Stephanie's storyAt the young age of 32, my daughter, Stephanie, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She accidentally found a lump by merely running her hand over it. She received...reactions2comments
How Do I Talk to Real People Living with Advanced Breast Cancer?Many people with advanced or metastatic breast cancer told us they had never known anyone with late-stage breast cancer before they were diagnosed. After hearing those words – “you have...reactions7comments
Taste and Smell ChangesPeople often experience taste and smell changes when they have advanced breast cancer or when they are getting chemotherapy or radiation therapy to treat cancer. The cancer treatments themselves cause...reactionscomments
Community Shares: The Test that Detected My Breast CancerEveryone who is dealing with advanced breast cancer has their own experience, from the moment of detection to choosing the right course of treatment. Before or during diagnosis, there are...reactions2comments
Troubleshooting Symptoms - PainDisclaimer: I'm not a doctor or any sort of medical professional. All of my comments and suggestions in this post (or any other) are based on my own experiences or my...reactions1comment
A Nurse’s Perspective on Ringing the Chemo BellI remember when the "chemo bell” was donated to the treatment room where I am an infusion nurse. The local news came and did a clip in our treatment room...reactions25comments
Faith, Spirituality, and Advanced Breast CancerWhen it comes to living with advanced breast cancer, people rely on different things to help guide them through their daily struggles. Some people in the community have mentioned that...reactionscomments
Working to Replace OurselvesFor the second year, I was able to attend the Stampede, which is an effort by Metavivor towards legislative advocacy, and the Die-In, which is a form of a sit-in...reactionscomments
Breast Cancer Screenings and Mental HealthPeople with serious mental illness often die 15-20 years before people without serious mental illness. Some types of serious mental illness include bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia. The...reactionscomments
Community Shares: The Benefits of the Advanced Breast Cancer Online CommunityThe power of community should never be underestimated. When it comes to living with advanced breast cancer, someone may feel alone when first receiving news of the diagnosis. Perhaps you...reactions2comments
Piqray - My New Treatment OptionIn May of 2019, Piqray (aka Alpelisib) was fast-tracked by the FDA and in August of 2019, I was prescribed it, after experiencing a mild progression after two (2) years...reactionscomments
What is Survivor's Guilt and How Can I Manage?There is a lot of focus these days on surviving breast cancer. And many people do get cured. If your cancer is found early and hasn’t spread, you have a...reactions1comment
Never SafeIn September 1999 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was just getting ready to turn the big 40. My tumor was the size of a golf ball on my...reactionscomments
I Am More Than My Diagnosis: A Year in ReviewIn our Impact of Cancer Survey, we asked what terms people diagnosed with cancer preferred and disliked. The answers were all across the board, from survivor to metavivor to “just...reactionscomments
Breastless In The CityThe morning I realized that my showers would no longer be the same, I held my left breast in the palm of my hand as if it were a newborn...reactions2comments
Remembering Rebecca Timlin-ScaleraWe are incredibly saddened to share that AdvancedBreastCancer.net team member Rebecca Timlin-Scalera passed away on December 14th, 2019. Rebecca was a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an aunt...reactionscomments
CommunityI’ve been thinking about community a lot lately. I have looked at community differently at different times in my life and, being an introvert, always with a bit of trepidation. Being...reactionscomments
