Phantom Pain, Years LaterIt's been ten years since my surgery, and I'm still experiencing phantom breast pain. It's a constant, nagging reminder of what I went through -- the cancer, the surgery, and...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
The Stages of Grief, MaybeThere are hundreds of websites that address the stages of grief. Over the past year, I've read many of them, but none fit me. I've been through a lot of...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Life Stories: We’re More Than Our Diagnosis"I can get through anything, except maybe terminal illness. I have no idea how I would handle that." - Me to a friend, April 2015 Turns out, I handle it...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
When a Doctor Fires YouI've been fired by a doctor twice in my lifetime, once during a pregnancy and once in the midst of my Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) treatment. I was...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
National Cancer Survivors DayAccording to the website, NCSD.org, National Cancer Survivors Day® (NCSD) is the first Sunday in June each year and is set aside as: A celebration for those who have survived, an inspiration for those...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Women's Health Is More Than Doctors Visits and TreatmentsBeing a woman is a hard job. We can have many titles, some that include mom, wife, sister, daughter, and friend. Throwing in a terminal disease like cancer can only...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Breast Cancer Women Rock: A Man’s PerspectiveAs we wrap up Women’s Health Awareness Month, it’s the perfect time to sing the praises of breast cancer women. Over the past eight years, as a male breast cancer...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Women's Health Awareness Month QuizWomen’s Health Awareness Month is recognized every May and this year, we partnered with our sister sites AdvancedOvarianCancer.net and Endometriosis.net to bring you a Women’s Health Awareness Month Quiz. This...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
HairAfter two weeks of chemotherapy, I had started to wonder if it was going to happen, was my hair going to fall out? At first, my hair seemed as strong...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Women’s Health 101: Understanding the Basics with Dr. SheridanWe’re celebrating Women’s Health Month, so I’m going to be talking about some subjects that are typically associated with “women’s health.” But these topics aren’t just important to those who...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
The Fallible Caregiver Series: Helping Her Feel NormalI know what abnormal feels like. I know how awful it feels to think that everyone around you sees you as messed up, broken, weak, and abnormal. Whether or not...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
"But You Don't Look Sick"If you have ever heard the statement, "but you don't look sick," it can be very frustrating for those with advanced breast cancer. Although metastatic (advanced) breast cancer is considered...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Health versus Women's HealthHealth is a funny thing. It's one of those things that I certainly didn't appreciate until my de novo Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) diagnosis in 2017. I'd taxed my...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Tips on Lowering Drug Costs of Metastatic Breast CancerLiving with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is expensive. The nature of MBC as incurable means treatments remain ongoing. When treatments must continue over a lifetime, costs add up. Many with...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
How I Became a Caregiver While Being a PatientCancer isn't a gift but it has been a teacher. I’ve learned more about cancer, terminology, research, and clinical trials than most healthy people will forget. Nine years of being...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Genderless Breast Cancer Research: We Need MoreBreast cancer is a genderless disease with research concentrated on only one gender. Historically, males and other genders have been mostly excluded from clinical trials for drugs to treat breast...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Women’s Health Awareness Month Self-Care ChallengeHave you ever been on a plane and heard the stewardess say to put your own oxygen mask on first before helping someone else? They do this because we must...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
I Don't Want to Talk About Cancer!Sometimes, the last thing I want to do is talk about cancer. Having been a cancer caregiver for friends and various family members since 1975, there are times I never...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
How Can I Help?How many times are we asked by well-meaning people what they can do to help? I'm asked so often that unless it's one of my go-to people for assistance, I...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
N.E.A.D, Denovo, N.E.D.: What Do These Terms All Mean?Whether you have been recently diagnosed, have had MBC for some time, or are part of a breast cancer group or community, you have probably heard a few words, sayings...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments