Coping with Women's Cancers
In the December 6, 2016 post, I described having my first 3D mammogram this week. It showed that I have “sunshine breasts”—no clouds in my imaged fields. This makes me one of the lucky ones. My official report came in today’s mail confirming that my mammogram was normal (benign) and that my breast tissue is primarily… Continue reading Update: My First 3D Mammogram – And an Important Note about Breast Density
Yesterday I had my first 3D mammogram. The technologist said I have “sunshine breasts”–not a cloud in the imaged field. I’m one of the lucky ones. See the updated post on December 9, 2016: Update: My First 3D Mammogram – And an Important Note about Breast Density On December 5, 2016, I went for my routine… Continue reading My First 3D Mammogram – I Have “Sunshine Breasts”
In Part 1–Chemotherapy, we entered Diane’s story as she was undergoing pre-operative chemo for invasive lobular cancer (ILC) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) of the right breast, a relatively uncommon form of the disease. That post discusses breast cancer statistics, as well as the details of Diane’s chemotherapy protocol and its effects. In Part 2–Diagnosis, we reviewed why Diane… Continue reading Diane’s Story – Breast Cancer: Part 3–Surgery
This is the month to schedule your mammogram or yearly visit to your gynecologist if you haven’t done so already. It’s also a good time to remember to do your breast self-exam and to educate yourself about the leading cancer affecting women in the United States. And remember, one in a hundred cases of breast cancer… Continue reading October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
In Part 1—Chemotherapy, we entered Diane’s story as she was undergoing pre-operative chemotherapy for lobular breast cancer. In this post, we will take a close look at how Diane’s journey began a year ago last month and how she is currently preparing for surgery by getting second opinions while her body recuperates from chemo. This is a cautionary tale… Continue reading Diane’s Story – Breast Cancer: Part 2–Diagnosis
The Foundation for Women’s Cancer reports that in 2015, it was estimated that 98,280 women would be diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer and about 30,440 would die from the disease. The breakdown for the 5 types of gynecologic cancer from the American Cancer Society last year was as follows, in alphabetical order: Estimated new cases Estimated deaths Cervical cancer… Continue reading September Is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month – Information & Stories Within
Pink Ribbon for Breast Cancer Awareness Please take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the risk factors for breast cancer, the most common malignancy in women after skin cancer. Although this disease predominantly affects women, men can also develop breast cancer. The American Cancer Society predicts that of the 246,660 American women who develop new cases of invasive breast cancer in… Continue reading Breast Cancer Risk Factors: Ladies (and Gents), Please Read
Mammary gland at 40x under lab microscope (Accessed July 2016) © MicroscopeWorld 2015 Beginning with this post, we will be following the progress of my friend Diane, who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer and has generously agreed to tell her story. Along the way, we will provide reliable information and resources to help others… Continue reading Diane’s Story – Breast Cancer: Part 1–Chemotherapy
Yesterday began another two-week waiting period for more Pap results. In the July 22, 2014 post, I described the results of the uncomfortable colposcopy and biopsy I had earlier in the month (reported on July 10). I returned to the doctor's office yesterday for what I thought would be a routine Pap test. However, after the doctor… Continue reading My Story – Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer: Second Colposcopy and Repeat Pap
Balanced decisions require weighing all factors. Don't get caught with your scales tipped. The answer is YES if you are getting radiation therapy for uterine (endometrial) cancer, breast cancer, or any other cancer. Once you make the decision to undergo this treatment, don't give up partway through—persevere until you have received the full dose. See the… Continue reading Do you always have to do what the doctor says? Part 1: When the answer is YES
The Patient Path 