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Dijeron que solo me quedaban 4 meses de vida, pero han pasado 2 aรฑos y mi historia no concluye todavรญa
Read More: Dijeron que solo me quedaban 4 meses de vida, pero han pasado 2 aรฑos y mi historia no concluye todavรญaEnglish Tal como se relatรณ a Erica Rimlinger A los seis meses de mi primer embarazo, notรฉ una masa en mi mama y lo indiquรฉ en una consulta mรฉdica con mi doctor. “Eso es normal”, dijo mi ginecรณlogo obstetra. “Eso pasa cuando estรกs embarazada”. Tres aรฑos despuรฉs, en 2022, estaba sentada con una bata de…
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They Said Iโd Only Live 4 Months, but Itโs Been 2 Years โ and Iโm Not Done Yet
Read More: They Said Iโd Only Live 4 Months, but Itโs Been 2 Years โ and Iโm Not Done YetAs told to Erica Rimlinger Six months into my first pregnancy, I felt a lump in my breast and brought it up at my doctorโs appointment. โOh, thatโs normal,โ my OB-GYN said. โThat happens when youโre pregnant.โ Three years later, in 2022, I sat in a hospital gown looking at a PET scan of my…
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Donโt Count Me Out
Read More: Donโt Count Me OutAs told to Erica Rimlinger My kids were 2 and 3 years old when I found a lump in my breast. I made an appointment for a mammogram and went to the appointment alone. Iโll never forget the radiologistโs face as she reviewed the results. When she told me I had to follow up with…
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My โSmallโ Cancer Turned Out to Be Stage 4 Breast Cancer
Read More: My โSmallโ Cancer Turned Out to Be Stage 4 Breast CancerAs told to Jacquelyne Froeber October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. December is my birthday month. It was also the month I scheduled all my yearly health exams, including my mammogram. But December 2014 was busy, I guess. (I burned all my journals from that time โ but thatโs another story.) I donโt remember why…
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My Sister, My Mom and I Were All Diagnosed with Breast Cancer Within 18 Months of Each Other
Read More: My Sister, My Mom and I Were All Diagnosed with Breast Cancer Within 18 Months of Each OtherAs told to Erica Rimlinger When my sister received a diagnosis of stage 2 breast cancer, she โ and all of our family members โ were shocked. She was healthy. She was young, in her early forties. There was no family history of breast cancer. But our initial shock would be followed by a series…
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Culture Shock, Then a Cancer Shock, Inspired Me to Create the Community I Needed
Read More: Culture Shock, Then a Cancer Shock, Inspired Me to Create the Community I NeededAs told to Erica Rimlinger I had my first mammogram at age 35 โ my doctor started screening me early because of my familyโs cancer history. That mammogram came back clear. Just 12 months later, when I went for my next mammogram, it revealed a large, rapidly growing tumor that had already reached stage 3A…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, cancer, Cancer survivor, COVID-19, Medical tests, Prevention, Real women real stories
I Thought My Swollen Lymph Nodes Were Side Effects From the Covid-19 Vaccine
Read More: I Thought My Swollen Lymph Nodes Were Side Effects From the Covid-19 VaccineAs told to Erica Rimlinger When I got my Covid-19 vaccine, I was told I might have side effects after the shot. Everyoneโs immune system is different, so the list of side effects was long. Iโd heard people say they were tired afterward or their arm hurt, but I guessed which side effects Iโd get:…
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15 minutes with, Breast cancer, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, caregiving, Hpv, Real women real stories, Vaccines
15 Minutes With: Jaclyn Smith Talks to HealthyWoman on the 20th Anniversary of Her Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Read More: 15 Minutes With: Jaclyn Smith Talks to HealthyWoman on the 20th Anniversary of Her Breast Cancer DiagnosisJaclyn Smith, one of the original Charlieโs Angels, is an award-winning actress and entrepreneur who played Kelly Garret on the popular TV show for five years, among many other accomplishments. In 1985, Smith introduced a fashion line in K-Mart, becoming one of the first celebrities to develop her own brand. She has since gone on…
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The Truth About Being a Cancer Warrior
Read More: The Truth About Being a Cancer WarriorWhen I found out I had breast cancer, I decided to be open about my diagnosis. I wanted my interactions with people, even those on the outer rungs of my social circle, to be authentic โ a quality I didnโt think Iโd convey with an undisclosed elephant-sized cancer diagnosis in the room. Messages of support…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Health disparities, Medical tests, Prevention, Preventive health, Racial disparities
Why Do Women of Color Have Worse Breast Cancer Outcomes?
Read More: Why Do Women of Color Have Worse Breast Cancer Outcomes?In 2013, Katrece Nolen, a 47-year-old Black woman in Northern Virginia, noticed one of her breasts felt swollen. She called her doctor and was sent for a mammogram. The results did not confirm the presence of cancer, so Nolen was prescribed an antibiotic regimen for what was thought to be mastitis. Several weeks later, her…
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You Have Advanced Breast Cancer. Whatโs Next?
Read More: You Have Advanced Breast Cancer. Whatโs Next?I still remember that day so clearly. I was sitting across from my breast cancer surgeon when she held up an image. โIt looks like a bomb went off in your chest,โ she said. I thought this sounded a bit dramatic, but apparently the lump I discovered a few weeks earlier was just the tip…
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Chemo Day Is Always Better With Costumes, Wigs and Props
Read More: Chemo Day Is Always Better With Costumes, Wigs and PropsAs told to Erica Rimlinger The chemotherapy treatment center has a subdued, sterile energy. Since Iโm fighting metastatic breast cancer, I spend a lot of time there. My friends and family have loaded me up with books, tea mugs and quilts to help me while away the hours during my chemo treatments. But Iโve never…
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I was searching for a miracle cure for my breast cancer. I found hope instead.
Read More: I was searching for a miracle cure for my breast cancer. I found hope instead.Medical mayhem struck my life when I was 38. I found a rapidly growing, brittle breast lump during a breast self-exam in the shower. Then, a visit to the breast surgeon confirmed the lump was triple-negative breast cancer, which led to a mastectomy, eight months of chemotherapy and reconstruction. Even after that, the mayhem still…
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The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bone Health
Read More: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bone HealthIt was around this time two years ago when Katie Finley was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a bilateral mastectomy. Before the surgery, doctors told her they didnโt think it was serious, and that they didnโt think sheโd need chemotherapy or radiation. However, during the surgery, Finleyโs healthcare team removed a few of her…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Medical tests, Prevention, Preventive health, Real women real stories
A Preventive Double Mastectomy Helped Me Fight Breast Cancer Before It Could Attack
Read More: A Preventive Double Mastectomy Helped Me Fight Breast Cancer Before It Could AttackAs told to Nicole Audrey Spector February is National Cancer Prevention Month. I was 18 years old when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Iโll never forget the way the doctor broke the news in the stark fluorescence of an ER exam room. He spoke to my father, as though my mother โ the…
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Building a Dream Team to Fight Metastatic Breast Cancer
Read More: Building a Dream Team to Fight Metastatic Breast CancerKatie Finley was shocked when she learned she had metastatic breast cancer (MBC). She wasn’t the only one. “The doctors were basically saying, Oops, we thought you had stage 2, but you actually have stage 4,” she recalled. “Everyone was scrambling on what to do next.” As she looked around the room at her care…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Medical tests, Prevention, Preventive health, Real women real stories
A Mammogram Saved My Life
Read More: A Mammogram Saved My LifeOctober 15 is National Mammography Day. As told to Jackie Froeber The mammogram stars aligned for me in 2017. I was working at St. Peter’s Health Partners and popped into a co-worker’s office to say hi. On her desk was a flier advertising free mammograms over the weekend for employees. I had just turned 40…
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Anxiety, Breast cancer, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Depression, mental health, Self-Care, Stress
After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Strap In for a Roller-Coaster Ride of Emotions
Read More: After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Strap In for a Roller-Coaster Ride of EmotionsWhen I learned my triple-negative breast cancer had spread into my chest wall, a tidal wave of shock and disbelief crashed over me. As the wave receded, anxiety rolled in. I focused on my survival odds, which I recited to my oncologist: “Fifteen percent without treatment, 50% with treatment.” My doctor encouraged me to use…
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Breast Cancer, Mama Mode and Me
Read More: Breast Cancer, Mama Mode and MeAs told to Alexandra Frost I told my doctor I had breast cancer before he told me โ I’d just finished helping my mom through her own breast cancer journey, I’d had skin cancer before, and I consider myself very in tune with my body. What I wasn’t expecting, however, was the lessons I’d learn…
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Finding Hope in the Face of Incurable Breast Cancer
Read More: Finding Hope in the Face of Incurable Breast CancerLast year, an estimated 268,600 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Thanks to better screening, most are diagnosed early in their disease. However, about 6% are diagnosed with metastatic disease, when the cancer has already spread to other sites. In addition, many women learn that the cancer they thought they’d beaten has returned. In…
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Anxiety, Breast cancer, Breast cancer survivor, chronic pain, mental health, Pain, Pain management, Real women real stories, Self-Care
Chronic Pain Drove Me to Despair, but Cancer Taught Me to Heal
Read More: Chronic Pain Drove Me to Despair, but Cancer Taught Me to HealAs told to Diana Whitney Looking back, I had the perfect life. At 21, I was an accomplished ballerina, singer and actor — the triple threat. Then one day in ballet class, I tore my hamstring. I’d always worked through pain before, but this pain was different. I could no longer dance ballet six hours…
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Options for Breast Reconstruction
Read More: Options for Breast ReconstructionYou and your doctors have decided that the right treatment for your breast cancer is a mastectomy. But then comes the $64,000 question: Do you want reconstruction? There’s a lot to consider when making the decision. Use these questions to help you understand your options. First decision: Should you do it at all? Millions of…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Family planning, Fertility, Infertility, Orgasms, Relationships, Reproductive health, Sex, Sex & relationships
Sex, Fertility and Breast Cancer
Read More: Sex, Fertility and Breast CancerBetween surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, stress, fear and exhaustion, sex may be the last thing on your mind. In fact, you may even be wondering if you’ll ever feel desire again. It’s a huge problem, with studies finding that 60% to 70% of women who have had breast cancer experience treatment-related sexual problems. The cause could…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer policy, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Prevention, Preventive health
Do You Have Dense Breasts?
Read More: Do You Have Dense Breasts?What kind of breasts do you have? We’re not talking size, but density. Nearly half of all women over age 40 who get mammograms are found to have dense breasts, which means there is a lot of fibrous or glandular tissue and not much fat in the breasts. Glandular tissue produces breast milk, while fibrous…
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Bra or No Bra? Navigating the Post-Mastectomy World
Read More: Bra or No Bra? Navigating the Post-Mastectomy WorldIf you’re like most women, you’ve probably been wearing a bra since you were a young teenager. But now . . . with your breast or breasts lost to breast cancer, you may be wondering if you need to continue. And what if you had reconstruction? These are all good questions. Just after surgery, your…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer policy, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, healthy aging, Menopause, Perimenopause
What You Need to Know About Menopause and Breast Cancer
Read More: What You Need to Know About Menopause and Breast CancerFive years ago, I felt a lump in my right breast and was later diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. The cancer was hormone positive, so along with chemotherapy, radiation and double mastectomy, I took drugs to block the production of estrogen in my body — and went into early menopause at the age of…
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New Hope for Incurable Breast Cancers
Read More: New Hope for Incurable Breast CancersWhen I was a girl in the 1970s, my best friend’s mom, Ginger* was diagnosed with breast cancer. Back then, treatment was typically a radical mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation. My friend’s mother lived through the treatment, but the cancer returned and metastasized (spread) to her lungs. In the ’80s and ’90s research continued…
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When a Cough Turns Out to Be More Than Just a Cough
Read More: When a Cough Turns Out to Be More Than Just a CoughIn August 2010, I was performing my routine breast self-exam in the shower when I noticed a small, hard mass in my breast. I was immediately concerned, as it definitely felt out of place. After an appointment with my primary care physician, I was referred to a breast surgeon for a biopsy out of an…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Real women real stories, Sex, Sex & relationships, Sexual dysfunction, Sexual health
How I Got My Sexual Groove Back After Surviving Breast Cancer
Read More: How I Got My Sexual Groove Back After Surviving Breast CancerThe call came on a perfectly ordinary evening. I picked up the phone and my doctor said, “I’m sorry. It’s breast cancer.” And for me and my husband, the “year of the sex drought” began. At the time, we’d been married for twenty-four years. As I went through chemotherapy, I lost my hair. I lost…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer policy, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Health disparities, Prevention, Preventive health
The Breast Cancer Burden for Black Women
Read More: The Breast Cancer Burden for Black WomenTwelve years ago, Maiya Hayes discovered a suspicious mass in her breast during a self-exam. She quickly made an appointment with her gynecologist, who helped schedule the tests that revealed she had stage 3 breast cancer. Her oncologist told her that the aggressive nature of her breast cancer, which had spread to the lymph nodes…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer policy, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Prevention, Preventive health
Do You Have Dense Breasts? Knowing Your Status Could Make a Difference in Your Breast Cancer Screening
Read More: Do You Have Dense Breasts? Knowing Your Status Could Make a Difference in Your Breast Cancer ScreeningAn annual mammogram is an important tool for early detection of breast cancer. When you receive your mammogram results, you might also get a report informing you that you have dense breast tissue. It’s important to pay attention to that status, as women with dense breast tissue are more likely to be diagnosed with breast…
