In 2009, I was sure my BRCA test would be positive. I was Ashkenazi. I had ovarian and uterine cancer. I’d grown up hearing about great aunts with unspeakable disease. But BRCA wasn’t my issue. It took years before I knew what was. In 2021, after another bout of cancer,… Continue reading
I was 33 years old, had a 13-month-old son and was 33 weeks pregnant with my daughter. That’s when I found the lump. Triple negative breast cancer. BRCA1 positive. Inherited from my father. When the doctors told me it was cancer, I was in a state of shock. I could… Continue reading
November is Men’s Health Awareness Month, and I hope that sharing my BRCA journey will help others, especially men. BRCA, known as the “breast cancer gene,” became a household term for our family in 2018 when I completed a “direct to consumer” genetic test -- largely… Continue reading
This message appeared in the special edition of The Jewish Federations National Women’s Philanthropy (NWP) newsletter It is with great honor that I write this D’var Torah. The women of Federation and National Women's Philanthropy are some of the strongest, most… Continue reading
Dense breasts are fairly common. In fact, slightly more women have them than don't. Still, many women are confused about what it means to have dense breasts and how this may affect cancer screenings. Breasts are made up of milk-producing glands, ducts that carry the milk;… Continue reading
Before I was diagnosed with breast cancer 11 years ago I had a lot of theoretical knowledge of what being a cancer patient meant. Afterwards, I understood how terrifying it is to hear your name paired with the word CANCER. I understood how scared the people I loved and… Continue reading
In March 2018 at age 43 I was diagnosed with De Novo Her2 Positive Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer. That is a mouthful to say so you can imagine the shock that I was in during the four weeks between feeling the lump and receiving my final diagnosis. I was in a fog trying to… Continue reading
In late summer of 2013, we moved to a new house and were in the middle of an all-out remodel - scraping ceilings, redoing the kitchen, and painting everything! I was also training for my first half marathon. I looked better than I did in high school and I felt great too! I… Continue reading
Breast cancer is a disease wrought with emotion that can leave behind both visible and unseen scars. The physical and mental toll it can take on a woman’s health is immense, which is why women need to have innovative treatment choices to cater to their individual… Continue reading
I had just turned 40. Professionally, I was thriving and was recently promoted. Everything on the outside seemed to be going my way. Privately, I was completely overwhelmed, depressed, and not feeling well. All mothers spread themselves too thin, right I was juggling… Continue reading
Survival times have lengthened for patients with certain challenging cancers thanks to a leading-edge “hot chemotherapy” treatment available at the Patricia Lynch Cancer Center at Holy Name. Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is used for some cancers that… Continue reading
Yom Kippur, 2019. I wore white, as is my custom, and didn’t shower, apply creams, or wear leather. These are the tools the tradition offers to playact our mortality. But I didn’t need them. I was two months past a major surgery, one month into chemotherapy, and fully aware… Continue reading
This article originally appeared in Tablet As a professor of Jewish studies, I encourage my students to use Jewish ritual in creative ways. In Introduction to Judaism at the University of Southern California, my students create a ritual marking a nontraditional event, like… Continue reading
I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2009 and shortly afterwards discovered that I carry the BRCA1 gene mutation. I learned about Sharsheret when I was researching my options for treatment. As an Ashkenazi Jew, Sharsheret offered me helpful resources to navigate… Continue reading
Dried Mushrooms High mushroom intake has been associated with reduced risk of breast cancer, likely due to 2 powerful anti-cancer compounds they’re especially rich in: aromatase inhibitors and beta-glucans. Aromatase inhibitors may reduce the activity of an enzyme that… Continue reading
The phrase, Many Hearts, One Purpose, holds lots of meaning to me. I first learned the phrase as the motto of my Sorority, Alpha Epsilon Phi. When I was going through recruitment, I learned about AEPhi and their passion for serving the community around them. Once I became a… Continue reading
Prior to my summer internship at Sharsheret, the most exposure I had to this organization was winning the Sharsheret Cake Wars Competition with my team at Yeshiva University. I had known this was an organization that provided support for Jewish women living with breast or… Continue reading
This summer I have been lucky enough to intern with Sharsheret. As an intern, I have spent a lot of time thinking about the meaning of the word Sharsheret, chain. I have thought about my relationship with Sharsheret, my family's connection to the organization and how my work… Continue reading
More than 43 million adults in the U.S. serve as caregivers to family members or friends who are living with a medical hardship like cancer. The pressure of caregiving takes a toll. “Caregiver Burnout” is a serious consequence of ongoing care. Caregivers report higher… Continue reading
This summer I was privileged to serve as one of Sharsheret’s five summer interns. While my journey with Sharsheret may seem to have begun this summer in 2021, it actually began more than one year ago, just a few months before the Covid-19 Pandemic started, a year we will… Continue reading
