Mammograms are not particularly pleasant. Also in the unpleasant category- getting a letter from the breast imaging center informing you that because your breasts are dense, you also need a sonogram.I went in for the sonogram. After having had so many ultrasounds during my… Continue reading →

With a breast cancer survivor for a mother and a physician for a father, in addition to a strong family history of ovarian cancer, regimented monitoring for abnormalities was routine in my late teens and early twenties. After losing a friend to breast cancer at an early age and… Continue reading →

While being treated with chemotherapy and surgery for a breast cancer diagnosis, I didn’t feel beautiful; I was depressed, scared and anxious. I stopped wearing make-up those several months; I felt absent from my life and was waiting for the new “me” to unfold. I sought… Continue reading →

What does a healthy life mean to you I thought I was healthy when I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the age of 29. Since then I exercised and ate vegetables and had 2 children. My thyroid was checked every 6 months and I thought I was healthy. Then last year I was diagnosed… Continue reading →

Excerpted from her remarks at Temple Beth Torah’s Sharsheret Pink Shabbat on May 3, 2015.  I was 8 months pregnant with my second son at my cousin Susan's funeral.Six years later, I sat in a paper robe, on a hospital table. Legs swinging and a chill running down my back,… Continue reading →

My mother had both breast and ovarian cancer.Despite all odds and a less than 3% chance of surviving, my mother, Joyce Turner, survived them both. Yet I still didn’t want to face my potential vulnerability.My mother, Joyce, was the 21st person to join a National Institute of… Continue reading →

I was a little worried on Rosh Hashanah. By Yom Kippur, I was anxious enough to wonder out loud what I might look like without hair.  The official call came right before Sukkot.  I was in the kitchen preparing for the holiday and my husband was putting the finishing… Continue reading →

I was lucky enough to meet Rochelle, Sharsheret’s Founder and Executive Director, through the Berrie Fellows Leadership Program eleven years ago. I was so inspired by her intelligence, her sensitivity, her knowledge and her tenacity. A few years later, while having lunch… Continue reading →

“On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed
And on Yom Kippur it is sealed
How many shall die and how many shall be born
Who shall live and who shall die…”
A woman living with advanced cancer recently shared with me that as she read the prayer, “Who shall live and who… Continue reading →

I had been married for seven months when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  Just one month before my diagnosis, I was on my honeymoon.  Then one day, I had a pain in my side that needed investigating.  The diagnosis came quickly.  I needed surgery, which… Continue reading →

I come from a tight-knit family. My mom, dad, aunt, uncle, brother, and cousin, Dana, are six of my biggest supporters and best friends and my aunt, uncle, and cousin live the town over from me in suburban Boston. Weekly dinners and holidays together are common when I come home… Continue reading →

I started my internship at Sharsheret one month ago, without knowing what type of experience I was walking into or the extent of Sharsheret’s reach.  As I was given a tour and introduced to the Sharsheret staff, I noticed right away the unique atmosphere of Sharsheret -… Continue reading →

I went to high school with Rochelle Shoretz and she epitomized what it meant to be larger than life.  Three years ago, I met Rochie for breakfast and she planted the seed. She told me, “You should do a triathlon. It will be fun.”  At the same time, a friend said I… Continue reading →

Two months ago, I walked into the Sharsheret office on the first day of my summer internship. I had no idea what to expect. What would the people be like Would I be dressed right What would I be doing At that point, there was no way I could have known what kind of summer I was… Continue reading →

This summer, the goal of my internship was to expand Sharsheret’s Ovarian Cancer Program. Ovarian cancer can be difficult to detect, since many of its symptoms can be attributed to common illnesses. As a result, most ovarian cancers are unfortunately diagnosed at advanced… Continue reading →

If someone had told me that one day I would run to spin class, spin, and then run three miles home, I would have thought them insane. Yet, that was just one training day of many in preparation for the 2015 NYC Triathlon. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and in… Continue reading →

I was diagnosed with breast cancer almost 10 years ago and have been fortunate to be a part of the Sharsheret family since my diagnosis.While I have been a link many times, I have been a caller only once. When discussing my experiences as a Sharsheret link, I have to first think… Continue reading →

Before I begin, I would like to say a few things to Rochie – I want to ask for mechila (forgiveness) for anything I may have done and said. I would also like to share my immense gratitude for everything you have taught me and shared with me these past 13 years and, finally, I… Continue reading →

Excerpted from Mara’s NYTimes blogBreast Cancer... two simple, yet powerful words! They have always been a part of my life. My mother and grandmother both died from breast cancer, both too early in life. I spent my childhood living through breast cancer. I began having… Continue reading →

When I was 10 years old my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 37. We are Ashkenazi Jews with no other family history of breast or ovarian cancer. I am now 38 years old and single, hoping for a family one day.Growing up, my mom was constantly fearful her cancer was… Continue reading →