Before starting my internship at Sharsheret, I didn't fully grasp what it meant to be truly dedicated to your work. As someone who often procrastinates and dreads the concept of “work,” I didn't realize that people can not only enjoy their jobs but also find deep… Continue reading
Orange, green, blue and yellow, these are the colors of the shirts I would wear every year at the Sharsheret fall walk in Central Park NYC as a child. I would walk with my mom and sister and so many other women and their friends and family. I would wear pink in high… Continue reading
I’m eagerly counting down the days until Sharsheret’s 3rd Annual West Coast Dash, where I will proudly lead Team YICC (Young Israel of Century City), my synagogue in Los Angeles, for the third year. As Team Captain, I play a pivotal role in raising awareness and funds for… Continue reading
"Shan, we have a problem." The relationship I have with my oncologist is a very casual, easy one. We joke, we laugh, and he always tells everything to me straight. So, right away, I could tell by his demeanor that my PET/CT and MRI that morning showed progression to some… Continue reading
When you’ve had cancer, your emotional taste buds change everything. A sunset is more brilliant, smells of flowers are magnified, music touches the heart more. So when my daughter sent me a WhatsApp in December, 2017, that she was in the delivery room in a hospital in the… Continue reading
In honor of our newly launched Sharsheret Israel Initiative, we’re highlighting stories in Israel. When you live in community, others can remind you that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. I have always had friends, but just a couple of close friends. Some… Continue reading
While patients most certainly do not "choose" their disease, I have chosen to care for cancer patients. As a physician, I can say it is a privilege to participate in each patient's cancer journey. Importantly, it is not the work of any one individual, but rather a team of many… Continue reading
When I was an undergraduate student at Indiana University, I was lucky enough to follow in my mom's footsteps and become a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority during my 2nd semester in 2012. My mom had just beat her battle with ovarian cancer right before I left for college, so… Continue reading
If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with cancer, you've probably seen the terms biomarker and genetic testing thrown around quite a bit. While both types of testing are important, these terms describe two very different things. This article will highlight the… Continue reading
By Sharon Galper Grossman The phone call from Maccabi surprised me. Schedule a mammogram I can barely get through my day taking care of the things that I already have to do. How dare someone add a mammogram to my to do list Don't they realize that we are in the middle of a… Continue reading
In this deeply personal blog post, I want to share my journey of facing breast cancer as a lesbian woman. Breast cancer does not discriminate, and I encountered a range of emotions, from fear and uncertainty to strength and determination. Through the ups and downs, the… Continue reading
Is being a caregiver for a partner really that tough Well yes. I think so. It was for me. And something tells me that I'm not the only one. My partner, Sarah, was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 27. My experiences caused me to grapple with the unexpected difficulties… Continue reading
Going through a health crisis can be traumatic, and breast cancer is no exception. More than 240,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. each year, accounting for about 30% of all new female cancers. While screening can help to detect breast cancer earlier,… Continue reading
Testing, testing Summer of 2017. I’ll never forget sitting in the doctor’s office at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago where I was having a family meeting with my mom, dad and brother to discuss testing for the BRCA1 gene with our genetic counselor. Still riding my… Continue reading
Step-by-Step Guide to Navigating a Breast Biopsy Experience By Lisa Schechter This year, when I went for my routine mammogram, my usual expectation of a normal report took an unexpected turn. Check out part one of this series, “Navigating Uncertainty, Part 1, My… Continue reading
Approximately 50% of cancer patients need radiation treatment. It is important to be informed before this stage of your treatment. Please see some commonly asked questions and responses from a radiation therapist who has treated hundreds of patients over the past 6… Continue reading
After two weeks of sporadic nipple pain and an email from my boss reminding everyone to be on top of their cancer screenings, I heard the words that no 30-year-old mom wants to hear: “You have triple-negative breast cancer.” And just like that, I was propelled from a world… Continue reading
When I turned 38, I conscientiously embarked on the routine of getting annual mammograms. These yearly checkups became a familiar part of my life, as did marking these days with a donation to Sharsheret. Typically, a note or a call from the doctor would follow, assuring me… Continue reading
One of the hardest parts of finding out that you carry a mutation predisposing to cancer is the concern that it may have been inherited by your children. Listen to Sharsheret’s Peggy Cottrell, MS, CGC, Genetics Program Manager, and Marleah Dean Kruzel, MD, Associate… Continue reading
I wanted to share a simple and effortless breakfast from the Beller Method that offers a wide source of fiber and fiber boosters that will truly support our body optimizing its natural detoxification process. It’s my Multi-Fiber Bowl! An important staple in my practice that… Continue reading
