One of my favorite memories of when my twin daughters, Sophie and Rachel, were three was when they got into trouble with their nursery teacher for telling friends that they hadn’t come from their mother’s womb, but rather their aunt’s. Sophie and Rachel weren’t just a… Continue reading
I was 31. I had a 2-year-old. I was 6 months pregnant. I had cancer. I remember it all happened so fast. Seeing the look on my husband's face when I was diagnosed made it reality. What was thought to be an abscess milk duct was instead a deadly disease. After my diagnosis,… Continue reading
It was the third time I had seen my doctor about debilitating left hip pain. I didn’t have bursitis, and my physical therapy did nothing, so my doctor ordered an MRI. She walks in the exam room and tells me that the MRI shows suspicion for metastatic breast… Continue reading
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. Hormone- receptor positive breast cancers – meaning the cancer cells grow in response to estrogen and/or progesterone - are the most common type of breast cancer, representing 75% of all cases. Advances in… Continue reading
Medical Oncologist and Director, Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Projects at NYP/Lawrence Hospital, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center In the last several years, cancer therapy has been expanding exponentially, in particular, a class… Continue reading
For a breast or ovarian cancer survivor, keeping work-based health insurance may be important in covering cancer costs when employment stops, especially if you are currently going through treatment and/or you like your doctors/network. Upon termination of employment, a person… Continue reading
When I found out I had breast cancer and was required to have chemotherapy, which would cause me to lose my hair, I was numb. I almost didn’t believe it and kept pushing it into the back of my mind because I was facing surgery before the chemotherapy. Two months after… Continue reading
As a follow up to our last blog post discussing advances in breast reconstruction, there are numerous options for revising, or fixing a previous breast reconstruction and supplementary procedures that can improve the initial reconstruction to restore women, as much as possible,… Continue reading
I was sitting in the hallway of a hotel somewhere in Pennsylvania. I was a sophomore in college, a counselor on a youth group retreat. It was 2003. Pre-family what’s app and group texting and social media. My mom called me on Saturday night. “I had a doctor’s appointment… Continue reading
For as long as I can remember, breast and ovarian cancer were a part of my family. But the cancer was on my father’s side, affecting relatives much older than I, so I naively told myself I had nothing to worry about. And then, last year, I got the call. Cancer had hit… Continue reading
When Marlene was shockingly diagnosed with stage III breast cancer in the Spring of 2016, our loving marriage of nearly 45 years was suddenly faced with the challenges of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Although Marlene was the one who had to endure this difficult and… Continue reading
As October comes to an end and breast cancer awareness month wraps up it is a great time to learn about the latest advances in breast reconstruction. Breast reconstruction awareness day or ‘BRA day’ carves out one day in October to highlight all of the options available to… Continue reading
Growing up with two rabbis as parents, I was not only allowed to question everything – I was encouraged to do so. While I have applied this approach to academics, my career, relationships, and so many other facets of my life, I am most grateful for how it has made me an… Continue reading
“Are you of Ashkenazi Jewish Descent” It’s one of the first things asked of a new cancer patient. If you live somewhere without a strong Jewish community, this can make you feel extra different and lonely. That’s how I felt and why I was so comforted to find Sharsheret,… Continue reading
March 14, 2014. The day I became part of the Sharsheret family. Rochie Shoretz, Sharsheret’s Founder, messaged me on Facebook to be her trainer. I knew she had received the numbers of multiple trainers and I was honored that she had chosen me. I remember the first… Continue reading
For my mitzvah project, I have decided to work with Sharsheret. Sharsheret, a national non-profit organization, improves the lives of Jewish women and families living with or at increased genetic risk for breast or ovarian cancer through personalized support and saves lives… Continue reading
Thanks to changes in workplace laws and policies, having a disability does not preclude one from having a successful and fulfilling career. However, with regard to disabilities in general, it’s important to consider not only the more physically obvious ones, but also those… Continue reading
In my work at Sharsheret, I frequently tell my “Sharsheret story” in which I relay the ways in which Sharsheret supported my mom during her breast cancer treatment. This story brings a personal note to the work that I do, and explains why I am in the role I am in… Continue reading
My story begins with a routine mammogram that revealed several spots that needed to be biopsied. Simultaneously, I learned that my father’s health had taken a turn for the worse and I rushed to be with him for his final few days. My world was turned upside down and I struggled… Continue reading
We are partnering with AstraZeneca to raise awareness of genetic testing in ovarian cancer. During ovarian cancer awareness month, it is so important to correct some of the misconceptions about the relationship between ovarian cancer and the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. While… Continue reading
