Author Archives: Jean

No Regrets

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Jean

During lunch with a good friend last week, she asked if, in the past two years since my second go-round with breast cancer, did  I have any regrets about having had a bilateral mastectomy. Regrets about choosing a bilateral mastectomy…no. … Continue reading →

 

What’s In Your Makeup?

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Jean

Before you apply your makeup or use that personal care item, ask yourself what you know about it. What chemicals are in what you are using on your face and how safe are they? You are doing so much to … Continue reading →

 

A Mother’s Day Gift

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Jean

This Mother’s Day, give the gift of the mammogram nag. Reach out to those mothers and grandmothers that you know haven’t been getting annual mammograms and remind them that it is time for them to get that mammogram they have … Continue reading →

 

The Cost of Mammograms is Not Always the Issue

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Jean

Those of us who get annual mammograms want to believe that those who don’t are uninsured and cannot afford the out-of-pocket cost of paying for one. Not true said researchers in a report to the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium … Continue reading →

 

Benefits of Breast Reconstruction without Implants

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Jean

The following information appeared in MedicineNet.com (www.medicinenet.com) explaining the advantages, challenges and follow up care when choosing one’s own tissue for breast reconstruction. Benefits Using one’s own tissue and muscle in reconstruction results in a more natural looking breast that … Continue reading →

 

Breast Thermography is no Substitute for Mammography

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Jean

Breast thermography is being touted by some health care providers, on their websites, as an alternative to mammography and promoting the fact that there’s no radiation exposure and no painful compression of the breast with thermography. The rationale behind using … Continue reading →

 

Why Choose Mastectomy Over Lumpectomy?

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Jean

When a woman’s breast cancer is small enough to make her a candidate for a lumpectomy followed by radiation, why would she choose a mastectomy? With early detection, over 70% of women diagnosed with breast cancer may be candidates for … Continue reading →

 

Summer Sun, Radiation and Chemo

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Jean

Radiation was a part of my first go round with breast cancer. On my last day of treatment, my radiation oncologist warned against my sitting out in the sun for the first year after completing treatment. Since I am  not … Continue reading →

 

Survivors Often Give Lumpectomy/Radiation Breast Appearance A Rating of Fair

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Jean

I came across the following article the other day and could identify with the feelings of those women who were disappointed with the results of their breast-conserving treatments for breast cancer. Reprint of article in 2011 Current Cancer A third … Continue reading →

 

SurvivingTriple Negative Breast Cancer

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Jean

Patricia Prijatel is a triple-negative breast cancer survivor. She featured the following excerpt from her book which is soon to be published in this guest post. Patricia is an award-winning teacher and writer known for both her insight and her … Continue reading →