A Friend Indeed, Especially When Visiting the Doctor
No matter your age, gender or marital status, if you are going to a doctor for something out of the ordinary, do not, I emphasize, go alone. I don’t mean that you need a driver or someone just for...
View ArticlePatents, Cancer, the Supreme Court and Me
Most of us don’t pay a lot of attention to cases that come before the U.S. Supreme Court. Unless the cases center on some controversial issue like President Obama’s Affordable Healthcare Act or...
View ArticleAngelina and Me: Sharing the BRCA2 Gene and Choosing Life
Angelina Jolie has been called the “world’s most beautiful woman.” She has a large pouty mouth that breaks into a beautiful, beaming smile. Her sparkling eyes, oval-shaped face, perfect complexion and...
View Article“Decoding Annie Parker” Tells the Story of the BRCA 1 Gene
ShareWIK is not a place where one would typically find a movie review. Nor is it typical to review a film not yet seen by the writer. But nothing is typical about “Decoding Annie Parker,” a film...
View ArticleBreast Cancer Revisited—Can You Talk Yourself Out of It?
Whenever I fill out a medical form, I’m reminded of the genetic pre-dispositions of my biology. I’m good on the heart side, thankfully. No increased risk of diabetes, to speak of. Not so great on the...
View ArticleGrief and Breast Cancer
The grief accompanying a breast cancer diagnosis can take many forms. It will continue to surprise you over weeks, months, even years. Allowing yourself to experience the wide range of emotions is a...
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Getting Acquainted with the Basser Research Center
Heard of the Basser Research Center? Until recently, neither had Jan. Even after seven years with cancer, she continues to learn about the available resources. The Basser center investigates the link...
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Test Results
Despite the cancer, Jan’s blood test results suggest she’s perfectly healthy. Go back one year and her blood sugar levels were sounding the diabetes alarm. Jan pats herself on the back for successfully...
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Exercise vs. Cancer
The American Cancer Society is a proponent of exercising more to fight cancer. And they’re not alone. The Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta and local YMCAs have teamed up to give cancer survivors...
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Scans
After living with ovarian cancer for over seven years–receiving frequent blood tests and a number of scans–I feel like I’m becoming an expert in reading lab reports. So after the nurse gave me the...
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Ovarian Cancer Month
It’s that time of year again: National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is September. This will be followed by National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Straddling the two awareness months – and...
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What I Know Now — The Lessons of Breast Cancer
I’m Paula Holland De Long, current age 52, diagnosed at age 37 with stage one breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy, same side mastectomy 10 days later, four months of chemotherapy, and reconstructive...
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It’s Not Just Fear of the Squeeze That Keeps Us From Yearly Mammogram
Ok, so it’s that time of year, again. Annual check-ups, dental, optical…tires, brakes, oil. But none of these appointments are as eventful as the quintessential woman’s annual exam: the mammogram. Some...
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The Power of a Hug
At my recent high school reunion, several of us sat around a table strewn with chips, drinks and moldy old year books. We flipped through the pages reminiscing about the faces we were revisiting. The...
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The Worst Decision of My Life
Of all the decisions about my healthcare that I’ve had to make since I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer eight years ago, this was my only bad call. My first decision, made immediately after learning I...
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Five Things to Know About Dealing With Breast Cancer
1) You can’t reduce breast cancer to “5 Things.” Each person’s experience with the disease is intensely unique, just like they are. A diagnosis of breast cancer is complex. It’s important to be your...
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Sharsheret
At some point during my journey with ovarian cancer, I learned about an organization that targeted women with exactly my profile. Its name, Sharsheret, means “chain” in Hebrew. The chain represents...
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Grief and Breast Cancer
When I was 38, my childhood friend died from breast cancer. Many of my friends and family members have since been diagnosed with this illness. Some have died, but many more are survivors. The impact of...
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Angelina & Me: Sharing the BRCA Gene & Choosing Life
Angelina Jolie has been called the “world’s most beautiful woman.” She has a large pouty mouth that breaks into a beautiful, beaming smile. Her sparkling eyes, oval-shaped face, perfect complexion and...
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My Sisters, Tomorrow Is Another Day
My sister died of breast cancer at the age of 52. She didn’t think the cancer would spread and chose not to get the best medical care. For a long time she did not mention how she was progressing....
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