Living with Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer: Are You at Risk?

Nearly 200,000 women in the United States are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone. It's a disease that affects many people, including celebrities such as Christina Applegate, Robin Roberts, and Sheryl Crow. But what about you? Do you know your risk factors for breast cancer?

Exercising After Breast Cancer: Moving Toward Health

No matter what type of treatment you have for breast cancer, it can take a toll on both your body and emotions. The effects of the disease and treatment often cause women to become less active, more stressed, and unable to sleep well. And the worse you feel, the more inactive you tend to become. As a result, you may lack the strength and stamina to continue or resume the roles and activities you carried out before your cancer diagnosis.

What can you do to gain strength and feel healthier and more like yourself again? Many find that regular exercise can improve their fitness level as well as their mental outlook.

Personal Story: Breast Prosthetics - Are They Right for You?

By Hester Hill Schnipper, LICSW, Boston, MA

Every woman’s opinion on prosthetics evolves with her own experience, taste, and preferences. Here is a question recently posed to me on my blog, Ask Hester, as well as my answer:

“I had a bilateral mastectomy as a young woman five years ago, with no reconstruction. I tried wearing the prostheses and they were so uncomfortable I stopped. Now I am noticing my posture is suffering and my body image is flaring up as a problem. I am contemplating going back to wearing the prostheses but am self-conscious about how this will be since so many already know me as flat-chested (following surgery)…Could you share information/experience about other women who have done this? Thanks.”

Personal Story: My Breast Cancer is Different

By Jacki Donaldson, Gainesville, FL

Nothing was more urgent after my breast cancer diagnosis than finding women just like me. Just days after my doctor called me to say, "You have cancer," I started scouring the Internet for survivors who were young and married—and, more than anything, I wanted to connect with moms of little ones. My boys were almost 4 years old and 18 months at the time, and my head was flooded with the fear that I wouldn't see them grow up. 

I found just what I was looking for—my female counterparts, whose stories convinced me I was not alone, that surviving my disease was a real possibility. What I didn’t find was someone with my exact same breast cancer. That’s OK. I mean, shared experience is pretty powerful stuff, and I’ll never forget the advice from one survivor that I drink lots of water before each chemo session, and the suggestion from another that I buy Hats With Hair. I bought two, and I wore them on my shiny scalp for months, then loaned them to others seeking comfort from those traveling similar paths.