Why I chose MD Anderson for my mastectomy
In August 2013, I tested positive for a BRCA genetic mutation, which increases the chances that I would develop breast cancer or ovarian cancer. Add that to a family history of aggressive breast cancer, and you have a recipe for constant worry and sleepless nights, anxiety and a feeling of helplessness.
In my conversations with other women like me, there was always a general sense of, "Whew, I made it another year" after...
Learning to let others help me through a mastectomy
The importance of laughter grows even greater when life gets heavy, although it can be hard to see the need for it when you're right in the...
5 tips from my mastectomy experience
It's difficult to condense the emotional and physical tolls that a mastectomy brings. It's life-changing, but so worth it.
After...
BRCA genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancers: It's easier than you think
Twenty years ago, while a college senior, I spent weekends commuting from Austin to Houston to care for my 42-year-old mother. She was battling an aggressive form of stage IV breast cancer and was told her odds for survival were less than 20%. After witnessing first-hand her intense, four-year battle that included chemotherapy, radiation, bone marrow extraction, a mastectomy and breast reconstruction, I wondered for years if and when...
