August 1, 2014 4:30pm. Your pathology results came back and you have invasive breast cancer, it’s stage 1 grade 3 and hormone receptor positive, blah blah blah….
What. What. Whaaatt?!? Cancer? I couldn’t hear anything else, my mind was racing...
My breasts have provided me many different things over the years.
In middle school and high school, I watched them grow during the awkward period of puberty. As an adult, they made me feel confident and strong as a young...
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, one of the first things that went through my mind was, “How did I get this? What did I do?” Was it environmental, from the microwave or due to sleep habits, alcohol...
You see the color PINK filling up the city. You catch a quick mention about it on the news or see a Facebook post from a friend running and training for the big race. But you think, "I'm not a...
In 2017, I had both of my fallopian tubes removed, in an effort to lessen my risk of getting ovarian cancer. Recent research has found that the cancer typically begins in the tubes, not the ovaries, and so removing...
If you haven’t already met Donna Deegan in person, you probably know her as a Jacksonville celebrity and inspiration to so many in our community. Award-winning journalist, philanthropist and marathoner, Donna is the founder of The DONNA Foundation, a...
On my 39th birthday, my best friend, who also happens to be my business partner and gynecologist, showed up on my doorstep bearing a gift of bad news: I had tested positive for the BRCA 1 genetic mutation. As...
Ask any woman which color ribbon represents breast cancer awareness, and she will be able to tell you: Pink! And most women know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Today’s savvy mom probably has a laminated sheet with a...
Although my sister, Kristin and I both love holidays, she has a really funny way of celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness month. On October 1, 2015, her doctors called and confirmed – yes – it was ductal carcinoma, stage 2....
On February 7, 2019, I awoke with a sharp, stabbing pain in my right breast. It was a Thursday, and I happened to be in New Orleans with my oldest daughter. I called my doctor and scheduled a visit...
Ovarian cancer is called the "silent killer," and for good reason: There are often very few recognizable symptoms until the cancer has become extremely advanced. The symptoms that women do get are vague, and they can easily be confused...
I’m 49, married 12 years to a wonderful man, Kent, and we have a 5-year-old daughter, Lucy. I have Stage IV, Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer, for which there is no cure. I’m currently in a clinical trial. Treatments...