If the holiday season is all about the meal and filled with foods that can trigger inflammation, it can be a less-than-jolly holiday when you’re living with lymphedema. That’s because some foods can exacerbate the condition and cause painful swelling and discomfort. While you may not be able to prevent all episodes or occurrences of…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…for some people. But if you’re battling breast cancer, the holidays may understandably bring anxiety or stress. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, nervous or even scared that it won’t be the same. The truth is, it’s all right if it’s not the same as it has been in…
In 2020 and the early months of 2021, COVID-19 shook up routine medical care as health care workers rapidly repositioned to provide treatment and comfort to the millions diagnosed with coronavirus. It caused delays in elective surgeries, such as joint replacements; and “emergencies” were reclassified and treated in lower-level care units. Millions of annual cancer…
In this season dedicated to gratefulness, some days it’s hard to feel thankful. If you’ve recently undergone a difficult time, such as battling breast cancer, it can be easy to feel angry, sad, grumpy, upset, scared – anything but grateful. But there are a few ways you can cultivate gratitude in your life, even when…
Breast cancer is a difficult diagnosis to hear, a difficult illness to battle. It’s hard on the mind and the emotions––not just the body. It’s by no means just physical. So why do we so often focus on just the physical aspect? Did you know your mental health directly impacts your mortality rate? Mortality rates…
Your oncologist has prescribed radiation treatments in your battle against breast cancer. Maybe you’ve been receiving treatment already. Or perhaps you have long since finished, yet still have lingering side effects. One of the most common side effects is radiation dermatitis, sometimes referred to as radiation burn. What is it and how can you manage…
Those four words, “You have breast cancer,” can not only be devastating to you and your loved ones, but they can make you feel extremely isolated and alone. But did you know approximately 250,000 women and men are diagnosed annually in the United States? Do you know what that means? It means you are most…
“Forty percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who felt a lump…” – Johns Hopkins Medical Center The importance of annual mammograms cannot be overstated. These exams can often detect cancer and even benign lumps before they can be felt. Doesn’t that mean self-exams are unnecessary? Not at all. Performing a monthly self-exam…
If you are about to or have recently undergone a mastectomy, you may be wondering about the foundation garment situation. Your doctor or nurse may give you requirements or ideas…but they may not. After all, with so much after-care information, a bra may be the last thing on their minds. But it’s certainly not for…
The U.S. effectively shut down in March of 2020. Not only were schools switched to virtual and millions began working remotely, but hospital space was at a premium. This meant many surgeries and procedures were put off as ORs were converted for COVID-19 patient care. But breast cancer didn’t stop. It didn’t yield to the…