***The following post was written by Dr. John Fetting at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. After 30 years as a breast cancer medical oncologist, I have come to believe that we are too focused on trying to cure breast cancer and not focused enough on preventing it. Until recently, treating breast cancer after it […]
Survivorship
Cancer is a Family Matter: Six Tips to Help Your Kids Cope
Posted by Elissa Bantug | SurvivorshipJust as most patients have concerns and worries when treatment ends, many children also experience uncertainty and fear when a parent finishes treatment for breast cancer. Children may be apprehensive and worry about mom’s long-term health. They may also be sad or resentful at all of the changes at home. It is very common for […]
Jul 9, 2012 No comments
Carrie’s weekend of well-being
Posted by Evan Lipson | Issues & Perspectives, SurvivorshipFor Carrie Wells, a powerful and positive part of surviving breast cancer was attending a retreat with women who shared similar journeys. Being surrounded by other survivors was a chance for connection, education, relaxation and healing. So moved was Carrie by the retreat experience, she felt compelled to help other cancer survivors find equally valuable […]
Feb 11, 2012 No comments
Annie the Mermaid
Posted by Evan Lipson | Issues & Perspectives, SurvivorshipSeveral years after Annie Applegarth battled sarcoma, she joined the Mermaids, a group of swimmers that raises money for cancer research. Before her diagnosis she had never spent much time in the water. Now her friends and family cheer as she finishes up a mile. Click below to hear her story.
Jan 13, 2012 1 comment
Jamie volunteers
Posted by Evan Lipson | Issues & Perspectives, SurvivorshipJamie Galloway is a retired microbiologist who volunteers her time supporting other breast cancer survivors. She provides them comfort and companionship, just as she was supported during her own battle with the disease. Click below to hear her story.
Dec 9, 2011 No comments
One of Our Own
Posted by Evan Lipson | Issues & Perspectives, SurvivorshipDeb Stewart has battled breast cancer twice. A nurse by training, she now works with breast cancer survivors at the Avon Foundation Breast Center here at Johns Hopkins, lending her support and wisdom gleaned from experience. Her work is not only valuable to patients, it’s rewarding for Deb. Or, as she puts it, “You get […]
Oct 14, 2011 2 comments
Beating the Odds of Cancer with Humor: 50/50 Movie
Posted by Elissa Bantug | SurvivorshipOn September 14, 2011, I was invited to a special premiere of the movie 50/50. A group of cancer care providers packed into a movie theater in Georgetown anxiously awaiting the film to begin. I’ve been hearing about this movie for months; there’s been quite a buzz in the young survivors’ community about its startlingly accurate […]
Sep 30, 2011 1 comment
Part 4: Why I Walk
Posted by Elissa Bantug | Issues & Perspectives, SurvivorshipEveryone has their own reason. For some, they feel grateful for how far they have come or to remember those they have lost. For others, they want to inspire hope and galvanize progress toward ending this disease. Others may want to participate in the event as a way to fight back at a disease that […]
Aug 30, 2011 1 comment
Miles for Melanoma
Posted by Evan Lipson | Issues & Perspectives, Patient Stories, SurvivorshipThere's something about exercising that helps cancer survivors take back some control of their bodies. Kevin Stenstrom was a marathon runner and a Naval Flight Officer who, during a routine physical, was diagnosed with melanoma. After several surgeries and months of cancer therapy, Kevin founded team Miles 4 Melanoma, a program that provides runners with […]
Aug 12, 2011 No comments
Part 3: Bonds that Bring Us Closer
Posted by Elissa Bantug | Issues & Perspectives, SurvivorshipMy fellow team member Julie Thomas raised $13,760 this year alone, in her eleventh Avon Walk. Julie’s been raising money for breast cancer for almost 20 years now, ever since losing a close friend to the disease. She approaches the task with gusto, maintaining a donor list of 200 names, including family, friends, colleagues, and […]
Aug 2, 2011 1 comment