Breast Cancer From Bench to My Own Bedside

Tables Turned From the Laboratory Bench to My Own Bedside Originally Published in VICC Momentum September 23, 2020 | Dana Brantley-Sieders, PhD Note: This is an essay I wrote last summer. Though my journey continues thanks to residual disease and a mastectomy after I submitted the essay, the spirit and information in the essay hold […]

I don’t feel pretty, and that’s okay

So I’m 5 months out from my mastectomy, waiting for reconstruction of my left breast, and I feel fugly. Not just ugly, but the kind of grotesque that can only come from looking in the mirror and STILL being shocked to see one nipple hanging significantly higher than the other. When I’m clothed it’s slightly […]

Yo, Cancer Researcher – What the Heck Do You Actually Do?

It occurred to me that while I’ve told you that I’m a cancer researcher, you might not know what that actually means. There are many kinds of researchers who conduct many diverse types of cancer research, as detailed here. All are important and complimentary, and they often overlap. I am an academic (work at a […]

Breast Cancer Care in the Era of Covid-19

It’s been a while! I’ve taken time to recover from my mastectomy (will blog about that later) and, like many folks in self-isolation, I’ve been doing things like gardening, cooking/baking, home improvement, and family activities to fill the time. I waver between being grateful, bored, peaceful, restless, and generally anxious about the immediate and long-term […]

Thoughts on My Upcoming Mastectomy

First off, apologies for the long absence. Between working from home, homeschooling, gardening (I’ve got a CRAPTON of veggie plants and flowers that I love, pet, kiss, and call my green babies), bread baking (while the yeast lasted), quilting (I’m seriously turning into my grandmother), I’ve been a little busy in quarantine. Busy is good. […]

Covid-19 and Cancer – Self-Isolation Isn’t Just About You

On this, my second “Cancerversary,” I want to urge my fellow citizens to take this pandemic seriously, shelter-in-place, flatten the curve, and listen to scientists and health experts rather than politicians and rabble-rousers who value the economy over health and safety. I originally submitted this as an Op-Ed to several news outlets, but in light […]

Covid-19 and Cancer: What You Need To Know

Day three of quarantine for me. My institution is doing the right thing by sending us home. Shutting down laboratory research sucks, but by being cautious and practicing social distancing, we will survive, stay healthy, and be able to get back to work after this necessary pause. I’m privileged to have an employer that recognizes […]

Metastasis 101: How Breast Cancers Spread

Metastasis – the spread of cancer from its initial tissue of origin to another part (or parts) of the patient’s body – is deadly. Metastatic disease is, by and large, what kills people with cancer. It is an ongoing challenge for healthcare providers and researchers, and, as you may have guessed, it’s complicated. But what […]

Update – AACR and Compusystems Makes it Right

Update on previous post: Hubby replied to Dave’s email. He’s awesome, is (once again) Captain of Team D Beats C, and I hope he writes about his experiences as a caregiver and spouse of someone living with cancer someday. I also called AACR and spoke to Josh, a very nice and caring human being who […]

Nice Going, AACR (Salt on the Wound)

I didn’t plan on writing two blog posts in one day, but here we are. Because of my second diagnosis with breast cancer, I have to adjust my life and schedule to accommodate surgery, reconstruction, and other treatments. I had planned to attend the annual American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in April so […]