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 […]

DIY Therapy for A Geek

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m not done with breast cancer yet. But I don’t have to like it, and I don’t have to pretend that I’m entirely okay. I need help. Still in therapy, meeting with my care team on Thursday to come up with a game plan to get rid […]

Advocacy 101 – What I Learned from Training

I learned so many new things today at Patient Advocacy Orientation! My best days are when I’m learning new things. It’s one of the things I love best about being a scientist, and it’s a great foundation upon which to build for my new work as a Patient Advocate. What exactly are advocates and what […]

Screw The Woo Woo: Essential Oils Won’t Cure Your Cancer

Essential oils. They’re EVERYWHERE! Articles and posts touting their alleged benefits are all over social media, some news media, and the Internet. A Google search I performed today yielded 1.7 billion results. 1.7 BILLION! Yup, there’s a LOT of buzz about the wonders and medicinal benefits of essential oils. And almost all of it 100% […]

Do clams get cancer? Questions from High School Freshmen

One of my favorite outreach activities is volunteering at public schools. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to speak to and work with elementary, middle, and high school students – doing everything from dry ice demonstrations, mini anatomy labs with fixed mouse organs, microscopy labs with tissue sections, and career talks. Most recently, I […]