Just five years ago, the idea that one could live longer and better with ovarian cancer wasn’t conceivable for most women who had just been told they had late-stage ovarian cancer. Their diagnoses, most likely, would have come with a suggestion to get their affairs in… Continue reading
Last August I turned 50, and despite my loud and proud declarations that “50 is the new 35!”, my body seems firmly rooted in its new half-century identity. In fact, it seems to have been preparing for this milestone birthday for a few years, starting with my ovaries. As we… Continue reading
Our mother, Hindy Weinstock a”h, passed away in August 2002, just months after Sharsheret was founded. When she was first diagnosed 5 years earlier, at the age of 43, close friends and family were hers and our only support system. Battling cancer, juggling a job, and raising… Continue reading
On Thursday night, March 28th 2019, Chabad of Binghamton hosted their annual Fashion For A Cure event. This year I was privileged to be a part of the planning committee along with eight other girls and the Rebbetzin of Chabad, Rivky Slonim. Together we met weekly planning all of… Continue reading
As we read the story of Exodus this Passover, there are so many themes which fully resonate today, and also correlate when thinking about loved ones who are fighting or may have already lost their battle with Cancer. Foreign oppression and the longing for freedom; we were… Continue reading
My connection to Sharsheret began the week before my surgery. Some of my 6th grade students hosted a bake sale as part of their joint bat mitzvah project to benefit Sharsheret. They didn’t know that I was newly diagnosed and still healing from my initial biopsies. I was… Continue reading
Spring is around the corner and we welcome the revitalization of budding leaves, flowers and grass. During this time of year we also encounter exposure to toxic pesticides and weed killers which are applied for lawn and garden care and insect control. Over the past… Continue reading
I have been a dedicated, caring physician for over 30 years. My grandfathers were both physicians. It has been my calling. I didn’t need to get cancer to empathize with my patients. It is what I have always done. Now, I am also a woman who has had breast and ovarian cancer and… Continue reading
What have you inherited from your mother other than her big brown eyes, curly hair, and petite frame Genetics is the field of science that looks at how traits like these, and others, are passed down from parents to children through their genes. “Our genes can also affect… Continue reading
No one is ever ready to hear the words…“the biopsy indicates that you have breast cancer.” And in my case, I was especially not ready. I am the typical harried woman who is trying to balance motherhood and a career, all the while trying to jam 26 hours a day of activities… Continue reading
On February 14, 2018, my husband and I were preparing to take a trip to the shore to celebrate Valentine’s Day. First, we stopped at a local hospital to get my routine mammogram. I was not too worried as I had been monitoring my breasts faithfully through yearly mammograms.… Continue reading
We shake with Joy we shake with joy, we shake with grief. what a time they have, these two housed as they are in the same body. Mary Oliver Adar has an unusual character. First, it is the one month in the Jewish year when we are told “Mishenichnas Adar marbim… Continue reading
This will be my second NYC half and the second time I am running for an incredible cause in memory of an incredible woman. I am once again inspired to undertake this rigorous challenge as I am racing in the memory of one my heroes, my dear mother-in-law Arlene Pinkus in… Continue reading
I never ran, not a mile , not if I was late and probably not even if my life would have depended on it. So why now Why a half Why Sharsheret The answer is: My mom-Solange Oliel. The amazing woman I had the privilege of calling maman. She lived life beautifully and she LOVED. She… Continue reading
Recently, there has been a significant amount of media coverage regarding breast implants and a rare lymphoma that has been found in extremely rare cases called “BIA-ALCL” or Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma. Breast implant-associated anaplastic large… Continue reading
Anger, fear, stress, sadness, and depression. They are just a few of the emotions that accompany a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis. “It's overwhelming to say the least and there's no right or wrong way to come to terms with it, but one thing is for sure, if you or… Continue reading
There’s almost always something good within the bad, “the silver lining”. One week before my 48th birthday, my daughter survived a difficult pregnancy and delivered a beautiful preemie baby boy named Bryce. What a precious gift! He is named after my beloved brother who… Continue reading
Receiving a diagnosis of a serious, chronic condition can feel as though you've been punched in the gut. The second blow comes when you hear how much you’ve got to pay out of pocket for medication. “Cancer and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and Crohn's… Continue reading
After scheduling my first mammogram I did not think much of it for the next few weeks. I am 33 years old, and beginning a twice-yearly routine of breast exams to combat my 30% lifetime risk of breast cancer. This morning I woke up, and as instructed, did not use deodorant, got… Continue reading
I discovered Sharsheret by happenstance, spotting their info-booth in an Atlanta hotel. A month later, I contacted them, eager to tell them about our free stress-buster app, the Breathing Butterfly. People with cancer must have some stress, I imagined. It’s one thing to… Continue reading
