National Cancer Survivors Day is around the corner on Sunday, June 7 and it marks a day of celebration. Yet, at the same time, it can evoke so many emotions as survivors reflect on all they have experienced since being diagnosed with cancer. More so, it can also be a reminder of the uncertain journey ahead. Many survivors ask, "What will my future look like?"
Many aspects of a cancer survivor's life have been forever altered and the medical community is now more than ever is recognizing the need to provide individuals with a Cancer Survivorship Plan (CSP). In 2005, it was first recommended by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council to provide a CSP to be written by the provider that coordinated the oncology treatment.
The American Cancer Society estimates they are approximately 14.5 million people with a history of cancer living in the United States. People are living longer after a cancer diagnosis because of advances in early detection and treatment. They expect by 2024, the population of cancer survivors will increase to almost 19 million. According to Cure Magazine, as the number of survivors continues to increase, the number of oncologists can't keep pace; meaning fewer oncologists and primary care physicians will be involved with long-term follow-up care. Therefore, it means that survivors need to become their own advocates.
I have listened with so many survivors talk about the winding and often bumpy road their cancer experience takes them on. Most survivors desperately want to resume their normal routines but that isn't always easy. According to Susan Leigh, a Cancer Survivorship Consultant and Founding Member of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship said, "After a cancer diagnosis, individuals and loved ones begin a journey of survival through stages that require different choices, decisions and resources. A shift from passive patient to proactive survivor helps foster a sense of hopefulness and cautious optimism when planning for life, though and beyond cancer."
Cancer survivors often tell us there are many debilitating emotions that accompany a cancer diagnosis such as, depression, anxiety and fear of occurrence. By advocating for themselves, survivors feel more empowered to live their best life. Cancer becomes their 'wake-up' call and it's not unusual to see a cancer survivor who has changed the direction of their lives by improving relationships, volunteering, embarking on a new career or pursuing their dreams. Since we established Friends of Mel in 2006, I've been amazed to see how many cancer survivors have founded non-profit organizations and many others that choose to volunteer - through that process cancer becomes secondary and giving back becomes their passion.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Woman credits ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ with saving her life after breast cancer diagnosis
An Israeli woman who was originally cleared for cancer after a routine breast exam says the TV show “Grey’s Anatomy” compelled her to return to the doctor— which ultimately saved her life, the Times of Israel reported.
Sarit Fishbaine, 34, a marketing director from south Israel, watched the show about six months after her first breast exam and felt the episode had an important message for her. In the episode, the fifth in the third season of the series, a young mother arrives at Seattle Grace Hospital to have a mastectomy done after doctors mistook her breast cancer for milk collecting in her breast.
“I couldn’t fall asleep that night — it felt like a huge warning sign,” Fishbaine told Yahoo Parenting. “I had stopped nursing a few months prior and my breast tissue had softened up, but there was definitely a lump on my left breast.”
Fishbaine sought a second opinion with a separate specialist the next day, and the doctor sent her for an urgent mammogram and biopsy, which revealed she had developed stage 3 breast cancer that spread to her lymph nodes, TimesOfIsrael.com reported. According to the American Cancer Society, stage 3 breast cancer has a five-year relative survival rate of 72 percent.
After undergoing chemotherapy, radiation and a mastectomy of her left breast, Fishbaine was completely cleared of the cancer, the news website reported.
Fishbaine told her story on her Facebook page on Sunday.
“Television isn’t educational. Television rots our brains. Watching television is a complete waste of time,” she wrote, before explaining her story of watching “Greys” then getting a second opinion on her health. “This is what can happen when you enjoy watching television. So remember— television isn’t educational,” she concluded.
Shonda Rhimes, creator of “Greys,” shared the Yahoo story on her own Facebook page with the caption “Humbling….” The post had nearly 4,960 likes as of Wednesday afternoon.
Sarit Fishbaine, 34, a marketing director from south Israel, watched the show about six months after her first breast exam and felt the episode had an important message for her. In the episode, the fifth in the third season of the series, a young mother arrives at Seattle Grace Hospital to have a mastectomy done after doctors mistook her breast cancer for milk collecting in her breast.
“I couldn’t fall asleep that night — it felt like a huge warning sign,” Fishbaine told Yahoo Parenting. “I had stopped nursing a few months prior and my breast tissue had softened up, but there was definitely a lump on my left breast.”
Fishbaine sought a second opinion with a separate specialist the next day, and the doctor sent her for an urgent mammogram and biopsy, which revealed she had developed stage 3 breast cancer that spread to her lymph nodes, TimesOfIsrael.com reported. According to the American Cancer Society, stage 3 breast cancer has a five-year relative survival rate of 72 percent.
After undergoing chemotherapy, radiation and a mastectomy of her left breast, Fishbaine was completely cleared of the cancer, the news website reported.
Fishbaine told her story on her Facebook page on Sunday.
“Television isn’t educational. Television rots our brains. Watching television is a complete waste of time,” she wrote, before explaining her story of watching “Greys” then getting a second opinion on her health. “This is what can happen when you enjoy watching television. So remember— television isn’t educational,” she concluded.
Shonda Rhimes, creator of “Greys,” shared the Yahoo story on her own Facebook page with the caption “Humbling….” The post had nearly 4,960 likes as of Wednesday afternoon.
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