I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 21 years old. Like most 20-somethings, I was innocent, carefree and just trying to figure out my place in this world. Cancer was nowhere close to being on my radar. But before you start throwing me a pity party, don’t. Being diagnosed with breast cancer at 21 hasn’t … Continue reading 5 things I’ve learned fighting breast cancer in my 20s
As a doctor, I’m used to being the one with the answers, the one doing the comforting, the one instilling hope. But as a breast cancer survivor, I also know what it’s like to be on the other side of the equation — to be the one searching for answers, the one in need of … Continue reading When the doctor becomes the breast cancer patient
This is my second year to celebrate that coveted phrase: cancer-free. As a member of the “silent killer club,” every day has new meaning, new celebration and new challenge. Cancer is not a stranger in my family. My dad and one of my brothers died of cancer, and my sister is a metastatic breast cancer … Continue reading How faith and prayer helped me battle stage 4 ovarian cancer
Picture this: I’m cruising along with family, career and all the trimmings. At a routine physical, my doctor says there are some labs he’d like to repeat. They were all normal six months ago, but in two days, he tells me he thinks I have multiple myeloma. Cue all the diagnostic tests you can think … Continue reading Why multiple myeloma will never slow me down
If you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, you’re probably thinking, where do I go from here? As you consider your options for surgery and treatment, you might also be considering breast reconstruction surgery. After a mastectomy, breast reconstruction can help restore your sense of self-image, balance and femininity. But keep in mind that every woman … Continue reading How to know if breast reconstruction is right for you
In my 33 years of life, I’ve worn many hats. I’ve been a student at Pflugerville High School, Texas A&M University and Tarleton State University. I’ve been a high school teacher for 12 years, as well as an assistant principal. I’ve been a wife to my husband, Justin, since November 2007, and am a mother … Continue reading Beating breast cancer at age 30
Dec. 15, 2015, is a day Patrick Koennecke will never forget. Now, he simply refers to it as “the date.” The 60-year-old Waxahachie, Texas, resident and warehouse manager was recovering from major back surgery when he began to notice a pain in his upper stomach on the left side. He described it as a broken … Continue reading Pancreatic cancer survivor thankful for clinical trial that saved his life
It is said that you cannot change your circumstances, so in order to make peace with them, you must change the way you react to them. Receiving a cancer diagnosis was a circumstance that I could not change. The harder I tried to push it away from me, the more fear surrounded the reality that … Continue reading How my cancer diagnosis taught me to live in the present
Today, more and more women are surviving breast cancer, which means more and more are concerned about what life after treatment looks like. It’s a problem created by our own success — because more women are surviving, we’re now looking for ways to support them as they get back to their lives post-cancer. Fighting cancer … Continue reading 5 things you need to know about pregnancy after breast cancer
Winning your battle with breast cancer is a huge victory and while you may just want to get back to the life you had before, you might worry that everything won’t be the same. You could be faced with lingering symptoms or be concerned about a recurrence. Rest assured that your fears and worries are … Continue reading 4 ways survivors can look forward after breast cancer
