By Dani Romano I took a picture of my healing body today. I had my medi-port (IV port) taken out three mornings ago. (I thanked my port in pre-op before it was removed.) The picture I took just now shows a multitude of colors as the bruising spreads from where the port used to be. Much of it is hidden under the suture cover, which is also covered with medical glue. It is an interesting array of colors. It would probably gross some people out. To me it is beautiful. It is my time to heal. Cancer “recovery” (for lack of a better word) is a difficult time and most would probably say, “You healed from a list of things over the last two years, Dani; why do you say NOW is your time to heal?” Sure. It has been a long two years, with many, many things to heal from. And obvious physical things: IV chemotherapy, immunotherapy, procedures, hospitalizations, surgery, radiation, oral chemo. But I did not and still do not consider that I was healing after any of those things. Let me explain. While I was undergoing a long course of radiation, it got to the point where my skin was falling off, like in small chunks in the shower. Sure the skin started to grow back and the colors lightened and lightened, but at no time while crying over what was left on the shower floor did I feel like, “Wow, look at that, I am healing!” IV chemo, immunotherapy, and oral chemo (well, what I was able to tolerate before my liver caused a quick stop) destroyed many things in my body, and I am now in the process of seeing a myriad of doctors to try to fix as much of that as I can, so did I see myself healing from that? Nope. But now, as I pass my two-year mark of my diagnosis date and have had my port removed, I see this beautiful bruising changing each day and say, “It is now finally, FINALLY, my time to HEAL.” Read More: Cancer Sucks, and That’s Okay Moving forward but not moving on… Once a Patient, Always a Patient On the Podcast: Breast Cancer Conversations 11 Years of Survivorship: A Breast Cancer Survivor’s Story Share your story, poetry, or art: https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/submit-breast-cancer-story SurvivingBreastCancer.org Resources & Support: Podcast Weekly Meetups Free Events

By Brookshire McDonald I thought I didn’t have words for a poem But found out I was wrong. That would have been true If I were writing a song. The “Write a Poem Month” Is now upon us; So with pen in hand I’ll begin Without a fuss. SBC has grown rapidly As the years passed by. Now it’s time to reveal Just exactly why. William and Laura had a dream They wanted to come true, So they embraced many avenues For me and for you. Their plan expanded Along the way Until it overflowed As recently as today. Thousands have a brighter future As they wasted not a second to spare. Through education, support groups, and advocating They did share. Everyone has gained much hope To which to cling As additional support They did bring. So to “April is Write a Poem Month” I would like to add Words of happiness That have made us glad. A “Celebration Day” to include A “Thank You” too For the works you’ve done To make your dreams come true. “Thank you” for your time, your talents, And your vision for all The dream you had for sure Was very tall. William and Laura I’d like to call this A “Day of Honor” for each of you As we’ve been witness To your dreams coming true. For those whose lives Have benefited from it, We send continued wishes And love that will never quit. Brookshire McDonald, Patron Saint For April 26, 2024 SBC “Write a Poem Month” Share your poetry: https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/submit-breast-cancer-story SurvivingBreastCancer.org Resources & Support: Podcast Weekly Meetups Free Events

By Mandy Richardson My diagnosis came as a shock, as I think it does for many people. I was still young. I was actively breastfeeding. And I was relatively healthy. I remember, a couple of times, being told by someone that they wished they could take the cancer for me. As moving as that sentiment was, I didn’t wish that. 1. I wouldn’t wish a cancer diagnosis or treatment on my worst enemy. 2. I knew I was in what you could probably call the best position to fight and beat it. I had my “youth” and “health” going for me. And I think you could see that in how my body handled the chemo. I was tired. Very tired. But I didn’t get physically sick, or have the joint pain that so often goes along with Adriamycin/Cytoxan (AC) chemo. But I also knew a little bit about fighting, and advocating for myself. My self-advocacy started before my cancer diagnosis, when I was facing fertility challenges. When I couldn’t sustain a pregnancy, after two years, I asked to see a fertility specialist. At first, I was denied by my current OBGYN. While I was told the rule of thumb was to see a specialist if I couldn’t get pregnant within a year, I was simultaneously told that didn’t apply to me because I COULD get pregnant, I just couldn’t sustain it. I called the office and told the receptionist to never schedule me with that doctor again, then requested an appointment with the office’s physician that usually handled infertility cases. He agreed to see me. Not long after that, after yet another miscarriage, I was with yet another doctor and asked about any connection between thyroid disorders and miscarriages. I was told that’s not likely. I hadn’t had my thyroid checked since before getting pregnant with my oldest, but I knew I had a family history of thyroid problems. I told him I had good insurance, and I wanted my bloodwork done. Sure enough, my thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels came back incredibly high. I started seeing a specialist at an actual infertility clinic, and my reproductive endocrinologist started me on medications for the first time ever to treat hypothyroidism. That story had a happy ending, and we welcomed our little rainbow baby in October 2020. Advocating for yourself is a lot like giving yourself grace. So often, we’re asked, would you talk to a friend going through something similar the same way you talked to yourself? It may, at times, be easy to see that a friend or relative needs to push for a second opinion, yet when it comes to ourselves, there are at least a dozen reasons we might tell ourselves not to. We’re too busy; we don’t have time for that. We trust our original doctors at their word. So-and-so had the “same thing” and was just fine. Sometimes we really just don’t want to know. Deep down, we know there’s a journey ahead and we’d rather stay off that road. But if a second opinion is only an “opinion,” that means that’s all the first was as well. Don’t accept an opinion. Make them give you the facts. And if they can’t, then they need to get them. This experience came into play later on during my breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. For more on this part of my story, check out my previous blog post: Breast Cancer at 33: A Young Mom’s Story of Self-Advocacy. I wouldn’t, in a million years, wish that someone else would go through my experience for me. It was a hard road, and certainly not one I ever want to travel again. But I fought, and I won, and I learned so much about my own strength and resilience in the process. While I would often joke that “my body hates me” or “my body tried to kill me,” it’s also gotten me through all of that stuff. I’d still rather be me. Check out Mandy’s other blog posts: Breast Cancer at 33: A Young Mom’s Story of Self-Advocacy Once a Patient, Always a Patient Read More: Breast Cancer in Young Women: Common Questions Answered The Role of Hormones in Breast Cancer Why A Second Opinion Matters for Breast Cancer On the Podcast: Breast Cancer Conversations Young and Diagnosed: A Journey to Motherhood & Parenting with Triple Positive Breast Cancer Share your story, poetry, or art: https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/submit-breast-cancer-story SurvivingBreastCancer.org Resources & Support: Podcast Weekly Meetups Free Events

Breast Cancer Book Club Where we read books that have nothing to do with cancer! Become a Clubber Upcoming Events Multiple Dates Breast Cancer Book Club Sun, Jun 02 Online Jun 02, 2024, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT Online Jun 02, 2024, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT Online Each month, the Breast Cancer Book Club chooses a book that has nothing to do with breast cancer. Share RSVP Our Current Book Pick of the Month Non of this is true by Lisa Jewell The Breast Cancer Book Club™ is a monthly virtual book club for breast cancer patients and survivors. Unlike the traditional support group, where breast cancer is the usual topic of discussion, this book club is designed to take our minds OFF of cancer, while still providing opportunities for support and connection! ​ When do we meet?​ The Book Club meets the first Sunday of every month at 11 am ET. You are welcome to join each month or pick and choose your month based on your availability and the book we are reading. ​ How do I know what book to read? During our Sunday virtual Book Club, we will announce the next book the group will be reading. Once announced, the information will be published on our website. You can purchase the book and join the discussion the following month. ​ Membership Membership is free! Those who join the Breast Cancer Book Club™ are encouraged to follow our Instagram Account as well as get involved in the weekly discussions through our private online group. ​ Who are the moderators? Our Breast Cancer Book Club™ is spearheaded by Dr. Jandie Schwartz, D.O. , Fellow Breast Surgical Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and is supported by Dr. Carole Weaver, Ph. D. and best selling Author as well as the team at Survivingbreastcancer.org ​ How do I sign up ?​ It's easy! Each month, we will have that month's book club published on our Event's Page . Just RSVP and you will receive the zoom link to attend the meeting. ​ Support Our Book Club! Your donation enables us to provide books to those diagnosed with breast cancer at no cost to the patient. We firmly believe in access to services and resources and breaking down those financial barriers. thank you for your support. DONATE TO THE BOOK CLUB Join the Breast Cancer Book Club Community~ Membership FREE Come Join Us The First Sunday of Every Month at 11 AM ET May 2024: None of this is True by Lisa Jewell April 2024: The Women by Kristin Hannah March 2024: Trust, by Hernan Diaz February 2024: Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld January 2024: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt December 2023: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear November 2023: West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. October 2023: Sisters: A Novel by Daisy Jonshon September 2023: Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life August 2023: One Italian Summer: A Novel by Rebecca Serle July 2023: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone: A Novel by Benjamin Stevenson June 2023: The Paper Palace: A Novel by Miranda Cowley Heller May 2023: Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus April 2023: American Spy by Lauren Wilkerson March 2023: Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford February 2023: Our Missing Hearts, by Celeste Ng January 2023: Atlas of the Heart A Novel by Celeste Ng December 2022: Atlas of the Heart, by Brené Brown November 2022: It All Comes Back to You, by Beth Duke October 2022: The Maid by Nita Prose September 2022: The Twentieth Wife, by Indu Sundaresan August 2022: The Reading List, by Sara Nisha Adams July 2022: All's Well, by Mona Awad June 2022: The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley May 2022: The Lions of Fifth Avenue, by Fiona Davis April 2022: The Push, by Ashley Audrain March 2022: A Woman of No Importance, by Sonia Purnell February 2022: The Spanish Love Deception, by Elena Armas January 2022: Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions, by Brian Christian December 2021 The Last Thing he Told Me by Laura Dave November 2021: Life is So Good October 2021: Life Is So Good, by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman September 2021: The Flatshare, by Beth O'Leary August 2021: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain July 2021: The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah June 2021: The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett May 2021: A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman April 2021: American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins March 2021: Is This Anything, by Jerry Seinfeld February 2021: The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant January 2021: Joyful, by Ingrid Fetell Lee December 2020: Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens November 2020: A Most Beautiful Thing, by Arshay Cooper Breast Cancer Book Club™ List Pick Your Own Book

Partnerships Make It Possible For All Of Us To Bloom Breast Cancer is a 'wicked' problem. Wicked problems are challenges with many interdependent factors making them seem impossible to solve. Solving wicked problems requires a deep understanding of the stakeholders involved, and an innovative approach. ​ The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target a one-third reduction in non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality between the years 2015 and 2030. Cancer accounts for 22% of NCD deaths, and breast cancer is the leading global cause of female cancer mortality, despite its high survivability. ​ Given the social and economic burden of cancer, reducing the global cancer and NCD burden is a prerequisite for addressing social and economic inequity, stimulating economic growth and accelerating sustainable development. ​ Let's develop wicked solutions together to solve some of the world's most challenging problems Our Partners Become a Partner. Explore the many ways you can partner with Survivingbreastcancer.org through non-profit alliances to cause-related marketing opportunities. Just like no one tumor or diagnosis is the same, neither are the personal relationships that we develop with our partners.

Meet the Team Medical Advisory Board Laura Carfang, M.A., Ed.D. Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder, Board Member Laura@survivingbreastcancer.org William Laferriere, MBA Chief Visionary Officer & VP Business Development Co-Founder, Board Member William@survivingbreastcancer.org Kathleen Boyle, Ph.D. Board Member Abigail Johnston, J.D. Board Member Abigail@survivingbreastcancer.org Board of Directors Meghann Sweeney, J.D. Board Member Tony Carfang, MBA Board Member Dr. Amy Commander, MD Medical Director, Mass General Cancer Center-Waltham Director, Breast Oncology Program at Newton-Wellesley Hospital Director, Lifestyle Medicine Dr. Rachel Jimenez, MD Dr. Rachel Jimenz,, MD Associate Program Director, Harvard Radiation Oncology Residency Program Dr. Jandie Posner Surgical Oncology Dr. Sandra Naaman Endocrinology, Hypertension Specialist, Women’s Health, Breast Cancer Survivorship University of Chicago Medicine Brenda Coronado CPIM Director of Community Engagement & Hispanic Outreach Brenda@survivingbreastcancer.org Lourdes Heras MPH Director of Community Engagement & Hispanic Outreach Lourdes@survivingbreastcancer.org Meghan McCallum Executive Assistant for SBC Meghan@survivingbreastcancer.org Elisa Herrera Director of Programs and Events Elisa@survivingbreastcancer.org Ana Quintero Marketing and PR Specialist Ana@survivingbreastcancer.org Meet the SBC Team