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2004, age 34 — this is my story
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Raw October — Day 22 (Body Check Journal)

Posted on 10/22/2012 By

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Raw October: raising breast cancer awareness — one fact, figure, feeling, and photograph at a time.

A friend of mine with a chronically ill child dreamed up the Body Check Journal™, she’s been working tirelessly to bring her vision to life, and now, her creation has launched. Congrats, Dawn!

According to the Body Check crew, this journal “is a simple, easy-to-use communication tool that helps you easily track subtle changes in your child’s body. Armed with consistently tracked data, you are powerfully positioned to work in partnership with medical professionals to indentify and address atypical health issues. The sooner you can understand what is truly happening in your child’s body, the sooner you can address concerns and restore you child to optimal wellness.”

Awesome, huh? And guess what? In January, an adult version of the journal will be available, and that means tracking your own health from breast cancer diagnosis through survival will be so much easier.

Take a tour of the Body Check Journal™ website, which includes a shop, a blog, testimonials, how-to tips, and a space to share your story. See if this tracking tool is up your alley. I’m betting it can only make life easier.

Raw October — Day 4 (Y-ME Closes Shop)

Posted on 10/4/2012 By

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Raw October: raising breast cancer awareness — one fact, figure, feeling, and photograph at a time.

Y-Me, a well-known breast cancer charity known for its 24-hour hotline and annual Mother’s Day walk, was founded nearly 35 years ago by breast cancer survivors Mimi Kaplan and Ann Marcou, who found support in one another and decided to reach out to others. This past July, Y-Me closed its office doors, shut down its website, and stopped taking hotline calls. While some hope this is just a transition, it seems Y-Me cannot financially sustain its existence, and this may be the end of a national organization that held the hands of many, many women and men.

Kids of Cancer Parents Camp For Free

Posted on 2/21/2012 By

4 Comments

This is so very awesome — a free summer camp run by college students for kids with a parent who has (or has had) cancer. Don’t know a whole lot about the camp, but it’s called Camp Kesum, it’s offered in several states (Florida!), and, well, click on the link, see for yourself, then pass it on!

50/50 Does Cancer Good

Posted on 11/5/2011 By

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I don’t watch movies with a very critical eye, and mostly, I don’t really care much if what I see on the big screen matches reality. I’m just happy if films make me think, laugh, learn, and sometimes cry. Tonight, though, I saw 50/50 (about a young man who is diagnosed with cancer and must endure the rigors of fighting it), and it had me thinking for all 100 minutes, “Is this an accurate portrayal of a cancer battle?”

I’m thinking it was.

Not everything mirrored what I personally encountered, but a lot of it did.

Like the blurring effect a crushing diagnosis can have.

Like the chemotherapy infusion room — same pink leathery chairs and same gathering of cancer patients making small talk that turns into something more.

Like the shaving of the hair in preparation of the inevitable.

Like the bald head.

Like the pre-op room, with family standing by the bedside and doctors buzzing around, requesting signatures and pushing drugs that cause sleepiness.

Like the post-op room, with family standing by smiling because the news is hopeful.

Like the therapist still working on her Ph.D., dispensing relaxation techniques and advice and managing anger and frustration.

Like the nausea, the fatigue, the nervousness, the insecurity.

Like the mom who worries and is always ready to help.

There was no actual vomiting for me, no “medical” marijuana, no cheating significant other, no major big meltdown (just a bunch of minor ones), no Seth Rogan funny friend.

Still, the movie rings true.

A lot.

Probably because it’s inspired by a true story and written by the guy who lived it.

(And Seth Rogan really was his funny friend).

1 in 8 Is Not Every Woman’s Risk

Posted on 10/23/2011 By

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I’m not sure why I didn’t fully understand the whole 1 in 8 thing before this week, but, clearly, I did not. Because when my friend who happens to spend his days hunting down a cure for cancer told me that the 1 in 8 chance of getting breast cancer is a lifetime risk and not a risk for every woman at every age, I was sorta shocked. And way relieved.

My friend directed me to the National Cancer Institute, where I located some facts about the often-thrown-around statistic, and here is what I learned:

cancer.gov

If you are 30 years old, you have a 1 in 233 chance of developing breast cancer in the next 10 years, a 1 in 54 chance in the next 20 years, a 1 in 24 chance in the next 30 years, and a 1 in 8 chance in your lifetime.

Did I have a 1 in 8 chance at age 34? Nope. I still got the disease, yes (which means I’m pretty unlucky, I guess), but my chances were not as great as one might believe.

Now, your risk does increase as you age (because, as my friend told me, cancer is mostly a disease of older people), but, still, even a 70-year-old woman has a 1 in 27 chance of getting breast cancer in the next 10 years. Not 1 in 8.

I am not here to minimize in any way the fact that breast cancer strikes far too many women of all ages, and I realize there are risk factors that change the odds listed above, but, I do appreciate a little perspective.

And now, I have some.

The Huffington Post, Published

Posted on 7/30/2011 By

3 Comments

Never did I think creating this blog would lead to so many great writing opportunities. I really only intended to share my story with family and friends so they could keep up with my cancer-surviving progress. Somewhere along the line, though, my little spot on the Internet turned into so much more. See that yellow “My Work” box to the right? (Scroll down a little.) Pretty much everything there was a result of folks finding me here and asking me to write in other places. My most recent “other place” is The Huffington Post / AOL Living:

Breast Cancer — How I Learned to Cope With Hope

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve retold that same story, from different angles,” I told my writer uncle after he complimented me on this piece. He assured me it never gets old, only gets richer with time.

OK, then. I’ll keep writing.

Defeat Cancer Without a Cookie Cutter

Posted on 6/20/2011 By

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Image: cancerbooksource.com

I have a new book, and it’s called “Defeat Cancer: 15 Doctors of Integrative and Naturopathic Medicine Tell You How.” I grabbed this Connie Strasheim paperback from my mailbox one day just as I was taking my boys to flag football practice. In the car went the book, and when I finally plopped down in my red football-mom chair, I cracked open this insightful resource, which kept me reading and wanting to alert anyone who would listen that cancer treatment can involve so much more than cutting, poisoning, and scorching.

I didn’t alert the masses that day, just my husband, who sat captive next to me in his own folding chair, but I intend to share some wisdom right now. So, keep reading, then pass it on.

I guess I should start by saying that I, myself, was cut, poisoned, and scorched. And if I had to do it all over again, I think I would follow a similar path, because ditching conventional treatment altogether just makes me nervous, and I’m afraid the result could be tragic. That’s not to say I don’t believe there’s a place for alternative methods of healing, and that’s why I like my book — it offers 15 different views on conquering cancer, some hard-core anti-traditional ideas, some not so drastic, all eye-opening. Consider these few points:

  • Cookie-cutter treatments do not work for most patients, but that’s kinda what we get in most cancer centers and hospitals. I know I did, and it’s partly why I fired one oncologist and hired another — the first one told me I needed X, Y, and Z, because that’s what the research said I needed. Doc No. 2 said I didn’t need all that she had prescribed. She was a statistics person — if the computer spit out a recommendation, she took it. He was an intuition person. He reviewed my options, shared his thoughts, and together, we picked what seemed most effective for me. It seems to be working, because I’m alive six years later, even after declining a scary drug I knew I didn’t want to take.
  • While conventional medicine has proven useful for treating some cancers, for most types, it doesn’t do so well. More than 250 billion dollars have been spent on cancer research over the past 60 years, and the cure rate hasn’t improved much since 1960. Clearly, something is not right here.
  • Even when traditional treatments are used, they are typically inadequate and lack a holistic approach. What about dietary modifications, for example? Why don’t docs talk much about eating for health and healing?
  • Cancer represents a failure of the immune system. Boosting this system through diet — because we are a far more toxic and nutritionally depleted country than every before — and immune support (oral and IV) can make a difference, maybe even provide a cure.

There is so much more packed into the pages of this book, and I can’t possibly do it service here in this post, which is probably getting a little long, right? Might I recommend you grab yourself a copy, and see for yourself how complex the world of cancer treatment really is. Then, alert the masses, or, well, maybe just whoever sits next to you at your kids’ next sporting event.

Power of Words — 5 Bloggers Who Move Me

Posted on 5/25/2011 By

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Thanks to Trop50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers. This year Trop50 is granting 50 Fabulous Wishes. Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous!

Fabulous bloggers, according to my definition, are folks whose well-written words and pretty photos inspire me to do better, be better, feel better. They are almost always women, and moms, and they work really hard at empowering others. They don’t pretend to be perfect (they sometimes eat donuts, skip workouts, raise voices, and let the laundry pile high). They strive for balance in their crazy days. They make me laugh. And the really, really good ones give away lots of free stuff. There are five fab bloggers in my world. Here they are:

in HIS grace is a newbie to me, a blog I just recently stumbled upon, by way of a friend. WOW is what I have to say about Chrissie Grace, a way-clever, stay-at-home mother of four, plus artist, author, and poet. Chrissie chronicles her everyday life and amazing projects with few words and many photos (I love that!). Bonus: she links to her etsy shop, so all the rockin’ projects featured on her blog can be located and purchased with just a few clicks. One of my faves is this print:

Click on image!

Because she does pretty things with food, is tech/social media-savvy, and homeschools her kids (anyone who can do that for longer than half a day is, in my book, a hero), Christine and her ColorMePink blog rank right up there with the best of the best. I mean, the blog is pink, for one, and her presentation is slick, and there’s just such a wide variety of good stuff, I keep going back. And to think I might have never found this wonder woman had I not met her hubby, the money man at a Honda dealership, the day I bought a minivan. We talked blogging, he passed me her business card, and the rest is hisherstory.

MizFit keeps me coming back, too. Recently named People’s Choice winner of the Fila Toning Real Women model casting call, this muscle momma is a rock star. She takes healthy eating and purposeful exercising and makes them seem so achievable.  She is smart, witty, beautiful, and she knows her subject well (before and after photos prove it). No surprise she has a dedicated following. Not just on her blog, though — the girl tears things up on Facebook and Twitter, too! She is a force, for sure!

Then there’s fitness guru Fitz, who first met me in her home gym, where she brought me back from the brink. Still in treatment for breast cancer, she took my weak, dizzy, bloated, blah self and morphed it into something strong and healthy. She convinced me I could run, when I swore I could not, and then she joined me for a Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K months later. Last year, I ran a half marathon, and yea, I think she had something do with major feat! OK, so back to the whole blog thing: Fitz has a blog, where she offers tips for optimal living, glimpses into the lives of fit celebs, and there’s never a shortage of giveaways (I just happened to win one — ChopKeeper cutting boards are all mine!)

Click on image!

Finally, my last fave: One in a Million, because I have a thing for the power of words, and this blog is full of words that make me smile. That’s the point, says blogger Sara Louise, who calls her little spot on the Internet, “a place to come when you really need to smile.” (Sara crafts her blog for herself and her mom, who has a rare cancer that can’t be cured.) *Be warned: the F-word sometimes appears on this site, but only in the most inspirational of ways, of course.

Don’t forget to enter the 50 Fabulous Wishes contest for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous. I was selected for this Tropicana Trop50 sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. I received compensation to use and facilitate my post.

50 Best Cancer Blogs

Posted on 3/1/2011 By

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Photo: ~Xu Trang Nguyen, Flickr

Thank you for landing at my blog! While here, I hope you’ll find plenty of information, inspiration, and hope. But don’t stop with just my site, because there are so many great nuggets of goodness out there on the topic of cancer, and the fantastic folks at NursingSchools.net have complied a list of the 50 best blogs for cancer support. All for you. And me. And anyone who needs a one-stop shop for locating lots of wisdom.

So, take a tour through my place, and then start connecting with all the others out there who have powerful stories to share.

Feel-Good Finds: Skin Cream / Giveaway

Posted on 11/27/2010 By

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Welcome to Feel-Good Finds, a series of posts featuring items and products that can cheer you up, calm your mind, and soothe your soul. Whether you’re muddling through cancer treatment or just braving the occasional bad day, pick-me-ups are key. Here, I review all things happy and hopeful. (And sometimes when I’m blessed with extra goodies, I’ll even give them away!)

dermagenics.com

If youthful, healthy, wrinkle-free skin makes you feel good, then DERMAGENICS might be the magic bullet for beating your blues.

My mom (she’s my go-to product tester girl) really likes the Collagen Recovery Cream, and she thinks you might, too.

Here’s why:

It’s soft, smooth, and not greasy at all; it has a pleasant fragrance; it feels light on the skin; and it features a slight tingle that is refreshingly nice.

According to the DERMAGENICS website, Collagen Recovery Cream hydrates, improves, and repairs skin texture, health, and appearance. Ingredients are natural and do not include alcohol, formaldehyde, fragrance, dyes, phthalates, alpha hydroxys, or glycolic acid.

Bonus: it effectively heals radiation and chemotherapy damaged skin.

This isn’t the only DERMAGENICS product, though. There is also an option for women seeking an anti-aging potion, and one for men, too!

Maybe you don’t want to jump right into a purchase, but you still want to give DERMAGENCIS a try. Well, that’s what giveaways are for, and two of you can win a 30-day supply just by entering the contest below.

  • Leave a comment and tell us what you’d like to win: the women’s anti-aging moisturizer, the collagen recovery cream, or the men’s anti-aging cream.
  • Leave your comment no later than 5PM ET on Saturday, December 4, 2010.
  • You may enter only once.
  • Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, who are 18 and older.
  • Two winners will be selected in a random drawing via random.org.
  • Two winners will receive one jar of DERMAGENICS cream (value, $85).
  • Winners will be notified by email, so make sure to check next week to find out if you’ve won!

46NYC Shirt — I Love You!

Posted on 10/23/2010 By

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www.46nyc.com

I kind of love this shirt. Saw it on the Today Show yesterday, then hunted around for it online. Found it — on this 46NYC site. I like the brown color, the pink ribbon, the fact that the shirt is fitted and not floppy, and $6 from each t-shirt purchase goes to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation — a bonus!

At first glance, I was a bit thrown off by the number 46 on the shirt. Wasn’t sure what the significance was, and pictured myself walking around in this fashionable piece only to turn up all sorts of questions, namely: “What does the 46 mean?”

Figured it out. And now I like the shirt even more.

Say the three cute guys who founded 46NYC:

46 was inspired by the desire to do something worthwhile and creative. It is an effort to make a difference in the fight to improve the lives of children worldwide. We are in the process of developing additional programs like the en46le & lov46le projects. Our commitment is to give 4 the benefit of these 6 areas of need.

And the needs are:

Disease
Abuse
Poverty
Birth defects
Nutrition
Education

Yep, love this shirt.

How about you?

Shame on ‘The Big C’

Posted on 10/22/2010 By

6 Comments

I’ve never seen the TV show “The Big C.” That’s because it’s on Showtime, and we have el-cheapo cable at our house. I’d tune in if we did get it, because I really like to analyze how cancer is depicted when it’s unraveled on television and in movies.

That’s what “The Big C” is about — cancer. Since I can’t comment on it, though, how about I share someone else’s take?

OK. I’ll do that.

Writer Mary Valle’s “That’s Cancertainment” reveals that she’s not all that happy about media portrayals of cancer. She, herself a breast cancer survivor, believes shows like “The Big C,” and other outlets for communicating with the public, glamorize the disease, when really, it’s not all that pretty.

Pretty hot, eh?

Ads for “The Big C” have actress Laura Linney “in the top part of an hourglass, in a come-hither pose, high heels kicked up behind her, lookin’ all smug and sexy with a beach ball,” writes Valle. “The sand is, of course, running into the bottom of the glass. Because she has cancer, get it? Time is running out! But the look on her face says ‘Oh my God, you guys, the cancer? Is totally scary? But now that I might die sooner rather than later? I am having a total blast! It’s weirdly kinda fun (and sexy!)’”

Valle understands that disease can be a great opportunity for personal growth and liberation. What she doesn’t get: the suggestion that it’s actually fun, and sexy.

“Cancer is bad enough without feeling exploited on top of it,” she declares.

Shame on Showtime — not because I have personally experienced their inaccuracies, but because Valle has. And I think her concerns are right on!

GroupMe: Free Way to Share Cancer Udates

Posted on 10/20/2010 By

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This is pretty cool: There’s a new service available called GroupMe that allows for free group texting. Basically, you can get a free phone number to which you can add group members. When you text the number, it gets sent to everyone in the group, and when you call the number, it calls everyone.

Awesome tool for coordinating your party RSVPs, determining who will bring what to the weekend BBQ, working out that carpool schedule, and guess what? It works for cancer patients, too. Just type one text, or get a whole bunch of pals on the phone, and communicate your message one time — no need to repeat the same story about surgery, or your first chemo infusion, or your bald head over and over again (all that repetition can be pretty draining, believe me).

Cancer patient Scott Lawrence writes here about his GroupMe experience: GroupMe Stories: Scott Lawrence

Like?

Give it a try.

Then, let us know how it goes!

Eggland’s Best Heart Healthy Pumpkin Bread: We Made It, We Ate It

Posted on 10/18/2010 By

2 Comments

pink-dozen-logo-100jd092910It doesn’t take much for me to dive into anything with pumpkin as a main ingredient (Mmm!), so when I stumbled upon Eggland’s Best Heart Healthy Pumpkin bread recipe, it wasn’t long before I was jetting to the grocery store for all the goods to make this scrumptious creation, then assembling in my kitchen with my two assistants, sifting and mixing and baking up a storm.

Me and my two assistants!

Me and my two assistants!

Now, we’re pretty nutritious eaters in our house (breast cancer scared us healthy!), so this recipe made the cut. Check this out:

Nutritional Facts

1 Serving: Calories 123; Fat 1g (8.3% calories from fat); Protein 3g; Carbohydrate 26g; Dietary Fiber 3g; Cholesterol 35mg; Sodium 354mg.

We also like things pretty simple. Score again for this recipe, which didn’t frustrate us at all. It made us pretty happy, actually, especially when this masterpiece emerged from the oven:

Heart Healthy Pumpkin Bread!

Heart Healthy Pumpkin Bread!

I wish this yummy goodness was still around, but it’s not. Nope. Gone. Ate it all. And planning already for when we’ll make another batch.

If you want to try your hand at this recipe (it’s easy, I promise), everything you need to know follows.

2 large Eggland's Best eggs

2 large Eggland's Best eggs

Ingredients

  • 7 1/2 oz. canned pumpkin
  • 2 large Eggland’s Best eggs
  • 1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preparation

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9×5 loaf pan.
  • In a large bowl, mix pumpkin puree, eggs, applesauce, water, and sugar.
  • In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. When dry ingredients are evenly mixed, mix into the wet ingredients while stirring.
  • Stir only until no more dry ingredients can be seen, but take care not to over mix. Pour batter into pans.
  • Bake until a knife in the center comes out barely wettened, or about 50 minutes.
  • Let sit in pan for 10 minutes and then remove.

Yield

Makes 12 servings

Credit for this recipe goes to Evan Thomas, Eggland’s Best Holiday Recipe Contest Winner.

This post is sponsored by Eggland’s Best. I received monetary compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.

Face Your Fears With The Courage Companion: Giveaway

Posted on 10/13/2010 By

4 Comments

the-courage-companion-178jd

amazon.com

Today is National Face Your Fears Day, and this fine October 13 is intended to push you to discover more about yourself and your fears and learn a thing or two about how you can handle the obstacles that render you frozen. Here are some ideas, compliments of Face Your Fears Today:

Devour Your Fear?Spell out your fear in your favorite bite-sized food (peanuts, M&Ms, Skittles, peas, etc.) and then eat your fear.
Torch Your Fear
Write down your fear(s) on a sheet of paper.  Then, hold it over your outdoor grill and burn it up.  Poof!  It’s gone.
Cut Your Fear to Shreds ?In case you suffer from pyrophobia (fear of fire), simply write down your fears and cut them into a million pieces. Then, boldly toss the pieces into your trash can.
  • Get In The Mood?Listen to upbeat positive music, watch movies about others who have triumphed over the obstacles in their lives, or simply talk to someone who has already been where you want to go.Devour Your Fear?Spell out your fear in your favorite bite-sized food (peanuts, M&Ms, Skittles, peas, etc.) and then eat your fear.
  • Devour Your Fear?Spell out your fear in your favorite bite-sized food (peanuts, M&Ms, Skittles, peas, etc.) and then eat your fear.

Devour Your Fear
Spell out your fear in your favorite bite-sized food (peanuts, M&Ms, Skittles, peas), and then eat your fear.

Torch Your Fear
Write down your fear(s) on a sheet of paper. Then, hold it over your outdoor grill and burn it up. Poof! Gone.

Cut Your Fear to Shreds
In case you suffer from pyrophobia (fear of fire), simply write down your fears and cut them into a million pieces. Then, boldly toss the pieces into your trash can.

Get In The Mood
Listen to upbeat positive music, watch movies about others who have triumphed over the obstacles in their lives, or simply talk to someone who has already been where you want to go.

OR, you could check out the new book, “The Courage Companion.”

Released today, “The Courage Companion,” written by Nina Lesowitz and Mary Beth Sammons, feautures stories of ordinary people who have found extraordinary ways to tap in to the fortitude within.

“Courageous people feel their fear but take action anyway,” write the authors, who also believe these folks “pay attention to the tiny little-engine-that-could voice inside them that says, ‘I think I can, I think I can,’ even when they are trembling in fear.”

This book would be an inspiring addition to your library, and of course, it’s a perfect book to give away! Here’s how you can try to snag one!

  • Leave a comment and name your fear (mine? mostly, that if I let myself sit still, I won’t get everything done!)
  • Leave your comment no later than 5PM ET on Wednesday, October 20, 2010.
  • You may enter only once.
  • Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, who are 18 and older.
  • One winner will be selected in a random drawing via random.org.
  • One winner will receive one book, valued at $15.95.
  • Winners will be notified by email, so make sure to check next week to find out if you’ve won!

Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book Goes to Margaret

Posted on 10/13/2010 By

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Congrats to reader Margaret, who won Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book! Margaret shared in her entry: “I would love to have this as my ‘go to’ book. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2010, just finished my radiation treatments and have just started hormone therapy. So many changes in such a short time, it would also be helpful in educating my two wonderful daughters.”

You will soon have the breast cancer world at your fingertips, Margaret. Happy reading!

Julie Clark: On Cancer and Making Kids Smile

Posted on 10/10/2010 By

2 Comments

Tell us a little about your life at the time you were diagnosed?
I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, at the age of 37. My life was stressful, but terrific. I had sold Baby Einstein to Disney and was financially lucky, and I was in the midst of filming a video for my new company, The Safe Side. I was raising my daughters, and I was happy and healthy. I ate well and worked out most days.
Can you share a bit about your diagnoses and treatments?
When I found the lump in my breast the first time, I was ‘lucky’ because the disease was stage 1. The tumor was under 1cm in size, and it had not visibly spread to my lymph nodes. Though a lumpectomy was recommended, I opted for a double mastectomy. I was devastated by the cancer, and wanted to assure that this would never happen to me again.
Unfortunately, it still did. In 2008 I found another small lump on my chest wall. When I learned that the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes and liver, I was in shock. I heard the words Stage 4 in relation to me, and I couldn’t believe it. I did chemo and Herceptin (another cancer treatment) for five months, and came out with no evidence of disease — the best news I could expect. Now it’s about maintenance. Trying to stay in this place. I had my ovaries out, because my cancer was estrogen positive. I take a medication called Femara to help shut down any additional estrogen from my body. I have osteoporosis in my spine and neck from early, forced menopause, but I’m here. And thankful to be so.
How old were your kids when you were first diagnosed, and how did they handle the cancer news?
They were six and nine the first time, and eleven and thirteen the second time. The first time they were young, and I was really optimistic that I’d caught it early and eradicated it. The second time was harder. They were older, and had a better understanding of what it could mean. They knew people died from cancer. And chemotherapy was worse to watch than surgery, because I really looked sick. That’s when I saw the need for a book like You Are the Best Medicine.
How did you deal with having a recurrence (mentally, physically and emotionally)?
Anxiety. Fear. Depression. Shock. I still feel these emotions, but I also feel hopeful. I feel grateful for the beautiful life that I have, and lucky to have my current health status.
What “aha” moment led you to write “You Are the Best Medicine”?
I’ve never seen myself as a very brave person. I don’t deal well with physical pain. But I knew that I would be brave and strong because I wanted to be around for my children, and I wanted them to know how much they were a part of my strength and hope. I wrote the book because I wanted to give other people with cancer a way to tell their children the same important message.
What do you hope is the end result of having written this book?
I hope it will help kids understand how much their love means. And I hope to raise $100,000 for the research team at UCLA, to help with their incredible work in finding a cure for all cancers.
Since you have accomplished so much, what do you hope will be your greatest legacy one day?
Julie Clark made children smile.
Julie Clark

Julie Clark

Julie Clark (you know, Baby Einstein Julie Clark!) recently worked with me on a giveaway of her new children’s book, ”You Are the Best Medicine,” and then she kindly answered some questions for me about her breast cancer journey. What follows is what Julie has to say about being diagnosed with cancer — twice — and how important kids (hers and yours!) are in her life.

Tell us a little about your life at the time you were diagnosed?

I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, at the age of 37. My life was stressful, but terrific. I had sold Baby Einstein to Disney and was financially lucky, and I was in the midst of filming a video for my new company, The Safe Side. I was raising my daughters, and I was happy and healthy. I ate well and worked out most days.

Can you share a bit about your diagnoses and treatments?

When I found the lump in my breast the first time, I was ‘lucky’ because the disease was stage 1. The tumor was under 1cm in size, and it had not visibly spread to my lymph nodes. Though a lumpectomy was recommended, I opted for a double mastectomy. I was devastated by the cancer, and wanted to assure that this would never happen to me again.

Unfortunately, it still did. In 2008 I found another small lump on my chest wall. When I learned that the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes and liver, I was in shock. I heard the words Stage 4 in relation to me, and I couldn’t believe it. I did chemo and Herceptin (another cancer treatment) for five months, and came out with no evidence of disease — the best news I could expect. Now it’s about maintenance. Trying to stay in this place. I had my ovaries out, because my cancer was estrogen positive. I take a medication called Femara to help shut down any additional estrogen from my body. I have osteoporosis in my spine and neck from early, forced menopause, but I’m here. And thankful to be so.

How old were your kids when you were first diagnosed, and how did they handle the cancer news?

They were six and nine the first time, and eleven and thirteen the second time. The first time they were young, and I was really optimistic that I’d caught it early and eradicated it. The second time was harder. They were older, and had a better understanding of what it could mean. They knew people died from cancer. And chemotherapy was worse to watch than surgery, because I really looked sick. That’s when I saw the need for a book like “You Are the Best Medicine.”

How did you deal with having a recurrence (mentally, physically and emotionally)?

Anxiety. Fear. Depression. Shock. I still feel these emotions, but I also feel hopeful. I feel grateful for the beautiful life that I have, and lucky to have my current health status.

What “aha” moment led you to write “You Are the Best Medicine”?

I’ve never seen myself as a very brave person. I don’t deal well with physical pain. But I knew that I would be brave and strong because I wanted to be around for my children, and I wanted them to know how much they were a part of my strength and hope. I wrote the book because I wanted to give other people with cancer a way to tell their children the same important message.

What do you hope is the end result of having written this book?

I hope it will help kids understand how much their love means. And I hope to raise $100,000 for the research team at UCLA, to help with their incredible work in finding a cure for all cancers.

Since you have accomplished so much, what do you hope will be your greatest legacy one day?

Julie Clark made children smile.

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