Are New Breast Screening Recommendations Hit or Miss-Guide(d)lines?

When I heard the news that the American Cancer Society revised its guidelines for mammograms and clinical breast exams I thought about my friend Julie. She was diagnosed at the age of 44 with stage 4 breast cancer and died two years later. No family history; average risk. A mammogram found Julie’s tumor. Under the new guidelines Julie may not have had that mammogram. Neither would have other women I know diagnosed in their early 40s with early stage breast cancer who are still alive thanks to early detection. Despite criticisms that mammograms can result in false positive reports, especially for younger women who

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Getting Things Off My Chest: Give Yourself Permission!

I recently had the opportunity to check something off my travel “bucket list”- hunting for Mother’s Nature’s black and white diamonds in Italy. (aka truffles). The season for the best truffles is short, October to December, and restaurants around the country lure devoted fans with pricey “truffle dinners.” I’ve only enjoyed truffles shaved over dishes at places like SD26 (sadly now closed), Spago Beverly Hills and Spiaggia in Chicago. So, an invitation to go to the source was a dream come true. Our generous host was Livia Colantonio, proprietor of Castello delle Regine in Umbria, who opened up her majestic home- literally a small

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Be Smart About Your Knees

“Oh my aching knees!” I used to roll my eyes when older family members and friends would moan and groan about aches and pains in their knees. Now, I’ve become one of them. My right knee sends me a reminder that it’s time to “get up and move” with a dull ache. Is it age or something else? It turns out females are four to six times more likely to injure their knees over men. And we’re not necessarily talking only about older women. Young women athletes are more likely to injure their Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), the most common knee injury.

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Getting Things Off My Chest: A Bitter Pill To Swallow: The Cost of Getting Sick

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 I was running a successful wine and food public relations agency, eating at the top restaurants and visiting the world’s great wine regions. Five years later, I came to a point where I considered applying for food stamps. My income was dried up and I was behind on my house payments. How did this happen to me? I learned I was not alone and should not be ashamed. I decided to speak out and learn more. According to a University of Michigan study  25 percent of breast cancer survivors reported financial

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Fearless Fabulous Women: Ann Ogden Gaffney: Cook for Your Life

In the early 1990s, fashion industry executive Ann Odgen Gaffney found herself cooking and caring for a designer in the industry fighting AIDS, The experience taught her to be fearless which was especially helpful when she was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2001. Fortunately, Ann recovered following her surgery and her life went back to a new normal….well, sort of. A second diagnosis of unrelated breast cancer came later and was a more difficult journey with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Ann learned from this experience that cooking was solace and nutrition was essential to manage side effects from treatment and support

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