PSA for men: if you're 50 or older, or 40 and older and at high risk, don't forget to have that yearly prostate check. Trust me - based on personal experience with prostate cancer - it's worth it.
This is difficult for me to share, but I lost my wife eight years ago to Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. She hated doctors and refused to get mammograms. We were married 40 years and after the first 20 years I gave up trying to get her to take care of her health. That is my shame. 😔 She suffered through three years of horrible treatment and died in the hospital at 63. When my daughter was diagnosed two years ago through routine mammograms, we were determined to fight for a better outcome. After 16 rounds of chemo and a bilateral mastectomy, she is now a healthy 47 year old woman and her recent ultrasound imaging was 100% clear. My wife was an intelligent professional who worked full time until she could no longer function. Health care was the only thing she did not apply her intelligence too. She was a great human and was loved by everyone. Ladies - we love you and need you in our lives. Please take care of yourselves. I understand that procedures are not pleasant but BC does not always begin with a lump. Those prostate exams are not fun either, and I suffered through a prostate biopsy and prostatectomy to stay alive. Life is so worth preserving. Peace, and thank you Asha.
I’m a 20 year one-breast-remaining survivor, Asha. My DCIS was diagnosed in 2003 so I was 59 at the time. I wrote about it recently but our local paper didn’t pick my story to publish. Maybe I’ll put it in my Substack instead.
I lost my younger sister to breast cancer at the age of 52. All women need to get checked as frequently as your OB GYN recommends. Happy Yom Kippur to all who celebrate!
Very courageous of you to share your experience. I’m sure this will plant a seed that may benefit others if they were on the fence or having inertia about getting tested. The more it’s talked about it will inspires others to be proactive.
Mary Catherine. Thelma. Pauline. Edith. Gladys. These are the five of my six aunts who died from breast cancers whose lives might have been saved with early detection. The kind of sturdy "women of the prairies" that would not go to a doctor unless they were dying, and it was their undoing. Wonderful women, every one of them. You would have adored them. Everyone did. I can't even think about them without crying and being sad that I might have had many more years with every one of them, if they had gotten screened and treated early on. So dear ladies. Please make the time to get screened. For your sake and for the people who can't bear to lose you and want you to live forever.
I was in my thirties and was about to move to NYC (I had sublet the remainder of my lease in Philly)… when my doctor found a small lump that he could not aspirate in the office. He sent me to an oncologist for a needle biopsy: back then, it took longer to get results. Happy to say that my result was negative, but for years, I had both the mammogram and a breast ultrasound. Don’t put it off, ladies! Thanks for sharing your story, Asha.
Well done Asha, as someone who has beaten two different cancers 40 years apart, now 14 years cancer free, right lung and esophageal, now one lung and 1/2 a stomach later I am doing fine, 76 now but the cancer treatment 52 year ago was in experimental stages and none of those drug to stop you be crook with the treatment. I maybe an Aussie but I am a bloody big fan (and i never miss your conversations with Renato), As far as Prostrate I can not emphasize more to get the tests done, I have been diagnose with the old fellas problem of BPH and the treatment for that is just to help pee, I was lucky it block my urethra before it became more serious, I undergo regular test.
I am very happy that you were on top of your health and caught that because the world is more interesting with you in it. Had you not been thorough about these things you might not be here right now I'm sure you're aware of that. Men need to look for that too, it is more rare for a man to get it, but it does happen. We also need to look out for our prostate. That's the one that they tell us as gentleman to get checked for once we hit 40.
Thank you for looking out for yourself and for us the way you do.
I am very sorry that you had to go through that experience. Thank you for sharing. We have all had people close to us that have been impacted by breast cancer and this will be something I will share with my own daughter when she is old enough.
I, too, was diagnosed with DCIS at 46 (I’m Indian as well). If I had not gotten my annual mammogram, I would not have found it because there was no lump or any indication there was a problem. Mammograms save lives.
PSA for men: if you're 50 or older, or 40 and older and at high risk, don't forget to have that yearly prostate check. Trust me - based on personal experience with prostate cancer - it's worth it.
This is difficult for me to share, but I lost my wife eight years ago to Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. She hated doctors and refused to get mammograms. We were married 40 years and after the first 20 years I gave up trying to get her to take care of her health. That is my shame. 😔 She suffered through three years of horrible treatment and died in the hospital at 63. When my daughter was diagnosed two years ago through routine mammograms, we were determined to fight for a better outcome. After 16 rounds of chemo and a bilateral mastectomy, she is now a healthy 47 year old woman and her recent ultrasound imaging was 100% clear. My wife was an intelligent professional who worked full time until she could no longer function. Health care was the only thing she did not apply her intelligence too. She was a great human and was loved by everyone. Ladies - we love you and need you in our lives. Please take care of yourselves. I understand that procedures are not pleasant but BC does not always begin with a lump. Those prostate exams are not fun either, and I suffered through a prostate biopsy and prostatectomy to stay alive. Life is so worth preserving. Peace, and thank you Asha.
Thank you for sharing this and I am so sorry for your loss. I am glad that your daughter is well and cancer-free!
Eighteen months ago that is how my breast cancer was caught early before it had spread to lymph nodes, meaning surgery but no chemo or radiation.
I’m a 20 year one-breast-remaining survivor, Asha. My DCIS was diagnosed in 2003 so I was 59 at the time. I wrote about it recently but our local paper didn’t pick my story to publish. Maybe I’ll put it in my Substack instead.
Please do!!
Thanks, Asha. I’m on it.
I lost my younger sister to breast cancer at the age of 52. All women need to get checked as frequently as your OB GYN recommends. Happy Yom Kippur to all who celebrate!
Very courageous of you to share your experience. I’m sure this will plant a seed that may benefit others if they were on the fence or having inertia about getting tested. The more it’s talked about it will inspires others to be proactive.
Mary Catherine. Thelma. Pauline. Edith. Gladys. These are the five of my six aunts who died from breast cancers whose lives might have been saved with early detection. The kind of sturdy "women of the prairies" that would not go to a doctor unless they were dying, and it was their undoing. Wonderful women, every one of them. You would have adored them. Everyone did. I can't even think about them without crying and being sad that I might have had many more years with every one of them, if they had gotten screened and treated early on. So dear ladies. Please make the time to get screened. For your sake and for the people who can't bear to lose you and want you to live forever.
Right, cancer definitely requires an F bomb or two.
I was in my thirties and was about to move to NYC (I had sublet the remainder of my lease in Philly)… when my doctor found a small lump that he could not aspirate in the office. He sent me to an oncologist for a needle biopsy: back then, it took longer to get results. Happy to say that my result was negative, but for years, I had both the mammogram and a breast ultrasound. Don’t put it off, ladies! Thanks for sharing your story, Asha.
Well done Asha, as someone who has beaten two different cancers 40 years apart, now 14 years cancer free, right lung and esophageal, now one lung and 1/2 a stomach later I am doing fine, 76 now but the cancer treatment 52 year ago was in experimental stages and none of those drug to stop you be crook with the treatment. I maybe an Aussie but I am a bloody big fan (and i never miss your conversations with Renato), As far as Prostrate I can not emphasize more to get the tests done, I have been diagnose with the old fellas problem of BPH and the treatment for that is just to help pee, I was lucky it block my urethra before it became more serious, I undergo regular test.
Hi Asha. I’m so glad you had your mammo ! I hope your treatment and recovery are speedy. We need you!! Stay healthy please😎
I am very happy that you were on top of your health and caught that because the world is more interesting with you in it. Had you not been thorough about these things you might not be here right now I'm sure you're aware of that. Men need to look for that too, it is more rare for a man to get it, but it does happen. We also need to look out for our prostate. That's the one that they tell us as gentleman to get checked for once we hit 40.
Thank you for looking out for yourself and for us the way you do.
I am very sorry that you had to go through that experience. Thank you for sharing. We have all had people close to us that have been impacted by breast cancer and this will be something I will share with my own daughter when she is old enough.
I, too, was diagnosed with DCIS at 46 (I’m Indian as well). If I had not gotten my annual mammogram, I would not have found it because there was no lump or any indication there was a problem. Mammograms save lives.
Asha, Thank you for speaking on an important test.
Me too age 50. That was 32 years ago. So, ladies, just do it!
Also DCIS.