According to data from the Canadian Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society, the five-year breast cancer survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer is just around 90%. It means that of women diagnosed with breast cancer, 89% of us will be alive after five years. This “what is the probability of dying” question …
Breast Cancer
My Journey to DIEP Flap
A guest post by Victoria McGlone One of the first things that crossed my mind as soon as I heard the dreaded four words “you have breast cancer” at the age of 37 was “I want a double mastectomy and I want these breasts removed from my body immediately.” It’s interesting how different women in …
Canada’s Task Force Disappoints Canadian Women and Experts with Refusal to Change Screening Guidelines
Last week, the Canadian Task Force on Preventative Health Care announced that it would be standing firm on its guidance that breast screening in Canada begin at age 50. In a symbolic gesture and a small win for those who vehemently oppose this decision, the Task Force did state that women in their 40s should …
Breast Cancer Types and Sub-Types
Before my diagnosis with breast cancer, the disease was for me — as it is for most people — a single thing. Very quickly after learning I had cancer, I discovered there are many breast cancer types and sub-types, and each has its terminology and acronyms. The complexity of breast cancer has removed the one-size-fits-all …
Why I Wrote My Book Flat Please, Hold the Shame
The entire AskEllyn brand began with my book FLAT PLEASE. Here’s the story behind the story. I was shattered when I received my diagnosis of breast cancer. It was something that happened to other women, not to me. In the four weeks I waited for my biopsy and surgical consult I estimate I lost close …