- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- moms today articles
- moms today q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Beyond the Fear
10 Ways to Take Charge of Your Life When Battling Breast Cancer
By Gwen Morrisson
Breast cancer was never a concern for Dr. Barbara Pate Glacel, an executive coach, organizational consultant and author from Oak Hill, Va. It didn't run in her family, she had regular yearly mammograms with negative results, and she was the picture of good health – or so she thought.
"I didn't even question the doctor at an annual physical I had in October 1996 when he told me that I did not need a mammogram," says Dr. Glacel. "My last mammogram, just 15 months prior, had been negative." The doctor told Dr. Glacel that women between the ages of 40 and 50 were now having mammograms only every two years, so he performed a manual breast exam and that was that. The doctor was not Dr. Glacel's regular doctor, but she trusted his judgment. He also prescribed a mild diuretic for her slightly-elevated blood pressure.
When she arrived back home in Belgium, where she and her husband resided, she found a physician to follow her progress on the new blood pressure medication. "He gave me a modified physical and looked over the earlier results," says Dr. Glacel. "He then asked why I didn't have my annual mammogram." Eight years earlier, Dr. Glacel had begun natural menopause at the age of 39 and was placed on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) medications.
"The doctor was appalled," says Dr. Glacel. "Considering that breast cancer is estrogen-dependent, he had explained my age was less important than the fact that I had been on HRT for so long. He ordered an immediate mammogram."
After an anxious three-day wait for the results, the doctor called Dr. Glacel with the news. "The report indicated that I had invasive ductal cancer with one confirmed site and one suspicious site," says Dr. Glacel. "The pathologist recommended an immediate mastectomy."
Want to see more?
Comments
There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to 
|
Post As:
|
||
| Enter your comment below: | ||
| Title | ||
| Comment Text | ||
| CAPTCHA | ||
| Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection. | ||