MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 43

A PASSION FOR CHANGE Finding Faith Through Adversity
There can
be positive outcomes
from personal
experiences with
breast cancer.
Rachel and Christy
developed a lifelong
passion to optimally
and compassionately
care for their
her husband, daughters, sons-in-law, and
10 grandchildren. Rachel continues to
feel that there were many silver linings
as she went through her treatments, and
she helps other women every day to have
faith that they too will find the positives
during a difficult time.
Christy's Mother was diagnosed with
breast cancer twice. When her Mother was
diagnosed with her first cancer, Christy
decided to focus her surgical career on
treating women with breast cancer or at
increased risk for it. While her first cancer
seemed to be " easy, " the second one in
the other breast was very advanced. She
was treated with mastectomies, chemotherapy,
radiation, years of medications,
and ultimately died from breast cancer.
When Christy elected to have bilateral
preventive mastectomies in 2011, Rachel
was immediately supportive. Several
other colleagues told her she did not
need the surgery, but she felt it was right
for her. Mastectomies were considered
radical when Rachel had her surgery, but
why were they still considered radical?
If Christy was being told no, what were
other women in her situation being told?
That was when Christy allowed a reporter
from the Washingtonian to follow her
through the process for six months, and
in July 2011, the article " Christy's Choice "
was published. The article helped so many
women have faith to make the decision
that was right for them, whether it was
to have mastectomies or more frequent
screening due their increased risk. As a
result, Christy and Rachel wanted to reach
out to more women. In 2020, they began
writing their book No Longer Radical: Understanding
Mastectomies and Choosing
the Breast Cancer Care That's Best for You.
Their dream came true when the book
was published by Simon and Schuster on
May 16, 2023.
The book No Longer Radical is unique
because Christy and Rachel have a
360-degree view of taking care of all
women, including those at increased risk
or who are diagnosed with breast cancer.
It not only includes their own stories, but
the stories of many patients as well that
readers can relate to as they go through
their own journey. It is not just about
mastectomies, but instead gives information
about all options to give women
all the information they need and faith
that they can make the decision that is
right for them. An additional bonus is
that at the end of each chapter there is a
list of important questions that patients
can bring to visits with their various doctors.
There is even a special chapter that is
dedicated to family members, which was
Henry Brem's idea. It includes information
for the loved ones of those dealing
patients, as well as
to advance the field
of breast cancer
by sharing critical
information with
many more than
those they personally
touch. That is why
they wrote No
Longer Radical.
MY LIFE MATTERS
FAITH OVER FEAR | WINTER 2023-2024
43

MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024

Contents
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - Cover1
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - Cover2
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 1
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - Contents
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 3
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 4
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 5
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 6
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 7
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 8
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 9
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 10
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 11
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 12
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 13
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 14
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 15
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 16
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 17
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 18
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 19
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 20
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 21
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MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 43
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 44
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - Cover3
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - Cover4
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