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Hello everyone,
(*We apologize to those of you who have been receiving blank e mails for
the past several months. We had switched to a new group e mail software
but we have now made another change due to problems. Thank you for
hanging in there with us. We have had some good things to pass along
over the past several months so if you missed our updates/newsletters,
then check out our Events page (click on the latest newsletter).)
Michelle, Evan and I just returned on Monday from FORCE's second annual
" Joining Forces Against Hereditary Cancer" conference in Tampa, Florida.
We were there exhibiting M:TA, but we also took advantage of the
excellent speakers and workshops. This was a great conference and
because it focused on men and women with the BRAC1 and BRAC2 mutations,
we met many extraordinary women who faced mastectomies and
reconstruction even though they were never actually diagnosed with
cancer. These women are taking a preventive track and we enjoyed
hearing about their experiences and cheered them on! We also met many
other men and women who are experiencing cancer and we were pleased that
they agree with our mission to empower patients by offering more
resources about reconstruction as well as encouraging physicians to make
pictures available in their hospitals, clinics, and offices. It is
amazing to us that we are seeing so many people advocate for
themselves
during the cancer "process" and we are very appreciative to all of the
people who purchased our booklet in an effort to share it with their
physician. All of you are making a huge difference for so many women
who will be faced with those fears of the unknown during their breast
cancer journey- we thank you for taking this on and helping us.
Great minds think alike
Also while attending the conference in Tampa, I was able to meet Kathy
Steligo, author of The Breast
Reconstruction
Guidebook. Kathy was also
there exhibiting and selling her book and I was grateful to be able to
get some good ideas from her on how to encourage physicians to buy my
books for their offices. The Breast
Reconstruction Guidebook
 is an easy read
with great information for patients and
caregivers. In Kathy's book,
she discusses mastectomy as a
treatment or risk reduction,
implants and tissue flaps,
reconstructive benefits and
limitations, matching your
opposite breast, finding a
plastic surgeon, dealing with
insurance, as well as the
emotional preparation for
surgery and how to recover
better and use exercise to
help. For more information on FORCE and hereditary cancer please visit their
website at: http://www.facingourrisk.org. Thanks Kathy for supporting M:TA!
This was our second conference so far for 2007 and both were successful
for the project in that we gained a lot of exposure and really feel that
we are moving the project across the country. We have stated before
that our goal for 2007, now that we are our own pubic charity, is to
fill as many clinics, hospitals and physician offices with the booklets
and that means that for now we need patients, survivors, friends and
family to continue ordering booklets in and effort to share this
resource with navigators, genetic counselors, nurses, social workers,
and of course-physicians!
Lastly, I just want to say a special thank you to a handful of people
who make it possible for us to attend these conferences as well as be
able to continue to have day to day operations.
The Asher Family Foundation, Kathryn West, Lisa and Michael Sandman, Deb
and Marc Kaufman, Judith Underwood, Page and Todd Brookshier, Zeta Tau
Alpha Sorority UNC- CH, Monica and Chris Anderson, Jo Ann
Pizer-Fox,
Greta and Saul Schiffman, Mary Ann Poole, Marilyn Wilensky, Larry
Wilson, Mel Kaufman, Mickey and Sue Pollack, Arthur Sandman, Patrick and
Jane Carlin, Kevin and Gray Carlin, Michelle Millhouse and Rabbis Jenni
and Eric Solomon. There are also so many people who support M:TA at our
fundraisers as well as those people who buy booklets- we are able to do
this work because of your generosity.
Happy Summer!
~Debbie Horwitz
Breast Cancer Survivor and Project Creator
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