Pregnant With Breast Cancer

By: Michelle Rosch of Naperville, Illinois, Sharsheret Peer Supporter

On February 18th, 2008, two weeks after my 27th birthday and eight months into my first pregnancy, I was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer. Due to the aggressive nature of my cancer, I delivered my son, Aiden, a month early and had a double mastectomy with reconstruction one week later. The doctors informed me that I was estrogen positive and would risk the cancer returning if I had any more children. My wonderful sister-in-law, April, offered to carry my next child, so I immediately started receiving daily hormone shots to harvest my eggs starting a week after my surgery with just three weeks to finish the process before I started chemotherapy.

During the summer of 2008, I received six chemotherapy treatments every three weeks for four months. After 18 days I started losing my hair, so my husband, Mike, and I decided to shave our heads. I shaved his head and he shaved mine. We actually laughed and had a fun time doing it! I bought a few wigs but only wore them for weddings. I was most comfortable wearing a cute scarf, especially since it was so hot outside. After chemo, I had 7 weeks of daily radiation. The radiation made me feel tired and my skin felt like I had a bad sunburn, but it was very tolerable compared to the side-effects of chemo.

As 2009 began, I had a preventive hysterectomy and had my first breast reconstruction surgery 3 weeks later - all before Aiden's first birthday. I accomplished so much in a year and it felt nice for the first time to view myself as a strong and brave person. I especially loved my new short hairstyle! Over the next year I had my last reconstructive surgeries and here I am today, 3 years later. I'm healthy, happy, feeling great, and loving life!

The most important thing for me to do is give back and make a difference in the lives of other women living with breast cancer. Volunteering for Sharsheret as a peer supporter has been such a positive part of my life. I remember what a difference it made for me to have support from other young survivors and I am happy to give back in any way I can.

Sharsheret Voted AEPi National Philanthropy!

By: Ellen Kleinhaus, Project Manager and Campus Liaison

I had the privilege of spending this past weekend with Sharsheret’s Founder and Executive Director Rochelle Shoretz at the Alpha Epsilon Pi International Convention in New Orleans.

“As a young woman, I likely fantasized about talking about breasts in a room of 450 men, but I never imagined it would be in this context,” were Rochelle’s opening words as she presented "Sharsheret On Your Campus" to an audience of more than 400 AEPi brothers. She began the presentation surrounded by laughter and finished with a roaring standing ovation. At that moment we knew that together, AEPi and Sharsheret would “Change the Face of Breast Cancer”.

Thank you to AEPi for choosing Sharsheret as one of your national philanthropies and to all the AEPi brothers from across the country who introduced themselves to us and made us feel so welcome. We truly value the knowledge you shared with us over the weekend - your insight into life on campus, the multitude of funny stories, detailed advice about our presentation, and innovative suggestions for campus events. We were most overwhelmed by YOUR gratitude to us for bringing Sharsheret into your lives. We were touched by how many of you thanked us for letting you know that you have a place to send your sisters, mothers, and grandmothers diagnosed with breast cancer for support.

Special thanks to Andy Borans, Adam Teitlebaum, Michael Waitz, Sam Zitin, and the AEPi Philanthropy Task Force for making this partnership possible. Your encouragement and support is so meaningful and we are grateful for our new partnership and our many new friends. We look forward to growing our Sharsheret on Campus program and working with all of our campus partners - AEPhi Sorority, AEPi Fraternity, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, and Chabad on Campus International Foundation - in the years ahead.

Facing breast cancer at 36…now what?

By: Pamela Wolfe, Sharsheret Peer Supporter

Every day for the past two and a half years, breast cancer has been a part of my life. It is a subject I live and breathe, and on any occasion, I’ll gladly try to educate others or answer questions. It is a subject I feel very knowledgeable about since I took the crash course, “So you are 36 and have breast cancer….now what?” I was very lucky though, because I had fantastic friends and family who held me up and helped me through my personal battle.

When my Hadassah chapter asked me to share my experience as a young Jewish woman with breast cancer at a local event, I happily accepted, eager to speak about a disease I feel I can’t do enough about. I was asked to highlight 5 unique things I learned that others might not know, which made me question what was unique about my experience? Doesn’t every woman know about breast cancer? It made me realize that while most women do know about breast cancer, they probably don’t know about the challenges faced by a 36 year-old woman who didn’t want to be treated like she was diagnosed at 65, who still had a dream of starting a family someday, and who chose not to do chemo in favor a new treatment protocol.

I shared the intimate details of my ”new” world, one where I take pills in the morning that have life-altering side effects, but are the key to sustaining my life. For me, it is life. For the people listening, it is a side of breast cancer they never knew about. I have had the honor of being part of Sharsheret’s Link Program and using my personal experience to help other young Jewish women facing breast cancer. I am one of the truly blessed ones. I am fighting and surviving. I feel as if the reason I am still here, alive today, is to do just what I have done: educate women, raise awareness, and help others fight the fight.

Watch an exclusive interview with Team Sharsheret Triathlete Linda Gerstel on Fox 5 NY!

New Guidelines for Breast Cancer Screening. Rochelle Shoretz Answers questions on Fox 5 News NY

In breaking news, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts appointed by the federal Department of Health and Human Services, released new guidelines on November 16th, recommending that most women start regular breast cancer screening at age 50, not 40. The recommendations do not apply to women with unusual risk factors for breast cancer, and the Task Force “encourages individualized, informed decision making about when to start mammography screening”. For the complete abstract, please visit http://www.annals.org/content/151/10/716.full.

At this time, Sharsheret urges each woman to consult with her health care provider about the method and frequency of screening that is appropriate for her, given her medical and family genetic history. For more information about risk factors for hereditary breast cancer, please contact Sharsheret’s staff genetic counselor, Niecee Singer Schonberger, M.S., C.G.C., at nschonberger@sharsheret.org or (866) 474-2774.