The Pink Fund is a Detroit-area group that pays for as much as $3,000 over three months in non-medical bills for women currently in treatment. For details and an application: thepinkfund.org
All posts by bcsurgery
Experts Applaud Jolie’s Preventative Surgery
Experts support Angelina Jolie’s recent surgery to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed. Ovarian cancer often is a bigger threat than breast cancer in these high-risk women with BRCA mutations, they say. Here’s a follow-up in the New York Times about Jolie’s latest essay describing issues facing women with a high risk of ovarian cancer. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/25/science/experts-back-angelina-jolie-pitt-in-choices-for-cancer-prevention.html
Angelina Jolie talks about options for previvors
At 39, Angelina Jolie Pitt underwent surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes to prevent ovarian cancer. We will explore these and other issues facing previvors — women at high risk of breast and ovarian cancer — in our upcoming book.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/24/opinion/angelina-jolie-pitt-diary-of-a-surgery.html?_r=0
Breast surgery and intimacy
Katrina Studvent of Detroit was just 30 when she was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. She talks about the impact of the surgery and reconstruction of her marriage in our upcoming book, “Breast Cancer Surgery and Reconstruction: What’s Best for You.”
Lymphedema awareness and prevention
Our book will look at an under-recognized problem of lymphedema, painful arm and chest swelling after breast surgery. We interviewed a woman this week who developed lymphedema four years after her double mastectomy and reconstruction. Her doctors told her it likely came from a recent, extensive overseas travel trip. She wants other women to know more about the problem and how to prevent it. In Houston, plastic surgeons at M.D. Anderson have developed methods to resolve or eliminate lymphedema when caught early. Here’s a good video on their approach.
Successful fundraiser
We raised $21,000 to help defray pre-publication costs of our upcoming book, “Breast Cancer Surgery & Reconstruction: What’s Best for You.” Your support has been invaluable and we are grateful to all of you. The money allows us to visit top programs, photograph and interview women outside of Michigan and to pay other production costs for a book we hope helps millions of women for years to come. Thanks for making this a reality.
Pat and Kathleen
Last hours to donate
We are winding up our fund-raiser and there are a last few hours to contribute. Your help is invaluable allowing us to see some cutting-edge advances in breast cancer surgery and reconstruction. Here’s the link: http://kck.st/1yKVvKO
CBS News interview with Kathleen Galligan
WWJ, the CBS radio affiliate in Detroit, interviewed Kathleen and is carrying this story today: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2015/02/10/working-on-breast-cancer-book-photo-journalist-faces-own-diagnosis/
WE DID IT
We are delighted to report that we made our $18,000 Kickstarter goal to raise money to finish our book, “Breast Cancer Surgery & Reconstruction: What’s Best for You.”
The campaign is open through Thursday at:
Donations will allow us to visit some cutting-edge programs and photograph women in other states to make this truly a diverse book. Thanks for your support and encouragement. It’s so affirming and very much appreciated.
KICKSTARTER AT TWO WEEKS: TWO-THIRDS THERE
150 backers have given us $12,000. We are 2/3rds of the way there toward our $18,000 goal. It’s all or nothing: We raise that amount or don’t get a cent and no one is out a penny. So please tell others and answer their questions. Many don’t know publishers these days pay nothing or only a small token advance. Short of asking people for money, this book won’t be done. Thanks for believing in this project and us. We are grateful to all of you: family; friends; kids’ friends and work colleagues; journalism and communication colleagues; tennis buddies; and everyone helping us create better health resources for women.