Jean Sachs, CEO of Living Beyond Breast Cancer, begins our new monthly series on breast cancer.  Living Beyond Breast Cancer is a national resource center based in Philadelphia, that follows women – and men – through diagnosis and treatment options, through work, family relationships and the financial burden, and all the other aspects living with a chronic and life-threatening disease.   Jean discussed the first steps after the diagnosis, and the diagnosis process itself.   For many, like me, you learn of yor breast cancer not from a caregiver, but through an online portal.  Jean explains the legal requirements placed on helthcrare providers to guarantee vital information is shared with the patient.  She spoke on the importance of choosing the right doctor and the advantages in access to new treatments and clicical trials that you get when you choose a provider that specializes in breast cancer.  We discussed sharing the news and how it can affect you and your friends and family.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer offers support to patients and caregivers.  It is a complete resource center from information about breast cancer and treatment, emplyment and financial matters, to content on emotional health, family and personal relationships, wellness and body image, side effects and living with metastatic breast cancer.

The Breast Cancer Helpline will match you with a trained volunteer who has a similar experience to you, whether that be diagnosis type, stage, age or concern.  In addition to listening to you and discussing your feelings and concerns, our volunteers can direct you to resources such as support groups, wigs, and financial help.  You can contact them online or by calling 888-753-5222.   Foind Living Beyond Breast cancer online at lbbc.org

NOTE FOR RESIDENTS OF NEW JERSEY:

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey offers a FREE statewide program with the NJ Department of Health, ScreenNJ, which provides education, screening navigation, and clinical screening services available to all residents of New Jersey, regardless of their health insurance or immigration status.    Contact ScreenNJ patient navigators for free help scheduling your cancer screening regardless of your income or health insurance status. Transportation, food, or other barriers in the way? Navigators can help address those factors so that each person can get to their screening appointments.   Email patientnavigation@cinj.rutgers.edu or call (833) 727-3665.

Learn more at https://screennj.org/