Cancer Fighters Thrive is a quarterly print and online magazine bringing readers practical, innovative and inspirational information about cancer treatment and survivorship.
Issue link: http://cancerfightersthrive.epubxp.com/i/61344
SPIRITUAL switching gears SUE FRIEDMAN WAS 33 YEARS OLD and working as a veterinarian in south Florida when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996. The diagnosis was the result of a precautionary mam- mogram she underwent before trying to get pregnant with her second child. The journey that followed—which would ulti- mately include surgery, chemotherapy, ra- diation, genetic testing, and a prophylactic oophorectomy and hysterectomy—trans- formed Sue's life physically, emotionally, and professionally. As she faced the many challenges related to her diagnosis—including treatment options, fertility, reconstruction choices, and genetic testing—she realized how few resources were available to women who, like her, were at a higher risk of breast 42 cancer fighters thrive | summer 2012 and ovarian cancer as a result of a genetic predisposition. When she completed her own treatment, Sue knew she wanted to help fill that gap—to offer women the resources she had been seeking herself. In 1999 she founded Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE) as "a safe environment for high-risk people to com- municate and get the support they need." Though she initially continued her vet- erinary career, which she loved, Sue found her life increasingly directed toward her work with FORCE. She left her veterinary practice in 2003 and has been devoted full-time to the organization ever since. "This has been the most all-encompassing thing in my life," she says. "I never would have imagined when I went into vet medi- cine that a health issue would end up dic- A cancer diagnosis often inspires those affected to reevaluate their lives and pay closer attention to their spiritual, emotional, and physical wellness. By Diana Price tating where I lived and what I'd be doing for a living. I've gone from veterinarian to patient advocate to speaker to conference planner to author, which is very exciting. It has absolutely changed my life." Cancer as a Catalyst for Change Like Sue, many cancer patients find that their experience with cancer sets them on a different path. Whether it's a career change, an emotional shift, a spiritual awakening, or new intentions for their physical health, patients often have a de- sire to chart a new course. Rabbi Eric Weiss, president and chief executive officer of the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center in San Francisco, California, says that a cancer diagnosis can inspire a journey of self-discovery that cfthrive.com