Angela sat shocked, her eyes filled with tears and fear. She had just heard the words “It’s cancer.” How could that be possible? She was a 35-year-old mother of three who breastfed her babies, kept her diet in check, and exercised regularly. She worked part-time for a law firm, mostly at home, and the plan was to go back full-time as soon as the youngest started school in a year. Life was good. But cancer? Was life going to change and her personal and professional plans destroyed? Would her dreams be replaced with treatments, side effects, and an unknown future? Angela felt lost and alone.

As a parent, what do you tell your child about breast cancer? Many believe that children are too young to receive such difficult news. So how do you do it? Age can have a lot to do with your approach. For younger kids, try using a storybook or let them act things out using dolls or toys. For older children, allow them to openly express their concerns and help answer their questions as honestly as possible.

In addition to breakfast in bed or a handmade card, my mom received an unwanted gift on Mother’s Day 2012. She had gotten a phone call from her doctor regarding her recent mammogram. The diagnosis was breast cancer. Suddenly everything changed for me and my family.

And to make matters worse, you understand from your doctor that it’s triple negative, which is a tougher type of breast cancer. In the fog that often happens to people after being told they have cancer, you don’t remember what else your doctor said, but now you want to know more. After a little digging, you discover that triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the rarer types of cancers, affecting only about 15% of breast cancer patients. You also discover that your treatment options are limited, and hormone therapies do not work. The silver lining in this sea of bad news is that advancements in the treatment of cancer are being made every day, and you still have the ability to take affect your health by eating right and being physically active.

While most breast cancers occur sporadically (usually linked to environmental factors such as smoking cigarettes and hormone replacement therapy), up to 10% are hereditary. Hereditary breast cancers are caused by DNA mutations that are typically passed down in families for generations. Features of hereditary breast cancers include a young age at diagnosis (under 50 years old), multiple affected relatives in multiple generations, individuals with more than one cancer, and relatives with related cancers such as male breast cancer and ovarian cancer. But how do these DNA mutations cause cancer?

These days, breast cancer is not the death sentence it once was about a decade ago. Still, no one wants to have to deal with the fear and hassle involved with a cancer diagnosis. I’m sure you have better things to do, such as living your life! That’s why it’s extremely important to take advantage of the ways we can prevent and detect breast cancer early on.

Human papillomavirus. It’s a mouthful. HPV for short. But what is it?

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2011, I was just 31 years old. I didn’t know what my future held, but I knew I wanted to be a mom.