A new study published in Cancer finds that women who had early stage breast cancer had better survival rates if they had lumpectomy and radiation as opposed to total mastectomy.

The Silver Linings that I have experienced (and continue to experience!) during my cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery help me get through each and every day. I have a tremendous amount of gratitude for the Silver Linings, but you'll never, ever, not in a million years hear me refer to cancer as a gift.

The two to three hours spent in chemo are absolutely no fun. There was a Silver Lining though, when I reminded myself that I could watch feel-good, no-brainer movies either on my laptop or iPad.

One big misnomer in our culture is that doctors (solely) develop a patient's plan of care. No. No. No. This could not be farther from the truth! Patients have a real responsibility to be fully engaged in the development (and revision) of a plan of care.