Finally, some good news:

 by Carolyn Thomas  ♥ Heart Sisters (on Blue Sky)

The late Yale University professor Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema once described how freshly-diagnosed patients try to make sense of a medical crisis that makes no sense – in these two typical ways:

1. overthinking (focusing on current or future scenarios) and
2. ruminating (focusing on past scenarios).

 I’ve been rotating through each scenario non-stop ever since being diagnosed with the breast cancer called invasive ductal carcinoma on April 1, 2025. My treatment plan (and its brutal side effects) included chemotherapy, immunotherapy and last month’s  mastectomy.  

It wasn’t until this past week that my cancer doctors showed me my 3-page post-op pathology report, a blur of medical-ese jargon – except for these words: 

“No residual invasive or in situ carcinoma is seen. Sentinel lymph nodes all negative for carcinoma.”

 I’m not officially done at the Cancer Clinic quite yet, but I feel like I can finally take a breath now. 

It was my misdiagnosed “widow-maker” heart attack back in 2008 that kick-started this Heart Sisters site, and I’ve been speaking and writing about the ongoing cardiology gender gap between male and female heart patients ever since – until April 1st of this year when I suddenly had this scary new diagnosis to worry about. 

So many kind people have offered encouragement, hugs  and practical help over the past eight months, including my wonderful family, friends, neighbours – and Heart Sisters readers I’ve never even met. I’m so grateful for every kindness. 

Happy Christmas to all. . . ♥

1. Nolen-Hoeksema, Susan. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2005 (Vol. 77, No. 4, pp 801-814).

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NOTE FROM CAROLYN:   I wrote much more about becoming a patient – no matter the diagnosis – in my book, “A Woman’s Guide to Living with Heart Disease”. You can ask for it at your local library or favourite bookshop, or order it online (paperback, hardcover or e-book) at Amazon –  or order it directly from my publisher, Johns Hopkins University Press (use their code HTWN to save 30% off the list price).

Image: Mohamed Hassan, Pixabay