Having someone beside you to accompany you during doctor's visits to take notes or having someone to help you find the right specialist or even to just help research what treatment options are available can be incredibly helpful.
Mark Hicks
Advertisement
Mark is a retired freelance artist and illustrator who has created hundreds of works of art for books, magazines, greeting cards, websites and countless other publications over a long career. After retiring, he hoped to just live a simple life, maybe do volunteer work with his wife at some National Parks and continue to paint, sculpt, and do other creative works – but this time just for art’s sake. However, his wife received a BRCA2-associated cancer diagnosis that shattered that dream. Mark became his late wife’s caregiver as she struggled with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and all the horrible side effects that come with treatment. In turn, he became a hereditary cancer awareness and prevention advocate. And since his daughter also carries the same germline BRCA2 mutation, he said that his advocacy means even more.
Articles by Mark Hicks
Anger is a reaction to injustice, which cancer certainly is. Sometimes I wished there was a place in the cancer treatment centers to let that rage out.
With Mother’s Day upon us, I’m advocating for better genetic cancer screening so that no more children are motherless on this day.
A trauma therapist who specializes in cancer would have been helpful for my wife and I as we navigated her cancer experience, but the option was never discussed at our health care visits.
When my late wife was diagnosed with BRCA2-related triple-negative breast cancer, I realized how important medical literacy is for patients and their loved ones.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Trending on CURE
1
Verzenio Plus Endocrine Therapy Benefits Survival for Some With Breast Cancer
2
Stem Cell Transplant: Why This Treatment Is Still a ‘Standard Regimen’ for Blood Cancer
3
Stage 1 Multiple Myeloma Treatment Options and Side Effect Management
4
Trodelvy Plus Keytruda Upholds Quality of Life in TNBC
5
