Steps To Take After You Get A Breast Cancer Diagnosis

In January 2013, I was contacted by a photographer who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Debbie Gibb and her husband, Mike, asked me to capture their journey through photos.

What I learned over the next 18 months changed the way I view patient rights and advocacy. I have met some wonderful, talented and caring doctors, nurses, surgeons, therapists and social workers in our hospital systems. I have also experienced, with Debbie and several other breast cancer patients, how some areas of patient care can easily fall through the cracks.

Published StoriesChad EstesOctober 4, 2015breast cancer, Breast Cancer Photography, Debbie

Cancer Is The Enemy, But More Funding Will Help Win The War

In October 2013, I wrote an article about metastatic breast cancer (MBC) for the Idaho Statesman. I profiled four Idaho women whose breast cancer had spread to other parts of their bodies, a condition for which there is currently no cure. Two of those women have since passed.

The numbers around breast cancer are staggering: One in eight women are diagnosed with the disease and around a third of those have their cancer metastasize. While it isn’t the facts and figures that have motivated me to advocate for MBC research, this past year I determined that if I cared about seeing the lives of my MBC friends extended, I needed to focus more on the numbers.

Published StoriesChad EstesOctober 1, 2015breast cancer, Cancer Research, Funding, OpinionComment

Warrior

Trina followed her doctor’s instructions and got her baseline mammogram when she was 35 years old. Everything checked out fine so they told her she could wait to have another at age 40. Seventeen months later, in March of 2010 she found a lump in her breast.

Breast Cancer StoriesChad EstesJanuary 1, 2014breast cancer, Stage 4, Metastatic Breast Cancer, tattoo

To Have and to Hold

I stumbled across you today and I am reaching out to see if you can help me. I regret that I didn’t get to see your work on Breast Cancer Survivors as I just heard about it today. You see, I was just diagnosed with breast cancer and will be having surgery this Thursday for a double mastectomy. I am really grieving this loss that I am about to experience. A thought came to me that I should have pictures of myself as I am now… as a reminder of these breasts that have been such a part of me for such a long time.

Breast Cancer StoriesChad EstesJanuary 17, 2013Debbie, pre-surgry, breast cancer, husband, Breast Cancer PhotographyComment