Why I Love the Cambridge Breast Center
Breast cancer survivor Margery Gans shared her experiences as a patient at CHA’s Cambridge Breast Cen
The center delivers a unique model of care that treats every breast lump as a medical emergency, providing open access scheduling and rapid communication with patients and referring physicians. That philosophy, combined with state-of-the-art services, has helped the Breast Center become a major community resource for patients with breast disease in the Cambridge community and beyond.
I love the Cambridge Breast Center. I remember my first visit to gather a second opinion, sitting in the waiting room with two friends who came to listen for me. I was unglued despite my relatively cool demeanor and knew I would appear to be listening, absorbing information, while my mind was a sieve. These friends would catch the information I would lose.
I remember when Dr. Michael Wertheimer told me the Breast Center worked as a team, I was sold. I came to understand that every member of this team would have something different to offer, but not one of them would ask me to do cancer differently from the way I needed to do it in my life. No one asked me to take on a role that was uncomfortable or an identity that didn't fit. All were open to hearing from me.
Dr. Wertheimer gave me faith with his exuberant self-confidence that was grounded in skill. Despite my diagnosis deteriorating with each step, he remained positive without being unrealistic. Nurse practitioner Denise Landrigan de Filippi told me to exercise as much as I could and passed on wisdom from other breast cancer folks. Dr. Lisa Weissman has continued to give me the information from research that is hot off the presses and tell me about her amazing trips and bike rides. She told me I could go to Antarctica right after chemotherapy – that was a bit too optimistic, but I loved it. And Dr. Anthony Abner asked how I felt. Pure and simple.
Then there were the comforting, funny, steady women in the infusion room, who made even chemotherapy an easy chore. I had one emergency visit and the nurse in the ED on a Saturday morning knew just what to say to keep me going. That was all in 2007, nine years ago, and I still rely on the warmth, intelligence and consistency of these men and women, if not in person, in my memory. I will never not have had breast cancer and I will never not carry these men and women with me.
This article provides general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this article, or through linkages to other sites, is not a substitute for medical or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call consultation or the advice of your physician or other healthcare provider. Thank you.
Disclaimer
This articles provide general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this article, or through linkages to other sites, is not a substitute for medical or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call consultation or the advice of your physician or other healthcare provider.