My Clitoris Disappeared After Breast Cancer

Lymphedema Makes Summer Preparations Challenging After Breast Cancer

Summer heat can worsen my lymphedema, but I’ve learned simple ways to stay cool, reduce swelling and protect my arms — here’s what helps me most.

My Clitoris Disappeared After Breast Cancer

There's never a good time to get breast cancer, but my 2001 diagnosis came during a life stage that was hardly ideal. I was 28 at the time and a second-year ob-gyn resident, newly married to my college sweetheart. Life was busy, but going great — until it wasn't. My diagnosis was a shock. I had felt a breast lump myself, but I originally dismissed it because I thought I was too young for breast cancer. Even my fellow physicians thought the same …