I’m humbled and proud to be featured on “The Big Ordeal”. Given all that I’ve been through in just a little over 6.5 years, the article is very detailed. So, I won’t say too much here.
Follow “The Big Ordeal”
BLOG: https://thebigordeal.com
The Big Ordeal helps patients and their loved ones deal with the emotional effects of a cancer diagnosis.
Cynthia Hayes, Creator of “The Big Ordeal”
A True Boss Babe
Cynthia Hayes, the Creator of “ The Big Ordeal” earned her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She spent 25 years as a management consultant.
For three years she served as Vice Ppresident and Chief Marketing Officer at Montefiore Medical Center, where she “focused on telling stories of health and recovery.”
She left her position at Montefiore and then…ugh cancer! I do not want to rewrite the story of this brilliant, “true boss babe”, as you can read it here in Cynthia’s own words: https://thebigordeal.com/my-story/
As true boss babes do, she persevered through her diagnosis! She created “The Big Ordeal” Blog helping tell stories of both patients and caregivers. Now, she has authored a book, which will be available soon!
With the help of a psychotherapist and two oncologists Cynthia’s book, “The Big Ordeal: Understanding and Managing the Psychological Turmoil of Cancer” seeks to help cancer patients “anticipate and respond to the psychological turmoil ahead”.
Personally, I believe newly diagnosed patients are left to seek out helpful resources, like Cynthia’s Blog and I expect her book, all on their own. Yet, don’t they have enough on their plate? I certainly did, and I didn’t even know where to start looking for help. I believe this is one of the MANY failures of our healthcare system!
Very much like Cynthia, I attempt to guide newly diagnosed patients through my Blog and through my advocacy work. For example, my Posts here try to aide patients during the most traumatic time of their lives:
https://braincancerbabe.com/2016/04/11/the-things-i-wish-i-were-told-when-i-was-diagnosed-with-cancer/ PART TWO COMING SOON, I PROMISE!
A Rare, Aggressive Cancer
Cynthia is what I would refer to as a full-fledged survivor/thriver. Like too many of us, when she was initially diagnosed, Cynthia admits, “I felt isolated and alone.” Also, like too many of us, Cynthia was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive cancer uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC).
As if cancer isn’t traumatic enough, I can fully attest to the fact that having a rare cancer makes EVERYTHING that much worse! You have to find the right specialists; treatments and research are much more limited; and, the statistics/ prognosis are in my personal opinion, even harder to handle.
My Story
Thankfully, Cynthia is married to an attorney and her daughter is also one. So, she understood and could manage my Type A personality! She was so fantastic to work with and I bet we could have talked for hours and hours.
Again, she’s yet another example of how “finding your tribe” is so important! I discuss that in my story.
So, I hope you read my story as featured on “The Big Ordeal”. Also, please follow Cynthia’s Blog, follow her on Facebook and Twitter @TheBigOrdeal and look out for her book! I definitely will be looking forward to reading it.
MY STORY: https://thebigordeal.com/2020/10/01/ruthie/
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