A very public figure, the wife of a presidential candidate - Ms Edwards, spoke out about breast cancer. And we have had other celebrities invited to the media and talk shows to share their experiences. Just recently, ABC "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts discovered she had breast cancer...

As usual, the world took note, because of the “celebrity” status of the person dealing with the crisis.

Breast cancer knows no social boundaries, the disease can affect anyone at any age, from teenage to adulthood and beyond.

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Some prominent women whose lives that have been touched by breast cancer include: Anastasia, singer ; Jill Eikenberry actress ; Ann Jillian, Actress; Peggy Fleming figure skater; Kate Jackson (Charlies Angels); Olivia Newton-John actress singer; Patti LaBelle, singer; Diahann Carroll, Actress/singer; Rue McClanahan, Hollywood actress, Rue is best known for her portrayal of Blanche on the hit sitcom “The Golden Girls;” Shirley Temple Black Actress/singer; Betty Ford, Former First Lady; Nancy Reagan former first lady; Melissa Etheridge singer; Lynn Redgrave, actress; Edie Falco Sopranos star, Tami Agassi, sister to tennis star Andre Agassi, Suzanne Somers, Actress ...

This is a disease that has plagued women for centuries. The mother of Louis XIV of France died of breast cancer in 1666. These high rates of breast cancer are not acceptable to the women of the world and must be met with scientific research that provides results. Yet the world seems fascinated with the famous women and celebrities and their management of the dis-ease.

Woman-in-the-street celebrities are also grappling with the seriousness of such a diagnosis and the challenges with navigating the roadblocks along the path to healing, but hardly any one knows of their stories - the housewife, the secretary, the nurse, the plumber, the electrician, the teacher, the university professor, the student, the bus driver, the cook, the mother, the aunt, etc…all of these have stories of bravery and courage which should be told.

Michael Moore's film "Sicko" has highlighted the plight of the underinsured and their frequent challenges with the health system. Many of these women-in-the-street celebrities fall into that category, yet they make brave efforts to deal with the disease

Muriella’s Corner would like to hear from all these women, since she, as editor, has been on the same journey as Ms Edwards, after a diagnosis in 2000.

It is as a result of breast cancer that Muriella’s Corner - the online newsletter was created. Life is ever more meaningful as gratitude, compassion, generosity of spirit have now become daily affirmations and experiences.

Muriella’s Corner - where ideas, issues and solutions meet online - is a weekly newsletter, shared freely with our readers and supporters.

We would like to hear about your stories, as we all have earned celebrity status in the way we navigate the pathways to healing, we have earned the right to share with others where we are along the journey and the hurdles we have overcome, or are still overcoming, or do not yet know of…

Email us at customerservice@muriellascorner.com to be added to our database for the newsletter, or leave a comment below.

Muriella’s Corner will arrange to have a webinar or to send your stories to CNN, MSNBC, Larry King, Oprah, Ellen, Nightline, the Daily Show, et al… for the world to know that many brave women too have also earned celebrity status in dealing with this disease.

As the saying goes, character is formed not by how we face up to and go through a challenge, but how we are molded and transformed as we come out of the fire. And believe me, any diagnosis of ill-ease and dis-ease can be destabilizing, but a diagnosis of cancer is extremely chilling. The lights seem to go out, everything becomes dark, the mind is on overdrive with thoughts of how, why, why me…

Looking back, I can proudly and safely say, I have benefited extremely from the experience, and am becoming a better person on this side of it.

P.S.:

Women are diagnosed with cancer every day. Their reaction varies depending on many things - and outcomes vary depending on many things.

Moreover, many women do not want to concern themselves much about their health as they are afraid of dealing with the consequences, thus they can be afflicted with cancer or other dreaded diseases and not want to know about it. And many of them are managing despite the odds.

We need to know what else is being done at the individual level to deal with this disease, what is underground, what else women around the world are doing along the way to healing.

For example:

How many use prayer and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). CAM is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine–that is, medicine as practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and their allied health professionals, such as physical therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses?

How many use traditional medical services?

How many use both?

How many use neither of those above?

What do you use? What do you do?

Share your journey with Muriella’s Corner. We admire your courage and you have earned the right to be a celebrity dealing with breast cancer.

Our suggestions for comments as follows:

Your name or pseudonym (somewhat like a userid which portrays feeling or location in dealing with the disease like - scaredoutofmyunderwear or onwardandupward

Year of diagnosis

Time of diagnosis (morning, noon, evening)

Place of diagnosis

Immediate reaction ( e.g. shock, why me, sky becoming very dark, cold hands, cold feet, crying out loud, crying silently, were you alone, with friend(s), with family…)

What followed (decision to talk about it , decision not to talk about it, curse my husband, curse my children, curse the pets, pray, nervous laughter…)

How did you manage the sequential process*(handed everything over to the doctor, ran scared out of the room, bawled, went to a bar and drank, had somber thoughts of suicide, went to a church/temple/mosque and prayed…)

*The sequential process is what followed after your initial reaction and the decisions you made or the decisions that were made for you. This is really where the meat of the information comes to the fore:

Decision to have mastectomy/lumpectomy/other/do nothing

Decision to have chemotherapy/radiation/other/do nothing

Decision to decide later what decisions to take

Any pressure felt and from where (without, within…)

Feelings after decision made

Roadblocks along the decision pathway (complications of other diseases hidden, fright/fear all the way, weight loss, weight gain, depression, calm, seeing the light, recognizing that there is more to do and more to life…)

Any other comments would be welcome.

Please use the form as a guide to fill in your information