Guest Blogger
Melanie Young
Melanie Young, Author, Getting Things Off My Chest,
Melanie Young is a woman in motion, and she did not let a breast cancer diagnosis slow her down. “It took losing my breasts to find my voice,” she says on the acknowledgment page of her first book, Getting Things Off My Chest: A Survivor's Guide to Staying Fearless and Fabulous in the Face of Breast Cancer
Melanie has spent her life making things happen, from running her public relations and events business producing high profile marketing campaigns for her wine, spirits and food clients, to launching and overseeing The James Beard Foundation Awards for 16 years and traveling the world in search of delicious new experiences. Her breast cancer diagnosis in 2009 was a detour she had not planned. “Breast cancer is a journey no one wants to take but sadly it is a road well traveled by many women. I spoke with survivors to prepare and then mapped out my own plan to face my diagnosis and treatment. I decided to use the experience to rebuild my body, retool my diet and restructure my time and share what I learned with other women.
A self-described “Nooga-Yorker,” Melanie Young was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, graduated Sophie Newcomb College (Tulane University) in New Orleans and divides her time between the Hudson Valley and New York City with her husband, David. She is involved in several philanthropic causes including SHARE and Les Dames d’Escoffier and is Founder of The Connected Table® Inc, a wine, spirits and food marketing consultancy.
Follow Melanie
http://twitter.com@mightymelanie
http://facebook.com/MelanieYoung
http://www.melanieyoung.com
http://gettingthingsoffmychest.com
Your Medical Checklist: What You Need To Know
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer I learned the importance of maintaining a medical checklist. I also learned how little I really knew about my health records and family history. I had to collect information quickly and document each step of treatment and medication. This information is now carefully filed, and I have told [...]
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Take Ten for Yourself
A friend of mine complained about how overwhelmed she was at work and how she felt stressed and tired. She is self–employed like me, and sometimes I think you work even harder and longer hours when you work for yourself. I responded, “Give yourself a ten minute break each hour.” Put Time on Your Side [...]
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Making Meals and Nutrition a Family Affair
Children learn from their parents. If you want your kids to eat responsibly take a look at what you are putting on your own plate. Make smart food choices a family affair and make it fun for everyone at the same time. Show by example that sensible eating is both a necessity and a pleasure. [...]
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The Hardest News to Share
The only thing worse than having a doctor tell you that you have been diagnosed with cancer is telling your children. Just saying the words, “I have cancer” can make you choke. It took me two years to say the words without a struggle. So how do you share the news calmly to the most [...]
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The Supreme Court Decision on BRCA Testing: It’s Significance for Women
On June 13, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that companies cannot patent naturally occurring human genes. This landmark ruling is a giant step forward for women’s health because it breaks down barriers and opens doors for more accessible and affordable testing for the BRCA gene mutation. Why Is BRCA genetic testing important? We [...]
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