Feb 21, 2023
After several misdiagnoses, Jen Singer was diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. During her treatment, she was blogging about parenthood for Good Housekeeping and began writing about her cancer experience. That inspired her to become a full-time medical writer.
Listen in to learn more about Jen's journey with cancer, COVID, and heart failure. You'll also hear in detail how she's used empathy to become an award-winning medical writer.
What You'll Learn:
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Jen Singer is introduced. (2:35)
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There were several misdiagnoses before Jen got diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. (4:05)
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After being rushed to the hospital, Jen got a second opinion. (9:45)
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When she finally got the correct diagnosis, Jen's first thoughts were her daughters. (11:00)
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Having an honest doctor was everything for Jen. (13:48)
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After recovering from COVID, Jen went into heart failure. (16:45)
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Jen laughs about learning the difference between the oncology floor and cardiology floor. (18:50)
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The term heart failure is terrifying for many people. (22:10)
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Anger is a common feeling when patients have multiple big diagnoses in their life. (23:00)
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Asking smart, specific questions about your treatment is important. (26:45)
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Seeing terrified patients, Jen was inspired to create "The Just Diagnosed Guides" (27:40)
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"How is it for you today?" is a great question to ask patients. (30:26)
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Healthcare providers need to be careful about what they say. (33:25)
Ideas worth sharing:
"I wrote a script to call different pulmonologist offices." - Jen Singer
"When you see something concerning, doctors should say, "That's odd we should investigate." - Dr. Rosalyn Morrell
"The whole thing was how can I get the right treatment as fast as possible, and how can I protect my family from people saying things that aren't always helpful." - Jen Singer
"Googling your symptoms is never a good idea when you don't know what you're looking for." - Jen Singer
"The more dangerous the diagnosis, the more opinions you should seek." - Jen Singer
"We're taught how to be healthy, not how to be sick."
- Jen Singer
Resources:
Rosalyn Morrell, MD: Website
Jen Singer: Website