Karen Fancher

Karen Fancher
21 POSTS 28 COMMENTS
Karen Fancher is a “relapsed Pittsburgher.” Raised near Latrobe, PA, she studied pharmacy at Duquesne University but was lured away by the sunny skies of Florida shortly after graduation. She spent 10 years in Tampa, and during that time acquired an insightful daughter, a kindhearted son, a Midwestern husband and a spoiled cat (but not in that order). In 2010, the entire crowd relocated home to Pittsburgh. She is currently a professor in Duquesne University’s School of Pharmacy, where she teaches oncology. When she’s not on an adventure with her family, you can find her cooking, reading or daydreaming about musical legend Sting.

It Wasn’t Such a Big Deal After All

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With the freshness of a new year, I've resolved to expend less effort on things that are not all that important.  I made this idea a topic of conversation over the holidays, and got...

Thoughtful Things to Say and Do When a Friend Has Cancer

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I’ve written previously about being diagnosed with breast cancer, as well as some of the puzzling things that people said to me during that time. In my final post of this series, I’d like...

Phrases to Avoid When a Friend Has Breast Cancer

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Shortly after I was diagnosed with breast cancer, an old friend who also had breast cancer contacted me to offer advice and support.  She ended the message with this forewarning: “Get ready.  You will...
breast cancer awareness

My First and Only Mammogram

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On November 21, 2014, I got my first screening mammogram. After that experience, I will NEVER get one again. If you think it’s because the mammogram was painful, you would be wrong. If you think it’s because...

Frequently asked questions about an African safari

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I've written before about my recent "bucket-list" trip to Tanzania, and some of the adventures we had there.  As my travel companions and I settle back into our regular home routines, we are often...

Motherhood in Tanzania

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I recently returned from my “bucket-list” safari in Africa. We visited Tanzania for 10 days, where we saw more animals than we could have imagined and had an absolutely amazing time! What I didn’t...

The Comfort Object

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When my daughter was born, someone gave us a small, pastel, Gund caterpillar doll with a rattle in the tail. It was likely a last-minute purchase, an impulse buy at the register to further...

I’ve Got a Dream

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Although I don’t really identify with Rapunzel (I see myself as more of a Mulan or Merida-type of Disney princess), one of my favorite movie scenes is the “I’ve Got a Dream” song from...

Raising Adventurous Eaters

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This photo was taken on our family’s recent trip to Sedona, Arizona. After a day of sightseeing, we went to a restaurant that is known for its cactus fries with prickly pear dipping sauce....

Changing from “Yes, BUT” to “Yes, AND”

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Recently, I unexpectedly ran into an old college friend. We hadn’t seen each other in nearly 15 years, and she didn’t recognize me right away since I had much shorter hair in college.  After...