Dr. Sue Hwang is an oncologist specializing in breast cancer. Following a routine mammogram, she was diagnosed with stage 2 invasive lobular carcinoma. She originally decided she didn't want anyone but close friends and family to know about her diagnosis. "My close friends knew what was going on, but I wasn’t planning on telling anyone else about my diagnosis — including my patients. When I had the double mastectomies [and reconstruction] I only took two weeks off and I went back to work, so people could have thought I had gone on vacation."

She eventually decided to disclose to her patients when she realized her personal stories could provide them comfort. "Patients let their guard down, and asked personal, practical questions and I was able to tell them what I did. It made patients feel like they could trust me more, because I was in it with them. There was a bond that I never had before I got diagnosed."

Read more of Hwang's story here.