To hear 36-year-old Heather Thornton mention the phrase 'using technology to leverage communication' in the context of New Hanover Regional Medical Center probably wouldn't surprise. After all, as a manager in NHRMC's Information Services, Thornton is the go-to girl for a wide range of complex technology issues.

However, to hear the young wife and mother of two use the same phrase in the context of breast cancer while sipping coffee outside a local coffee shop - a brightly colored scarf wrapped tight around her head - not only surprises but also sobers.

Diagnosed with breast cancer August 8 of this year, Thornton has since had surgery to remove lymph nodes and insert a portacath, a small device installed beneath the skin to deliver cancer-fighting drugs.

'I found the lump myself,' recalls Thornton, who in the past performed fairly regular breast self-exams. An ultrasound followed the same day, then a biopsy, and finally her surgeon's words the next evening: 'Heather, I'm so sorry.'

'‘No history, the epitome of health, low risk factors' - these were all things I had been told were in my favor,' Thorton said, who was ultimately diagnosed with stage IIB invasive ductal carcinoma.

Like most cancer patients, it was Thornton's desire to tell her story to friends and family that made her reach for a tool that, coincidentally, she knew all too well as a technology specialist: The blog.

'I decided I was going to use technology to leverage communication to share news of my breast cancer with friends and family,' said Thornton. 'And the blog was how I was going to do it.'

Not having to repeat her story multiple times, the ability to reach friends and family far away, and the ability to schedule help and meals from loved ones are all blog advantages, said Thornton.

'The blog has allowed me to reach out and tell my story, and people's responses have been amazingly kind and supportive,' said Thornton, who likes to sit and write late at night. 'It's definitely therapy for me and part of the healing process.'