Tag: Stage4needsmore

Poking my Head out from the Cave Again

July 24, 2025 will be the sixth anniversary of my Metastatic Breast Cancer diagnosis. July 10, 2019 was the day I found the lump. The days in between that and the horrible diagnosis are etched in my memory. July is a difficult month for me. I have not felt like blogging for a long time. This is what my body has been through so far:

Treatments: 102

Gamma Knife Procedure: 3

Brain Radiation SRS: 5 rounds

Adrenal Gland Radiation: 5 rounds

Shoulder Radiation: 1 round

Spine Surgery: 1

LITT to remove a brain tumor: 1

Brain MRIs: 17

Whole Body Bone Scans: 14

Chest/Ab/Pelvic CT Scans: 19

Echocardiograms: 9

Heart MRIs: 9

Breast MRI: 1

Complete Spinal MRI: 1

Thoracentesis to drain fluid from my lung: 2

Hospitalizations: three

This was a photo from treatment 102. Next Tuesday, July 22, will be #103. It has been a whole year since I had a new brain tumor – a record for me. Along with my infusions every 3 weeks, I take 2 oral chemo pills morning and night. They are not kind to my digestive system, but they are manageable, especially since it seems to be working. I am an ambassador for #LightUpMBC again. We raise money for Metavivor for metastatic breast cancer research. This is even more important now that the controlling political party has slashed billions from cancer research through the NIH with the support of every voter who helped to elect them. My fundraising page can be found here:

https://donate.metavivor.org/fundraiser/555408

I am grateful for those of you who have reached out to me while my blog was on hiatus. It means a lot to me. The painted rocks seen in photo at the top of this blog were a special gift from 3 people who know just how to add smiles to my day. Some of you even keep up with my treatment days (still every 3 weeks and still on Tuesdays). A little text or email to let me know you are thinking of me really brightens up those days. I am really tired of dealing with Stage IV cancer every day. Grief over that and missing my mom seep into all aspects of my life. Most days I still have the urge to pick up the phone and call Mom, to share something exciting or something that scares me. I carry her with me in my heart always. I appreciate any shares of this site, as I am still taking a huge step back from social media. You can also sign up to receive new blog posts via email.

I leave you with my new mantra: You don’t have to like it or want it or approve of it. Simply allow it to be there – because it already is.

If I Could Turn Back Time

July is the month of hard anniversaries. It is a month I wish I could just skip. But I cannot. Instead, I plan to find some purpose in my journey by educating you so you and the people you love do not find yourself walking in my Metastatic Breast Cancer shoes.

July 9, 2019 was the last day I experienced without the fear of cancer. Now we know that I already had breast cancer that had spread to my bones, liver and adrenal gland. But on that day, I was blissfully unaware. I ache for that lost happiness. I find relief in sharing my story so that other people will do the following: perform monthly breast self exams, get annual mammograms beginning no later than age 40 (earlier if you are high risk),know your breast density, know what screenings you need if you have dense breast tissue, know what Metastatic Breast Cancer is and why we need more research done to cure the only breast cancer that kills.

I am an Ambassador for #LightUpMBC. I am working to secure buildings to be lit in the MBC colors (teal, green, pink) on October 13, 2024 – National Metastatic Breast Cancer Day. I am in contact with State Farm Center on the campus of University of Illinois, my alma mater. If you have other ideas for buildings and landmarks with color changing LED lighting, please let me know. All proceeds from the #LightUpMBC campaign go to Metavivor to fund research grants. Your donation might be the one that funds research that finds a cure for me before time runs out.

https://donate.metavivor.org/fundraiser/5554408