It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink ribbons aren’t enough
Iwas diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in December 2008, at the age of 32. Metastatic breast cancer, also known as stage 4, occurs when cancer travels from the breast and spreads to other parts of the body. The disease is terminal. The average life expectancy of a patient diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer is about 36 months.
My family and I were devastated. We had no idea what to expect and didn’t understand the seriousness of the disease. My children were 3 and 4 years old at the time. I tried to prepare them, but constantly worried about who would take care of them. My family and friends were so supportive and I started an aggressive treatment plan including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
My oncologist told me I was going to be in treatment for the rest of my life. At that point, I made the decision to fight. But more important, I knew I wanted to learn more about my diagnosis.
The statistics are sobering to say the least.
In the U.S. alone, 40,000 women die from metastatic breast cancer every year and 30 percent of all earlystage breast cancer survivors will eventually have a reoccurrence and become metastatic. What’s more shocking is that most people know nothing about metastatic breast cancer. A recent national survey revealed 72 percent of people believe that breast cancer, even in the advanced stages, is curable if diagnosed early.
This lack of awareness has prevented progress toward finding a cure, because it’s difficult to rally efforts behind a cause that is largely misunderstood.
My journey with cancer has not been an easy one. It is more like a roller coaster of emotional highs and lows. I have been on some form of treatment every three weeks for the past eight years. My disease has spread to my liver, pelvis, ribs, hips, spine and sternum. I am very fortunate to be an outlier, which means that my type of cancer has responded well to treatments. My disease is stable, so I will continue on my targeted therapy. I have constant fatigue and my bones are very fragile from the tumors and side effects of the treatment.
I am thankful to be alive and try to live life to the fullest. Having a terminal illness puts things into perspective. I live my life three months at a time, worrying that the next CT scan will show further progression and the end is near.
This is my life, my new normal. I try not to let cancer stop me from doing the things that I enjoy. I work full time and participate in as much as I can with my kids. I enjoy traveling and creating memories with my family. I may need to use a scooter to get around at times, but I am still there with them. They are now 12 and 13 and do not remember a mother without cancer. They have endured more stress and worry than any child should ever have to experience. My husband is amazing and has been my rock through all of it. He is by my side every step of the way, putting his worries aside and supporting me.
Today, because of research and the discovery of more effective treatments, the survival rate after diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer is improving, but we still have a long way to go.
Lawmakers are starting to take notice of the significance of this issue, thanks in part to a recent Senate resolution that officially recognized Oct. 13 as Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day in Pennsylvania. This resolution was a positive step in shedding light on the larger issue of awareness, education and action. But pink ribbons and charity walks alone won’t cut it.
This is why I fight. This is why I keep going. I advocate for metastatic breast cancer research and funding (METAvivor, which shares 100 percent of its donations to fund metastatic breast cancer research grants) because I hope that one day there will be new treatment options that will prolong my life and put an end to breast cancer forever. I encourage you to do the same.