Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Stage 4 Breast Cancer - 54 months

I sit here on this stupid day in this stupid month, wearing some PJ pants that say "On tough cookie" that were gifted to me my first time around with breast cancer, reading how there is a cure for breast cancer but the government won't give it to us, reading how certain organizations doing do enough research, and blah, blah, blah.

In case you are not aware October is breast cancer awareness month and today, October 13 is Metastatic Breast Cancer awareness day.

If you could hear me talk, you would her the ooze of sarcasm. 

I am not going to go on on with lectures of how the stage of Breast Cancer you die of is Stage 4, around 140 men and women die daily from this crap, money is SO needed for stage 4 breast cancer research, but I going to tell you of me.

I know many of you have followed me this whole time, and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. But for those who know, please excuse a brief recap of this story. 

I am one of those who had early stage breast cancer (stage 1, Triple Negative), chemo, lumpectomy and radiation.  I NEVER knew cancer could ever come back. 

I was clean of cancer for about 16 months until it was time for a routine scan, and I received that call that would forever change my life.

When the nurse told me I needed to come in that day, I thought I had lung cancer.  I had NO idea breast cancer could move to my lungs, bones, nodes (which it had) and liver and brain (had not-yet).

After my Dr. and husband explained I was now considered Stage 4 Metastatic, and as of now, there that is no cure for me.

No cure.  

Those words hung in the air that thick fog.

After crumbing into her arms, my husband and I walked out of her office that day, with the pamphlet, hand-in-hand, tear stained checks and said, here we go.

There is MUCH more to this story, 3 brain surgeries, friends come and gone, anger, love, light and so much more.

But my BIG message here is, I am 54 months living with Stage 4 breast cancer.  I believe treatment IS getting better, JUST not good enough.  I was on a trial drug, PARP 201, which I believe kept my body clean for all these years.   

This is just my story.  

People Stage 4 needs more research. A few great places to donate to are:

http://www.metavivor.org/

http://mbcn.org/

Or donate directly to a research hospital.

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