Advocating for Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Patient's JourneyBreast cancer is a disease that affects millions of lives worldwide. While overcoming breast cancer is undoubtedly the goal, the journey doesn't end there for many. The struggle continues for...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
How Does One Hang On to Optimism and Joy?Advanced breast cancer brings minimal blessings, but I found them when I searched for them. I'm speaking for myself here; your experience will differ because cancer and its care have...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Chemo Brain SolutionsI've written previously about my diagnosis with chemo brain (cancer-related cognitive impairment or cognitive dysfunction), and suffice it to say, learning that I had a 20-point IQ (intelligence quotient) deficit...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Different Hormone Medication ExperiencesOne of the first lines of defense for my type of cancer is a monthly shot in both butt cheeks. Doesn't that sound lovely? It includes a beautiful "loading" period...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Bites of Life 3 Months at a TimeScan day. It's here again, and I can't sleep. Tomorrow I will wake up and kiss my child goodbye while she still sleeps, drive into the city, and sit in...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
I Have De Novo Ogliometastatic Breast Cancer - Can I Stop Treatment?Last month while at my oncology appointment, I decided to ask my doctor an unpopular question. I asked her if she ever had a patient that went off treatment after...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
The Fallible Caregiver Series: Asking Her Meaningful QuestionsMy wife, Rebekah (35), lives with stage 4 breast cancer. My duties as her caregiver have increased over the last 8 years of marriage, especially after a brain surgery last...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Working, Your Career, and Metastatic Breast CancerMetastatic breast cancer (MBC) can impact your life in many ways. An important factor it can affect is your career. One study found that two-thirds of working women stopped working...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Staying Alive Is Not CheapUnsurprisingly, drugs to treat metastatic breast cancer are outrageously priced. So imagine my shock when I learned a new medication I needed was equally offensively priced. Over the last year...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
7 Things You Should Never Say to a CaregiverYou mean well and genuinely feel sympathy for your friend who cares for someone with advanced breast cancer. We know you mean well, and we also understand that you know...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Saying Goodbye to a FriendSeveral months ago, I lost my friend Ashley to metastatic breast cancer. A mutation of the PALB2 gene caused Ashley's cancer. Words cannot begin to convey how much Ashley meant...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Finding Your TribeSince there are many different types of breast cancer, finding your tribe for practical help and support on social media may take time. And, patients dealing with a Stage IV...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Chemo Side Effects: Temperature RegulationI’ve been on chemotherapy in one form or another for almost 8 years straight now. Anyone living with cancer has undoubtedly heard people say how terrible chemo is, that it’s...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
What They Didn't Tell MeIn the 3 years my partner Steph and I have spent as residents in advanced breast cancer, we've received advice and sat through many teachings meant to help us. But...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Cancer Scanxiety: My Personal StoryI have been a breast cancer patient for almost 10 years now. I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, which is the most advanced stage. As someone who has gone...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
Chemo Brain: Losing Another Piece of Who We AreMy initial cancer treatment, back in 2017 when we thought I might be Stage II versus Stage IV, was the combination of Cytoxan and Adriamycin (also known as the Red...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Sex, Intimacy, and Metastatic Breast CancerA metastatic breast cancer (MBC) diagnosis brings many physical, mental, and emotional changes. Sex and intimacy will also likely look different, now and in the long term. It is still...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Stage 4 and My RelationshipSometimes I wish people had told me how different my relationship with my spouse would look after I got diagnosed. Balancing life post-diagnosis is difficult, but its a lot more...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
What Is Metastatic Survivorship?In recent years there have been tremendous advances in cancer treatment. Thanks to better treatments, many people with metastatic cancer are living longer. As of 2018, experts estimated that more...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
The Fallible Caregiver Series: Learning to Delegate for HerLast February, my wife had brain surgery to remove 2 small tumors. There were unexpected outcomes resulting in her needing my care part of the time to now most of...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments