June 2021

Hearing you have metastatic breast cancer results in difficult sensations and emotions, including shock, fear, disbelief, and numbness. My mind and body felt other strong emotions – anger, betrayal, grief, and sadness. I cried in the arms of my husband, who quietly said, “What do we do next? You are a strong person. You have always been a fighter – never backing down from a challenge.” He was right. Giving up and wallowing in despair would just hasten my death.

When do Americans think about breast cancer? Most hear the disease discussed in October with the message “Get a mammogram so if the cancer is found early, you can survive.” Americans need to know more about that narrow message.

Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer