Help us spread the word about Metastatic Breast Cancer. We need more for Stage IV.
Mary’s Story
My story began in January of 2012 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a day I’ll never forget – the January chill felt just a bit cooler. I then underwent the expected lumpectomy surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. For nine months of my life, I endured sickness, nausea and fought not for survival – for the gravitas of the situation hadn’t quite become real – but for just a normal day, a day without sickness, anxiety and fear. I endured.
Fast forward to June 2014, almost two years after my last radiation treatment I received a call I had been subconsciously dreading, a call I’d hoped I’d never ever get.
The breast cancer had metastasized, spread to my bones. “Metastatic breast cancer is incurable,” was the only thing I remember from that day. Now the real fight had begun. I had a terminal diagnosis. Terminal.
A terminal cancer diagnosis such as metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is emotionally challenging, but is also physically draining. So I decided to focus my days doing something that I loved. I am swimming across as many lakes as possible bringing awareness and funding to metastatic breast cancer—a poorly funded and all but forgotten branch of a deadly disease.
I swim for the all the other 150,000-250,000 women and men who have metastatic-stage IV breast cancer.
What is metastatic breast cancer?
Metastatic breast cancer (MBC, also know as Stage IV) is breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast to other organs in the body (most often the bones, lungs, liver or brain). No one dies from cancer in the breast; deaths are due to metastasis to other parts of the body. Once breast cancer has metastasized it is a terminal disease – THERE IS NO CURE.
Why we need your help?
For decades funding focused on prevention, awareness, and early detection.
Unfortunately early detection and subsequent treatments do not guarantee a cure. Metastatic breast cancer can occur 5, 10 or many years after a person’s original diagnosis. Less than 10% of all breast cancer research dollars goes towards Stage IV.
There has been no significant reduction in annual deaths from Metastatic Breast Cancer
October 13 - Metastatic Breast Cancer Day
Although the entire month of October is dedicated to Breast Cancer awareness, the mets community feels slighted by being granted only this one day on the calendar. Why do we feel a need to inform the public about this disease? It is critical to let people know that when the cancer cells leave the breast it is now considered metastatic and there is no cure. Over 40,000 women and men will die this year from this deadly disease yet this fact is rarely mentioned in all the publicity of October’s pink month. Many of you remember our previous die-in’s at the State Capitol. Click here for the video of the October 13, 2015 die-in with Heather and Maggie.
KEEP UP WITH MARY'S VIEWS ON LIFE & MBC - READ HER BLOG
10 THINGS YOUR FRIEND WITH MBC NEEDS YOU TO UNDERSTAND
Lacking a map, I’ve decided to simply ask…The women I talked to were very happy to help me and now I have for you (and me) this list. CLICK here to read the list.