I was born in Ontario, Canada but spent my adult years in Asia, Europe and the U.S. My Canadian roots continue to be a big part of who I am – just ask me about butter tarts! I am a wife and mother of two young men, a daughter, a sister, a friend. I am currently a clinical social worker but have had a varied professional life covering international business (IT, HR, organizational development), consulting, economic development, public service, and private/public-school boards.
My diagnosis of de novo Metastatic Breast Cancer (ER+, HER2-) in August 2017 was a shock even though I had been considered high risk for breast cancer and had been screened with both ultrasounds and mammograms since age of 35. It’s always a shock to be told you have a terminal illness with no confirmed prognosis beyond 3 to 5 years. My dense breast tissue didn’t have a lump detected by these screens, even 6 months before my stage 4 diagnosis, but the mixed ductal and lobular nature of my breast cancer had likely gone undetected for many years. So, while I am the fourth generation in my family to have breast cancer, I am dealing with something entirely different. There was so much I did not comprehend, and this state of confusion led me to get busy. This blog reflects the work I have been doing, and continue to pursue, in an effort to make a difference for others with this disease. I am incredibly privileged with a good insurance plan, access to phenomenal doctors near my home, supportive family and friends and the financial means to step down from my paid work. I am a white woman and sadly that also makes a difference in my care. In this country, women of color fare far worse with the same MBC diagnosis as myself. This is an outrage and it needs to change.
Soon after diagnosis, I realigned my work responsibilities from direct clinical therapy with children. In early 2018, I became a SHARE Cancer Support volunteer as a telephone support group moderator and TalkMETS peer. I then began working with Rebecca Timlin-Scalera and The Cancer Couch Foundation (TCCF) and was Co-Chair of the first Scoops Challenge in my community. I continued to work with both SHARE and TCCF, expanding my role(s) in various capacities. I have hosted four SHARE MBC Webinars. I co-moderate the SHARE Thursday evening MBC telephone support group and am currently working on the TalkMETS Helpline development committee. I developed, wrote and edited the “How to talk to kids about MBC” video series in partnership with SHARE, MSK Oncology Social Work and RETHINK Breast Cancer. I co-founded the #Reason4FreezinMBC viral social media challenge raising over $100K for MBC Research benefiting TCCF, BCRF & Metavivor. I was the writer/editor of the Campaign Kick Off video and led the successful pitch to the NBC Today Show resulting in Rebecca Timlin-Scalera’s hallmark spotlight. I was able to leverage my contacts in federal and NYC government to lobby Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney on the H.R. 2178 bill. This needs to get passed yesterday people! I am also a Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance member at large. I am currently working on the MSK MBC Meetup scheduled for the spring, 2020, with MSK Oncology Social Work.
Life with Metastatic Breast Cancer 