I am asked regularly — “when will you be done with treatment” or “How are you recovering” or something similar. In my view, the fact that I’m asked these questions comes from two places: 1) people don’t know what to say/ask, so they say/ask something that comes to mind; and 2) there is a fundamental misunderstanding about the difference between early stage and advanced breast cancer.
Adiba created this graphic …
It’s important to remember that there is no cure for cancer itself.
Let me say that again — there is no cure for cancer. Those men and women who are told they are cured when faced with an early stage diagnosis are being lied to and misled. There is no way for any doctor or any treatment to remove all cancer cells from the body, let alone all malignant cells. Every single person with early stage cancer of any kind faces an increased risk of reoccurrence and reoccurrence at Stage IV than the general population.
What is different between early stage and advanced breast cancer or MBC is that MBC is terminal. What doctors are doing when treating those of us who have MBC is simply attempting to stay ahead of the mutating cancer cells. Those of us who have MBC will be in some kind of treatment or, for those who are able to get to No Evidence of Disease (NED), regular surveillance. There is another status: No Evidence of Active Disease (NEAD), which is more for those of us with bone mets that will always show up on a scan.
Now you know more about the difference between early stage and MBC, which is terminal. And a recommendation — JUST ASK HOW WE ARE DOING. No need to ask about when we will be done with treatment or any other question that includes assumptions, just be a human being and ask how we are.
No Half Measures 
Good information, my older sister had breast cancer, and my sister in law died from it
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I’m so sorry.
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Great advice, ask how we are at present 💕
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❤️
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This is so true! I know for myself having had early stage cancer others think I am cured but when ever some I experience some weird symptoms or unexplained unexpected ailment my mind goes to the question… Is it cancer… And my doctor treats it seriously and has me checked up.
I think your question how are you doing is such a good one. The journey for those being treated is horrid. Some want to talk about it and some do not. It is a very personal journey. Thank you for your sharing.
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So glad your doctor takes your concerns seriously! Too many struggle with that. ❤️
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I like “It’s good to see you.” It removes any kind of obligation to provide information on how I’m feeling.
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Great suggestion!!
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A hard trail to walk. I look okay, feel okay, but I lose energy quickly. Some people think I have all the old energy that I used to have (sometimes unlimited!) and I have to remind them that I don’t. That’s hard for some to accept.
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I hear this! An adjustment for everyone in my household too. I struggle with knowing when to rest too. ❤️
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TREATING YOU LIKE ANOTHER HUMAN BEING IS WHAT YOU WANT. NOT ANOTHER TREATMENT SUBJECT!
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Exactly!
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😀
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Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
IT’S A HARD TRAIL TO WALK. LET THE DOCTORS TAKE CARE OF TREATMENT—YOU BE THEIR CARING FRIEND!
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Cheers to you…bash on regardless….and bring about hope and smile for those still struggling to understand all this….
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Thank you!!
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