Author: Abigail Johnston

I'm a daughter, a wife, a mother, and I've been living with Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer since March, 2017. All of the words I publish are my own.

Chasing a Cure, Part I, a PROBLEM

No one wants there to be a cure for cancer more than me. A cure for cancer would mean that instead of knowing that I will leave my boys with a gaping hole in their lives, I might get to see them grow up, dance with them at their weddings, meet my grandchildren. The list … Continue reading Chasing a Cure, Part I, a PROBLEM →

Who am I?

Who you really are is the result of many many things. How you deal with fear. Who you surround yourself with. And how you show up when it matters”Meredith Grey on Grey’s Anatomy, Season 18, episode 12 Recently, in a support group that my Dad and I moderate for those who are living with Stage … Continue reading Who am I? →

Calling All Patient Advocates

When I was newly diagnosed, I had no energy to do much of anything but stay alive, go to doctor appointments, read as much as possible to try to understand and try to do stuff around the house. I was also closing down my law office transitioning staff and clients and furniture and dealing with … Continue reading Calling All Patient Advocates →

The Light gets in …

“Yes you have been broken.But you won’t stay shattered for ever my friend.You will scrape those little shards of your soul from the floor and pull them all together to rebuild, better than before.Stronger.But this time there will be cracks…and that is how the light will get in.And you may not keep all the little … Continue reading The Light gets in … →

Pro What?

Recently, a Supreme Court opinion was leaked that has sent some shockwaves across the world. The opinion would reverse decades of opinions based on Roe v. Wade and change the legal landscape when it comes to abortion. Many states that don't have laws about abortion on the books or have laws that haven't been enforced … Continue reading Pro What? →

Grief Tourists Who Go TOO Far

I am thankful to Chelsey Gomez and a recent Journeying Beyond Breast Cancer weekly blog roundup for learning this term: "Grief Tourists." You should check out her writing and follow her as well as the weekly round-up of blogs. I also like the definition below from BladderCancer.net, a HealthUnion site like AdvancedBreastCancer.net, for which I … Continue reading Grief Tourists Who Go TOO Far →

A follow up to billing issues …

I wrote a blog post recently about feeling in the middle between my insurance company and my cancer center this week and you can access that here if you are curious about that. In the midst of that experience, I had multiple conversations with people in my life about medical billing issues AND received bills … Continue reading A follow up to billing issues … →

305PinkPack

As many of you know, I currently live in Miami, Florida and I've posted/talked about my involvement with the 305PinkPack at various times. The Pack, as we often term it, is the brainchild of Rosemary Carrera, a breast cancer survivor, a medical professional, and all around amazing person. Here is how she describes her experience … Continue reading 305PinkPack →

BIG NEWS!!

It's with many many many mixed feelings that we officially announce our move from Miami back to Orlando in June of this year after the boys finish the 2021/2022 school year. As many of you know, when I was diagnosed with Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer back in 2017, we moved to Miami to be … Continue reading BIG NEWS!! →

I don’t want to be in the middle!!!

As the eldest of six (6), I've never experienced the woes of the middle children, but I think I might be starting to understand a little of how/why they tend have some objections to the way they are treated. My experiences aren't the result of family dynamics, but the experience of being a patient who … Continue reading I don’t want to be in the middle!!! →