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.

Roadmap to MBC Organizations

I just had an amazing podcast recorded with my dear friend, Emily Garnett's, husband, Christian Garnett with the "Our MBC Life Podcast" and we talked about her projects and his commitment to carrying on her legacy, particularly within the MBC Community. One of her projects was to create a binder for the newly diagnosed with … Continue reading Roadmap to MBC Organizations →

Just Mercy

George Floyd was murdered on May 25, 2020 and the world hasn't been the same since. The outpouring of support from the entire world and the widespread acknowledgments, albeit somewhat late, of the ongoing systemic racism affecting the black community in the United States, has been heartening to see. The number of policy changes that … Continue reading Just Mercy →

Nancy’s Point 2020 Blog Challenge!

I love the blog challenges that Nancy’s Point runs each year! It’s such a fun time to get to know other bloggers, in this cancer space and otherwise. Before I go any farther, please take a moment to follow Nancy’s Point. She talks about so many things, cancer related and otherwise, and everyone should be … Continue reading Nancy’s Point 2020 Blog Challenge! →

Now this is an article everyone should read!!

I read this blog today and it was something I wanted to reblog, which I don’t often do!! Everyone can benefit from learning about these cancer terms!! Have a read, you’ll be glad you did!! Breast Cancer Glossary: 41 Terms You Should Know When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer it was unimaginably overwhelming … Continue reading Now this is an article everyone should read!! →

Expectations, Part II

In part I of my musings on Expectations, I laid out the definitions and some of the context of approaching expectations in a variety of ways. In this post, I want to look at the more personal examples and explore how that's been an issue that I've grappled with in my own life, before and … Continue reading Expectations, Part II →

Disenfranchised Grief

I was struggling recently over the anniversaries of the death of several members of the Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) community and a dear friend, Alyson, shared with me her working knowledge of this concept of "Disenfranchised Grief." Alyson Tischler is a fellow MBC haver and is just generally a really cool person. She's … Continue reading Disenfranchised Grief →

#MetsMonday

I can't find an official definition of #MetsMonday, so I'll give you mine -- "#MetsMonday exists to remind each of us that those of us with metastatic cancer need research and intervention in order to lead full and fulfilling lives." If you have a definition, I'd love to hear about it! #MetsMonday is why I … Continue reading #MetsMonday →

Celebrations

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about celebrations. Milestones and the traditional ways of marking said milestones have changed in this time of COVID. The “normal” or expected elements of the 4th of July are simply ... missing. I don’t miss the traffic and fighting for a place to sit comfortably and watch the fireworks; … Continue reading Celebrations →

Palliative Care Project

Palliative care has to be one of the most misunderstood elements of care that I've encountered. I count myself amongst the people who knew next to nothing about it before I was diagnosed with a terminal illness. I'd always lumped palliative care in with hospice, frankly, and I've discovered that many other people think the … Continue reading Palliative Care Project →

Legacy Project

What does it mean to leave a legacy? How does this change with a diagnosis of Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC)?   I've been pondering these questions for most of the last three (3) years I've been living with Stage IV MBC and I don't know that I have THE answers; at the same … Continue reading Legacy Project →