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.

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 →

Reviews

I've written a bit lately about some popular or maybe not so popular TV shows and movies that I've been able to binge on during the pandemic and quarantine. I, as many do, have those guilty pleasures we don't talk about all the time and one of mine is watching HBO's Sex and the City. … Continue reading Reviews →

Take the Inclusion Pledge with me

From Tigerlily Foundation:  "The Facts: Black women have 40% higher mortality rates;Black women are often diagnosed at later stages when treatments are limited, costly and the prognosis is poor;Black women are often diagnosed at younger ages and have more aggressive breast cancer;Black women make up only 6% of clinical trial participants. Take the #InclusionPledge: "WE … Continue reading Take the Inclusion Pledge with me →

Powerlessness

Some of you may remember the posts I've written about how I often feel dehumanized at the hands of the American Healthcare System. Looking back, I realize that I've long felt this way, but since my interaction with doctors and visits to the doctor were so few and far between, it became somewhat expected. Now … Continue reading Powerlessness →

Missing Out

I've written before about the Fear of Missing out or "FOMO" as it pertains to parenting and the limitations of MBC that affects my ability to actively and physically participate in life with my children. Thanks to COVID-19 and the pandemic, we're definitely drowning in family time right now. At the same time, the lack … Continue reading Missing Out →