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.

Dealing with Prejudice/Racism PART I

I know this blog is about my experiences as a woman living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, but I need to take a small break and talk about prejudice and racism. As most of you know, I'm a WASP. I'm originally from the Midwest but I am a White Anglo Saxon Protestant. I'm married … Continue reading Dealing with Prejudice/Racism PART I →

Memory Boxes (originally published in Wildfire Magazine)

If you don't already subscribe to Wildfire Magazine, go sign up now!!  It's amazing and you will get content from a wide variety of talented men and women. When my boys were placed in my arms after the planned (Liam in 2013) and emergency c-sections (Malcolm in 2015) my heart swelled and grew.  I had … Continue reading Memory Boxes (originally published in Wildfire Magazine) →

Redemption

What does this word mean to you? The dictionary meaning I found is as follows: "1. The action of saving or being saved from sin, error or evil: God's plans for the redemption of his world. [in singular] a thing that saves someone from error or evil: His marginalization from the Hollywood jungle proved to … Continue reading Redemption →

Clinical Trials

Let me first say that anyone who participates in a clinical trial, at any stage, are my personal heros. It takes a lot to put your life and health on the line and I salute the trial participants and the families who agreed to participate. I am presently on my first line treatment, a drug … Continue reading Clinical Trials →

Higher Power, Part II

In my last post, I gave a brief overview of my spiritual journey, leading to how I view God, a/k/a my Higher Power. This post is about how I've assimilated that view into the outlook that I have now, as a woman living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, a diagnosis that will kill me … Continue reading Higher Power, Part II →

Higher Power, Part I

This is not an easy topic to write about. Perhaps it should be, but I find myself in an odd place now that I've been dealing with a terminal diagnosis for two (2) years after all of the experiences I've had in my life, spiritual and otherwise. I will give some background for context. I … Continue reading Higher Power, Part I →

Conflicting Labels

I've written quite a few blog posts about labels.  Labels are important and can be extremely meaningful; labels can also be fraught with triggers and emotion.  One such label that creates a lot of angst for me, is survivor.  I'm sure no one is surprised by this as I've written about this before and it's … Continue reading Conflicting Labels →

How to be an Ally

When I met my now husband, Elliot, in 2006, I'd never dated anyone who wasn't as lily-white as me.  In fact, the area where I went to high school in Ohio was so homogeneous, that going to UCF (That's the University of Central Florida for those of you not familiar with the Knights) for college … Continue reading How to be an Ally →

Form over Substance

There are usually good reasons for doing something the same way every single time.  Protocols and procedures are extremely helpful, especially when someone's health is on the line.  When I was practicing law, I had lots of policies and procedures, especially for new hires and the people at the front desk.   When there are employees … Continue reading Form over Substance →

Scanxiety

When I was initially diagnosed, I began seeing this term in many of my support groups.  I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone that cancer metsters/thrivers have their own jargon that helps to explain the shared experiences.   It's sometimes like learning a new language, especially the acronyms.  I've also found that the jargon changes in … Continue reading Scanxiety →