Labels. Labels are fraught with meaning and can be difficult for a variety of meanings. Adiba tackles the label survivor in this way ... Breast Cancer Survivor. What does that actually mean? Should I that live with metastatic breast cancer ever be called a survivor? I say no! Please don't call me that!You hear breast … Continue reading BCAM: October 30th →

Depression. Mental Illness. Anxiety. Struggle. I'm not ok. These are all words and phrases that are incredibly powerful, important, and necessary at times. Yet, there is a stigma. Many people who struggle, do so in silence, do so under the radar, do so without talking about it. I'm sure there are many reasons why someone … Continue reading BCAM: October 29th →

Estrogen. It's a hormone that I never really paid attention to until I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Because my subtype is hormone positive, that means my subtype is fueled by hormones. The hormones that fuel my cancer are estrogen and progesterone. So, as soon as possible after I began treatment, my doctor … Continue reading BCAM: October 27th →

Every time a person shares they have cancer, there are a variety of questions from a variety of people, family, friends and strangers alike. Some of them go along these lines ... "Did you take birth control?" .... "Do you smoke?" .... "Are you overweight?" .... "How much alcohol do you drink?" ... "Is there … Continue reading BCAM: October 26th →

I've mentioned the SEER program a few times this month and promised to share more. Well, here it is! SEER stands for "Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program." and can be accessed here. The bill that created it was signed by President Nixon, so it's been around for a long time. Any database that has … Continue reading BCAM: October 25th →

Fertility is a topic so many of those of us diagnosed before menopause have to struggle with. This is what Adiba had to say: I know many young women that are living with mbc that are longing to have a baby, and are scared and feel hopeless. I want to share how I did it … Continue reading BCAM: October 20th →

Before I had children, I didn't understand the phrase: "It takes a village." Yes, I'm a weird introvert who loves to spend time on my own, so it just didn't make sense to me. Anyway, then I had kids and WOW, it made a lot more sense. I'm forever grateful for the village that we … Continue reading BCAM: October 19th →

"This METAvivor Research and Support Inc.#METAvivor * ribbon has a very big meaning for us metavivors (a/k/a "metastatic breast cancer patients"). We choose to identify with this instead of the pink one for a variety of reasons. Text to why straight from metavivor.org: "The pink ribbon is well-known for representing the fight against breast cancer, … Continue reading BCAM: October 18th →

Day 17/100You see after being sick and on heavy treatments every day for over 5 years my body has taken a lot of beating. I feel like I'm 80, and the pic is probably what I would've looked like on the outside if my insides would decide.My immune system is really bad so I get … Continue reading BCAM: October 16th →

I chose today, halfway through this breast cancer awareness month, to highlight those badass women that Adiba chose to highlight thus far during her 100 days of MBC. Yes, I should disclose that my picture is amongst the ones below. Each of us who were highlighted picked an issue near and dear to our hearts … Continue reading BCAM: October 15th →