Stage 4 isn’t a Death Sentence…

Kristen’s Story…

I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Triple Negative Invasive Ductal Carcinoma in May of 2022 at age 38. I had felt a lump on my left breast and went in to get it checked out. Within 3 days, I had a mammogram, ultrasound, biopsy and diagnosis. To say the least, I was in complete shock, especially since I had never had prior issue, not did I have family history. I started chemo 2 weeks later on my 39th birthday and after an additional scan, we learned the cancer had spread to my liver and now I was considered Stage 4. This news was especially terrifying, being a mother to two under 3. But with the support of good friends and family and an amazing care team, I have learned to live with this diagnosis and have come to realize that stage 4 isn’t always like what you see in movies and isn’t always a death sentence. I completed 12 rounds of chemo, which completely zapped the spots on my liver and then I had a lumpectomy to remove the breast tumor and am currently considered no evidence of disease. I am still on chemo indefinitely, but I have been very lucky as my side effects have been pretty mild. I don’t know what the future holds, but I will continue to maintain a positive attitude and live my life to the fullest. Having cancer doesn’t define me as a person. In fact, a lot of the time I forget that it’s still a thing. And while cancer sucks, your life doesn’t have to. I am living proof that it doesn’t have to be all bad all the time.