Erin Banton – Shared her story about discovering her breast cancer in 2015 in the early stages. Emphasized the importance of self-examinations. She caught it early on and felt really positive about her outcome. Celebrated being cancer free at the end of her treatment. After going back to teaching in 2016, she felt like she went back to a “normal” life.
May 2017 almost two years from the first diagnosis, she found the second lump and was diagnosed with Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC). Shared how thankful she is for the Cowell Family Cancer Center which was not there during her first round of treatment. She shared with us a video the cancer center has created that featured three women with MBC.
METAvivor: Organization raises money for which 100% goes to research for Metastatic Breast Cancer. It’s stage 4, it’s terminal. “No one dies from a lump.” If you donate anywhere this month, please consider a donation to
www.METAvivor.org.
You may start to see pharma ads for MBC. But, it’s yet to be a household name. We are part of creating awareness for it. Action item!
For Erin, living with MBC has meant trying 5 types of chemo in 15 months, ovary removal, brain radiation. Her breast cancer has gone to her brain and liver among other areas. She has had surgery on her leg as a result of bone loss. Treatments never end and there’s always the next hurdle.
Erin says if she stays mad and angry about what she’s dealing with, she’s going to miss living her life – so she chooses not to be in that space. She’s hoping she has a lot of years left to live even though she will never be cured.
113 people a day die from MBC. Most current fundraising of breast cancer today is going to early detection, only 2-5% from organizations is focused on Metastatic Breast Cancer.