Living Your Best With Advanced Breast Cancer

Protect yourself. You're more vulnerable right now. Before cancer, self-care was not in my vocabulary. I was a class mother, worked 60 hours a week. Now, I've changed. Learn how to say no. Be in control of what you can control, because there are many things you can't control. Figure out what you need.

-- Susan Ruffini, president, North Fork Breast Health Coalition

I honestly feel that my breast cancer was a gift to me, because it made me very aware of living. The birds didn’t have my address and I never heard them. But since I began my cancer journey, I go outside, and it’s like a symphony. Live every day to the fullest now.

-- Cookie Aftergut, founder, Chemoflage

Some women have had a mastectomy, reconstruction, or lost feeling in their breast. It’s not visible to the outside world, but it’s visible to you. Give yourself time. Be kind to yourself. It takes time to heal. You’re not just cancer, your breasts, or your body. You’re you.

-- Karen Hartman, licensed clinical social worker, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Women with metastatic breast cancer have been living longer each decade. We’re making real headway with immunotherapy and other targeted therapies. It’s important to incorporate patient-reported outcomes in our clinical trials to emphasize quality of life as a pillar of research.

-- Jennifer Litton, MD, MD Anderson Cancer Center

No question is unimportant when it comes to cancer. It’s difficult to realize what you don’t understand or should ask your doctor. Never be afraid to speak up and ask your questions! The more you know, the more confident you’ll feel about your care plan.

-- Sobia Ozair, MD, Mary Bird Perkins/Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center

I’ve kept family, friends, volleyball players, students, and clients updated via my Facebook page with information and photos, so they could see and hear what I was going through. In turn, they’d share support and encouragement. I look forward to hearing their kind words and positive comments.

-- Pako Whannell, Cancer Fighters

The early weeks after diagnosis are the most overwhelming. Most women feel less overwhelmed once a plan is in place. Regardless of how serious things seem to be, remain hopeful. Be willing to accept help. Be clear about what’s actually helpful to you at this time.

 – Katherine Castle, MD, Mary Bird Perkins/Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center