Why a Blog? Why Now?

Last September, I received a diagnosis of Metastatic (Stage IV/Advanced) Breast Cancer. There are treatments for this stage of the disease, but no cure. At 32 years old, this has put my life on a very different trajectory than I had envisioned and forced me into some really challenging and eye-opening situations. I’ve attempted to handle these adversities with determination and grace. Starting this blog is the next step in the process for me.

I’ve actually been thinking about putting together a blog for a while, but was only recently asked by one of my respected mentors if I had one. I was flattered that she would be interested in reading my blog and that was the push I needed to turn this idea into a reality. I have a few specific goals I would like to achieve with my blog, as follows:

• Update: Personal friends and family want to know what is going on with my cancer. I’m comfortable sharing and have good intentions of keeping everyone updated, but it can get hard to remember who I have told what and repeating the updates can be tiring. By providing updates though my blog, everyone who is interested can be kept up to speed!
• Educate: Most people in America are *aware* of Breast Cancer, as in they know it is a disease that exists. However, there is still largely a lack of true understanding as well as a ton of misinformation out there. I’m a big believer that knowledge is power. Therefore, in future posts I plan to share the information I’ve learned through my own experience to help move awareness to understanding through education.
• Advocate: As mentioned in the previous bullet, I’ve learned a lot through this experience and identified many places where change is needed in areas related to Breast Cancer. I’m the type of person to take action, so I’ve already connected to several non-profit organizations to make progress not only for myself, but the larger population. My focus is largely on legislative advocacy and public speaking. Please see my Advocacy and Community Service page for more information.
• Inspire: It’s taken me a long time to acknowledge that what I’ve been through and how I’ve dealt with it could be inspirational. I certainly didn’t ask for or deserve this. I largely look at the way I’ve dealt with things as selecting the best of bad options that I don’t and can’t control while trying to maintain as much as my life prior to cancer as possible. However, I’ve physically and emotionally been through a lot since cancer initially showed up unexpected in my life three years ago. I’ve consistently had to adapt and use lifestyle choices to make the best of what I’ve been given. I hope to inspire others with or without cancer to live life to the fullest of their ability and join me in my advocacy work and healthy lifestyle.

In the last three years since my initial cancer diagnosis, many people have asked what they can do to help or support me. Until now, I have not had a great answer. If you read this blog and like what you see, please bookmark it, come back regularly, and share with your friends and family who may be interested. My potential influence for good grows with my blog following. I look forward to sharing more of my story and lifestyle habits with you!