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Today I reflect on how lucky I am
I have access to great medical care.
I have a personality that is curious, researches, and demands 2nd and 3rd opinions.
I have intuition from Lillian, my grandmother I never knew.
I have knowledge from my sister Jan and my friend Kristin.
Knowledge that was instrumental in saving my life.
Knowledge I received only because of their cancer diagnoses and pain.
It's been 27 years today since I had potentially fatal fat and tissue removed from my brain; a brain tumor.
17 years since I had potentially fatal fat and tissue removed from my chest; my breast tissue.
17 years since I had all of my reproductive organs removed from body.
The potentially fat and tissue has been replaced with deep gratitude.
To mark September 16th every year, I get myself something 100% unnecessary and extravagant; just to remind myself,
I'm worth it.
This year, I can't do it.
As an advocate in the hereditary cancer space for 15 + years, I have a non-medical lump in my throat from a runway show. Yes, a runway show at New York Fashion Week.
Some of them very young.
Since the show, I've felt two things: relief and being shaken to my core.
My good fortune is not lost on me.
▪️Metastatic breast cancer will at some point, cause their death.
▪️Only 2% of funding goes to MBC.
▪️116 women die everyday from metastatic breast cancer.
▪️Approximately 30% of breast cancer patients diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer will go on to develop metastatic breast cancer (stage 4).
I'm thinking of these women, their day to day life, their medications, side effects, their families; thinking of friends who are now metastatic.
This year my extravagant gift goes to them via Cancer Culture funding to MBCure.
They are all 100% necessary and worth it.