For all you Stage lllC gals.
 

Countless times, I have been asked by people, "did they find your cancer early?". I struggle with how to respond. I know most people do not understand breast cancer like we all do. However, I do not want to worry people or give them the impression that I am really sick.

Any suggestions?

Hi,
I sent you a email to last week, did you get it? I noticed you were the same stage as me and had alot of pos nodes like me.(35 for me). When asked I told people it was locally advanced. If they ask did i catch it early, I would say not early enough! Your right, most people don't understand the staging. Most people do understand stage 1 though. I would tell them it is further along then stage 1, they will understand that.If you ever want to email me at home my email it mulmer@mainstaycomm.net

That question used to give me pause as well. The media seems to suggest that if you catch 'it' early, you can be cured without too much trouble. It takes too much to explain the different stages to people whom I do not know well. Maybe a response like "Not early enough to avoid 16 months of treatment...but hopefully I can be cured" sums it up.

The thing that I began to understand, and it took a while, is that even though there is no stage between IIIC and IV, there is a world of difference between the two. I held on to the fact that I had a chance of being cured, even though I felt right on the edge a lot of time.

Good luck,
Jen