[chrisy]

First of all, I don't watch ANY daytime TV as I work (more than) full time. So I don't really know what I'm talking about on this thread, but the discussion has been great!

And EVERYONE who has commented on this thread is absolutely right. We're angry, sad, focused, positive, hopeful, all of it at different times.

I agree, you have to focus on the postive and as StephN said, be forward looking. And keep living your life.

The reality is, at this time metastatic disease is "not curable" but is treatable. This was Mrs. Edwards initial statement about her prognosis, and is exactly what I was told by my rockstar oncologist. At that point, hearing that they were beginning to look at Stage IV bc as a chronic condition that could be managed for a long time was the first HOPE we got. My other hope is that major breakthroughs are just around the corner.

On the other hand, although Rosie or whoever quoted stats was probably quoting accurate stats, they are historical and thus (hopefully!) improving every day. Furthermore, statistics are just that and not a specific prognosis for any individual. There are so many factors influencing this.

That said, I think that the media loves to use words like "terminal" because that makes it so much more dramatic. Like we NEED more drama in our lives! That does a disservice to those who are trying to maintain positive energy in the face of a difficult situation.

Anyway, I'm ramblin on aimlessly, you are all so awesome I thought maybe if I posted on this thread I could be awesome by association!

Chris