[jml]

Amy~
Thank you so much for your voice & your eloquence!

When I was dx'd @33yo & Stage IV, I went to a couple of different support groups, but found that I was such an anomaly & regardless of how "supportive" the others were, there was definitely an underlying tone of resistance to explore & discuss the unique issues of a Stage IV patient, because no one wanted to cross that bridge if they didn't have to.
Stage IV disease is so different than early stage disease. There is no magical 5yr mark to celebrate. I live from scan to scan, knowing that from one 12week interval to the next, things could change dramatically. I've actually lost the capacity to project into the future, much past a couple of months, to make plans for holidays, visits, travel. I recently got a new cell phone and hesitated when they told me I had to sign a 2yr service contract to get the "sale price" of the phone.
Even a comment like "I hope I look that great when I'm 50 years old" is a luxurious assumption that just doesn't exist in my brain.
I find the commercialization of "The Pink Ribbon" has become so overbearing - especially in October. It's like everyone wants to keep the disease perception nice & tidy & even FUN! As much attention the Ellen DeGeneres Show brings to the disease & as much money that she raises to support the cause, I still feel like it's so oversimplified.
We need to be vigilant about putting this face of BC in the forefront of media and all the organizations that coordinate these big BC walks to really educate all the pink ribbon wearing supporters. But Stage IV disease doesn't have a very pretty "face"...
I don't know what the answer is, but so appreciate of this supportive & intelligent forum to "talk" about it.
As I've said on other threads, had I known that surviving WITH Stage IV disease for 9+yrs was a possibility, at the very least a goal that we could fight for, I might have been able to approach my survival a little differently.

Keeping the Faith~

Jessica