[madubois63]

Cancer is cancer no matter what stage or type - it all SUCKS!!! I have never felt like I didn't belong here because of anyone. I've got plenty of experience to offer advice, so that's not my problem either. I have felt that there wasn't any information for me here. Even though I had stage IV Inflammatory BC, mets to the liver/lungs and I am Her2+, I had to put all the cancer stuff on the back burner and the leukemia became my main focus. Unfortunately, even the leukemia chat boards don't have much to offer..not many people dealing with my situation and the boards are very slow. Sometimes people don't post for days. So I come here for the love or support, check on everyone else and offer what I can, when I can.

I am not a hero, brave or anyone of the many things people say. I am very selfish and do not want a world without me in it. As many times as I have been "sick," I never let myself actually believe it. I always try to laugh and live - going places I shouldn't be (according to everyone I should be in bed resting). The more I act sick, the sicker I get. The more I live, the better I feel, so I'd rather push myself and live every day as best as I can. Do I do the rah, rah thing - sometimes. But when I meet someone just starting out, I always offer real advice not the courageous/hero crap.

I have been on other bc boards where one or two people feel it is their duty to start fights and question peoples authenticity. That can make people feel that they don't belong. I have never seen that on this board and think that it is wonderful not having to add an Internet troll to my already huge problems (thanks to Joe for keeping these boards clean).

In my opinion, if you've been stage 0, stage IV or any where in between, if your a caregiver or lost a family member or if your just curious you belong here.