This year has been tough...
This year has presented significant challenges.
I am approximately five years into my journey with Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC), having received a de novo diagnosis in 2021 at the age of 38. Over the past five years, I have processed numerous losses and, more recently, had cultivated long-term goals, aspirations, and a renewed enthusiasm for life, which had been absent since my diagnosis. My cancer has not progressed, and I have been on my initial line of maintenance medication for four years, achieving No Evidence of Active Disease (NEAD) status since mid-2023.
However, this year has introduced a new dimension of grief and sorrow that I had not previously encountered on my journey. Specifically, I have experienced the loss of several individuals within my cancer support network. Three of my most significant supporters and fellow cancer patients have passed away. This has left me feeling isolated, saddened, guilty, terrified, and a spectrum of other emotions.
Has anyone else experienced a similar situation?