This Mother's Day, many of us will be thinking about women in our lives who are faced with metastic breast cancer, or MBC. These women are mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins and other loved ones.
They are women who have been foundational in our lives, women who deserve to be acknowledged and appreciated for who they are and all they do.
The website MyMBCstory.com is a place where you can find information about this disease, as well as read personal stories by and about women who deal with MBC.
Jewel is a wife and mother with metastatic breast cancer whose story can be found on MyMBCstory.com. For her, cancer isn't a death sentence, but it is something she will live probably live with for the rest of her life, unless a cure is found.
She was diagnosed in 2006 with stage 2 MBC, and her life was changed forever. She knew that it was in her family, her aunt had breast cancer and her mother had metastatic breast cancer. And she knew just how devastating this disease can be.
At the suggestion of her friend Amy, a breast cancer survivor, Jewel found Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC). This was a breast cancer community that brought information, support and comfort to her.
She became an LBBC Ambassador, and 8 years later she is still helping others with breast cancer by providing information to others.
Jewel has a job that helps her to stay grounded and stable. As one of her own coping mechanisms, Jewel has learned yoga. As a way of learning more about managing her MBC, as well as of giving and receiving support, Jewel attends LBBC educational conferences.
As strange as it may sound at first, Jewel credits having metastatic breast cancer as having made her a person who is stronger, and better able to face life's hurdles.
Everyone with breast cancer handles their challenges in their own way. Jewel urges others with breast cancer to take the step of opening up to their loved ones, and talking about their fears and hopes and dreams.
This can enable them to connect with other women, and to be strengthened by their shared experiences. In the process, who knows how many other women might be strengthened by what each woman shares?
If you'd like to create a book about your struggle with MBC, or if you would like to honor a woman you love who has MBC with such a book, MyMBCstory.com offers you that opportunity.
To create your own book of memories, go here. You'll also find a coupon code there for your use to get up to a 50 percent discount on your book.
The Metastatic Breast Cancer Inspiration Garden is a place where you can show support for women with metastatic breast cancer. Do you have family members or other loved ones dealing with this disease? You can make a flower and plant it in the garden in their honor.
Once there are 500 flowers in the garden, a donation will be given by AstraZeneca to Living Beyond Breast Cancer and Metastatic Breast Cancer Network, two of MBC's advocacy groups.
Visit this page to plant a flower, and come back often to see the garden grow.
If you'd like to share your story about your mother, sister, or other loved ones here on EmpowHER, we invite you to do so here.
Sources:
My Story. MyMBCstory.com. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
http://www.mymbcstory.com
Stories of Strength: Jewel's MBC Story. MyMBCstory.com. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
http://www.mymbcstory.com/stories-of-strength.aspx
Inspiration Garden. MyMBCstory.com. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
http://www.mymbcstory.com/metastatic-breast-cancer-inspiration-garden.aspx
Visit Jody's website at http://www.ncubator.ca