Cari

Cari was only 34 years old when she was diagnosed with TNBC. She was a writing teacher who was taking time off to care for her 3 young children. Although her nodes were clear, a year after her initial diagnosis, it had spread to her brain. At the time, the tumor was readily resectable and just a single tumor. Shortly after her surgery, TNBC cells were discovered in her spinal fluid. Tumors developed which could not be removed. She was treated with additional chemo but there was no stopping the spread. She died this Tuesday at the ripe old age of 36. She writes about all of this candidly in her blog http://undomestic.blogspot.com/.

For TNBC, distal recurrences occur in the lungs (36%), bone (19%), Liver (11%), brain (11%) and skin (10%). But once it shows up in one place, it usually ends up in another place soon.

For estrogen positive cancers, bones are where it usually first shows but eventually it will spread to the lungs and/or liver, just usually alot more slowly than TNBC. All very awful and scary.

It suddenly became cooler and less humid here. I am glad. Trees are starting to change colors I noticed when I did my long country run this morning. The new feeder a friend gave me finally has attracted Ms. Hummingbird. She has turned up her long beak at the other feeders I've had though she comes for the flowers. I found a former LiveStrong classmate at the Y yesterday who I barely recognized. We both have alot more hair and have lost weight.We had a nice chat about post-cancer life.

Later today, I go to a reunion of ex-employees of my former company. The New Zealand couple who transferred to England and whom we met up with in England when Steve was assigned to work there 2 years ago are in town. Should be interesting.