Episode 259: Cancer at Christmas: The Week I Learned I had Stage IV Breast Cancer

In this powerful episode, Larry and I go back to the week in December 1998 that changed our lives forever. What started as a routine appointment just before the holidays quickly became a devastating spiral of tests, unanswered questions, and the phone call that revealed I had stage 4 metastatic breast cancer at only 26 years old.

We share:

• The moment my doctor noticed something was wrong

• The shock of hearing “It’s cancer” days before Christmas

• The traumatic appointment where I was told to get my affairs in order

• How a second oncologist offered hope and completely changed my prognosis

• What those early days of fear, uncertainty, and survival really felt like

• How this diagnosis became the foundation for the life and mission I have today

If you’re navigating a new cancer diagnosis, living with metastatic breast cancer, or supporting someone who is, this honest conversation is for you. This is the story I wish I could have heard back then — a story about fear, resilience, terrible doctors, life-saving doctors, and the spark of hope that carried me forward.

27 years later, I’m still here. And I want you to know that hope is real.