Mixed Feelings About the New Year

Happy 2019. It has entered with some heaviness and I’ve had difficulty putting thoughts into words into posts. Things are good with me; I am stable, the meds continue to do their thing. I am so very grateful for that. But treatments and circumstances have changed for many women within my circles.

** went to hospice.
** used MAiD (medical assistance in dying) to end her suffering.
** is receiving end-of-life care.
** chemo break was cancelled.
** is newly diagnosed.
** has progression.
** has progression.
** has progression.
** has progression.

My brain is trying to wrap itself around the idea of whether I am witness to these tragedies as a foreboding to my own future, or whether I am meant to remind you all that this exists and we can do better for the metastatic community. Or both.

We are 17 days into a New Year. I can’t explain why the year started as it did but I remain hopeful that I can share more happiness and progress and enlightenments as we move forward. Thank you for being part of my story.

“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.”

Vesna Zic-Côté is a member of Rethink’s Metastatic Breast Cancer Advisory Board. Initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, Vesna is now in active treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) since early 2017.