Andrea Schneider

Hi Joan,

I was first diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 42, I am 67 now. Over that time I've been diagnosed 4 times, each time the cancer was unique. My third diagnosis In 1998 involved 20 lymph nodes, I went through one of the last cohorts of bone marrow transplant, not done for breast cancer anymore because of high fatality rates vs. survival. I took this big risk and did it anyway. I've had numerous lumpectomies, enough chemotherapy to kill me many times over and 2 mastectomies at different times.

I have a good survival story and I hope been a warrior patient with a great attitude.

In 2010 I was diagnosed for the fourth time. Treatment and a mastectomy on my left breast had gone really well. Clean margins, good to go. Just had to take ongoing shots and make it 5 years to reduce my risk of return. Almost made it... This past July, 4 ½ years later, I've been diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer and will not survive it.

I have no cancer treatment regrets except one. When I had my first mastectomy in 1996, I should have taken the left breast as well. I went against my core instincts and didn't do it. I believe, rightly or wrongly, had I had a double mastectomy I wouldn't have had the last 3 cancer diagnosis'. This makes even more sense when I add my strong family history of BC. Breast conservation wasn't really a good decision for me. They haven't discovered any gene for me yet.

This new Stage 4 diagnosis is forcing me into an entirely new paradigm and it's very, very weird, I'm not sure what to make of it. My doctor's gave me really good advice: Live and act as if you have a year, do the things you love now, (they believe I have more then a year, it's just very good advice for me)

Taking their advice, I'm on my way. Like many cancer survivors, I feel I have a good story to tell, one I believe would add value to our cancer world. I've started a project called Patient's As Partners, a patient/human centered approach to cancer prevention, treatment and survival. I want to talk to other people like myself, people who have survived for some time and then won't. I want to interview their personal caregivers and important people in their lives. I want to see what ideas we come up with to meet our needs.

Thank you for the opportunity to share part of my story. If my experience can help anyone else, I'm committed to sharing what I can. If my experience can help you in anyway I'd be honored. We have tough challenge's ahead and we are tough.

Best,

Andrea Schneider