What happened, in summary

Robbie first faced breast cancer in early 2012 with Stage 0 DCIS. She then received a second, more serious diagnosis in mid-2013: Stage II estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer on the left side, with a very large tumor. Treatment included major surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. During this same period, her husband John was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and later had chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, making cancer a shared part of their family life. About 4 years after Robbie’s invasive breast cancer diagnosis, her disease metastasized. She described spots on her bones and liver and said she would likely keep returning to Mass General for the long run because the specialists there understood her type of cancer. Robbie and John eventually simplified their lives, moved between Florida and Boston for care, and learned to manage the paperwork, cost, stress, and uncertainty that came with 2 cancers in one household. Robbie described the goal as getting stabilized and then deciding what she and John wanted to do next. Her latest status is living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer involving bone and liver, with ongoing care and no cancer-free claim.