What happened, in summary

Kattysmith was first diagnosed with borderline Stage I/II breast cancer in 2003, shortly before turning 51. She underwent lumpectomy with sentinel-node biopsy, which showed no spread, followed by radiation and tamoxifen. After years of follow-up, breast cancer gradually occupied less of her daily thinking.

In 2015, multiple lumps appeared on her torso, arms, breast, neck, and near her ribs. When one on her upper arm grew to almost the size of a golf ball, surgery to remove several nodules showed recurrent Stage IV breast cancer involving her lymphatic system, with a possible lung lesion. She received AC chemotherapy from November through January. The palpable lumps began shrinking after the first infusion, and post-treatment scans and bloodwork showed major improvement.

She then started palbociclib and letrozole and remained completely stable, with tumor markers continuing to fall. She was not cancer-free and had low neutrophil counts and reduced stamina, but otherwise felt normal. Humor, her husband, her son’s family, and caring for several pets helped her live with metastatic disease. Financial insecurity after losing her job and insurance remained one of her greatest concerns.