What happened, in summary

Lise Pass was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in 2004 after finding a lump. Two years later, sharp hip pain led to the discovery that the cancer had spread to her bones, changing her diagnosis to Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Lise continued treatment while she and her husband remained deeply involved in foster parenting. Her metastatic treatment included radiation, additional surgery, and monthly chemotherapy infusions for 5 years. She later continued a nightly oral chemotherapy pill. Despite ongoing cancer treatment, Lise kept an active family life and continued opening her home to children who needed care. At 55, she described herself as much more than her diagnosis and said she was feeling well. The story describes her as living with metastatic breast cancer for nearly a decade. For Lise, caring for children became an important part of coping with long-term treatment and helped keep cancer from defining every part of daily life.