Stage IV Breast Cancer: Tova's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

Tova Goldblum was 60 when she described a breast cancer diagnosis that had begun in 1992. At that time, doctors advised removal of the breast. Living in Germany far from her family, she felt very alone with the diagnosis and the treatment decisions. Lists of pros and cons helped her choose a path. After surgery, she traveled to her home country to tell her parents and family in person, wanting them to see that she could still travel and did not look visibly ill. Back in Germany, she began chemotherapy that was planned for 6 cycles. She called the red infusions “Bacardi” and tried to picture them as something helpful because she wanted to live and fight. She stopped after 4 cycles because she felt well and her blood values were good. During breast reconstruction, she also had the healthy breast reduced, something she had long wanted. Tova has taken Tamoxifen for more than 15 years and says she tolerates it well. She also describes living for many years with metastases, continuing checkups every 6 months, and not pushing symptoms aside. Faith, self-help group leadership, writing, visualization, and long-term travel goals helped her keep planning a future while living with cancer.