Logo

Health Equity in Uncertain Times

Share Your Story
Silvia's avatar

[Clinical trials] give women a chance to help other women and yes, you're taking a chance but the care you receive in a trial is excellent.

- Silvia
Manuela's avatar

End-of-life and financial support are not talked about enough. After so much financial investment in a loved one with mBC, you realize how much debt has been accumulated over time.

- Manuela
Alexis Jefferson's avatar

It’s officially May. This month is special to me for so many reasons. It’s my birthday month but also Lupus Awareness Month. For those of who don’t know I was diagnosed with Lupus disease February of 2018. It came to me as a huge shock, shifted my whole world. Through the years I’ve been able to maneuver and live my life as normal as I can and thankfully have more good days then bad. In 2022, I was sick with complications for a year straight. Couldn’t eat, lost over 30 pounds, was in pain and mentally kicked my ass. As at my lowest. Took me about 2 years to recover. In August of 2024, I got sick again but by the strength of God, was able to bounce back just a few months later. Here we are today, able to maintain and have more good days than bad. Feeling healthy, sitting at 120 pounds. Couldn’t be happier or more thankful. Lupus is one the most complicated autoimmune diseases, there’s no cure, and everyone’s case is different. There are 4 types of Lupus, and in my case i am 2/3 people to have SLE & CLE! So although I may look fine, i hurt and ache and feel sick almost everyday and try to just live everyday as normal as I can. Being healthy one minute and feeling like complete shit the next and there’s no explanation to it. I’ve hid how I truly feel so well and I’ve to learned how to function with pain or illness because I can’t just scream in agony all day. Lupus has no look. Remember that. Life behind lupus sucks. There’s definitely days I want to give up and just sleep for days. Theres days i grieve my old life where I was able to live the “normal” life but I truly applaud myself for finding the strength to fight and continue to be strong. I’m fr a Lupus Warrior. 💜🦋 #lupusawarenessmonth #lupuswarrior #lifewithlupus

- Alexis Jefferson
Juanita's avatar

I create a relationship of respect. I felt judged by a provider for questioning a test, so I left them. I suggest schedule changes and choose when I need a treatment break. I make it clear I need to understand what’s going on, and that my life is important.

- Juanita
Marialuisa's avatar

I was having really bad side effects from my meds. I learned from my support groups that I could ask to lower the dosage or change the schedule, so I did. She tells me, ‘I am the breast specialist here and I know how this medicine should be taken!’ It made me feel small, and I did not push the subject again.

- Marialuisa
Patti's avatar

I want support groups to be a place to uplift each other, but also vent. We are dealing with a life-threatening disease that isn’t always positive or pretty. There are groups that have resource pages, while others have discussion boards. A good combination of everything would be ideal and very helpful to our MBC community.

- Patti
Silvia's avatar

mBC caused my DVT, lymphedema, and high blood pressure. I take my blood pressure fairly regularly...I can be forgetful, but handle my medications well by tracking my off and on weeks with the chemo pill. The rest of my medications I take at the same time. I have them all re-filled on the same day of the month, which helps track them.

- Silvia
Paris Ginther's avatar

May is Lupus Awareness Month, a time to shine a light on the challenges of living with lupus, an autoimmune disease that affects many of us in different ways. For me, it’s a reminder of the daily strength required to manage the symptoms and cope with the ups and downs of the condition. The pain is progressing very fast and the doctors are still trying to find the right treatment plan. While lupus can be unpredictable, I’m doing my best to stay positive, advocate for myself, and stay hopeful as I continue to live my life with strength and adaption. Awareness is key, and by sharing my journey, I hope to help others feel less alone in their own battles.

- Paris Ginther
Silvia's avatar

[Clinical trials] give women a chance to help other women and yes, you're taking a chance but the care you receive in a trial is excellent.

- Silvia
Manuela's avatar

End-of-life and financial support are not talked about enough. After so much financial investment in a loved one with mBC, you realize how much debt has been accumulated over time.

- Manuela
Alexis Jefferson's avatar

It’s officially May. This month is special to me for so many reasons. It’s my birthday month but also Lupus Awareness Month. For those of who don’t know I was diagnosed with Lupus disease February of 2018. It came to me as a huge shock, shifted my whole world. Through the years I’ve been able to maneuver and live my life as normal as I can and thankfully have more good days then bad. In 2022, I was sick with complications for a year straight. Couldn’t eat, lost over 30 pounds, was in pain and mentally kicked my ass. As at my lowest. Took me about 2 years to recover. In August of 2024, I got sick again but by the strength of God, was able to bounce back just a few months later. Here we are today, able to maintain and have more good days than bad. Feeling healthy, sitting at 120 pounds. Couldn’t be happier or more thankful. Lupus is one the most complicated autoimmune diseases, there’s no cure, and everyone’s case is different. There are 4 types of Lupus, and in my case i am 2/3 people to have SLE & CLE! So although I may look fine, i hurt and ache and feel sick almost everyday and try to just live everyday as normal as I can. Being healthy one minute and feeling like complete shit the next and there’s no explanation to it. I’ve hid how I truly feel so well and I’ve to learned how to function with pain or illness because I can’t just scream in agony all day. Lupus has no look. Remember that. Life behind lupus sucks. There’s definitely days I want to give up and just sleep for days. Theres days i grieve my old life where I was able to live the “normal” life but I truly applaud myself for finding the strength to fight and continue to be strong. I’m fr a Lupus Warrior. 💜🦋 #lupusawarenessmonth #lupuswarrior #lifewithlupus

- Alexis Jefferson
Juanita's avatar

I create a relationship of respect. I felt judged by a provider for questioning a test, so I left them. I suggest schedule changes and choose when I need a treatment break. I make it clear I need to understand what’s going on, and that my life is important.

- Juanita
Marialuisa's avatar

I was having really bad side effects from my meds. I learned from my support groups that I could ask to lower the dosage or change the schedule, so I did. She tells me, ‘I am the breast specialist here and I know how this medicine should be taken!’ It made me feel small, and I did not push the subject again.

- Marialuisa
Patti's avatar

I want support groups to be a place to uplift each other, but also vent. We are dealing with a life-threatening disease that isn’t always positive or pretty. There are groups that have resource pages, while others have discussion boards. A good combination of everything would be ideal and very helpful to our MBC community.

- Patti
Silvia's avatar

mBC caused my DVT, lymphedema, and high blood pressure. I take my blood pressure fairly regularly...I can be forgetful, but handle my medications well by tracking my off and on weeks with the chemo pill. The rest of my medications I take at the same time. I have them all re-filled on the same day of the month, which helps track them.

- Silvia
Paris Ginther's avatar

May is Lupus Awareness Month, a time to shine a light on the challenges of living with lupus, an autoimmune disease that affects many of us in different ways. For me, it’s a reminder of the daily strength required to manage the symptoms and cope with the ups and downs of the condition. The pain is progressing very fast and the doctors are still trying to find the right treatment plan. While lupus can be unpredictable, I’m doing my best to stay positive, advocate for myself, and stay hopeful as I continue to live my life with strength and adaption. Awareness is key, and by sharing my journey, I hope to help others feel less alone in their own battles.

- Paris Ginther