Find Strength And Perspective
See what IBRANCE Ambassadors are sharing about what they’ve learned, how they’re coping, and ways they’re managing life after diagnosis.
Ambassadors were asked to share their personal stories about IBRANCE. All content was accurate at the time of publication and may have since changed.
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"I often stop. Breathe. Try to live in the moment. Repeat the process again and again, and recognize there is still gratitude in my life and ask, 'Can my actions and behavior make a positive difference?'"
“There are bad minutes and good hours, amazing moments and terrible ones.”
“You always have to advocate for yourself...if something doesn’t feel right to you, then you need to push.”
“I had never been a person to dwell on the negative, and I wouldn’t be that someone now.”
“We all put one foot in front of the other and we pick each other up when we need to.”
“You do go through the grieving process. You go through anger. You go through sadness.”
“I've learned more from other women than I have from anyone else.”
“Everybody has something that they carry that’s a burden. I count on my family, and I count on my friends.”
“What I would tell my old me: Bumps in the road…you’ll learn a lot, but just keep moving forward.”
"Metastatic breast cancer is just one part of my life in the grand scheme of things. It's not running my life. I'm grateful, and I'm focusing on the things that are important to me."
“My husband kept me upbeat and positive; to him, cancer’s enemy was laughter.”
“I think it's really important to communicate how you're feeling to your partner.”
"I'm trying to focus on what I can manage. I can manage loving my boys. I can manage listening to and loving music. I can meet people. I can hear them. I can see them. I can listen and understand them. I can care."
"You have to really, really, really take care of yourself, without apology."
“I want to help other women who might be afraid to talk about their health.”
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“What I would tell my old me: Bumps in the road…you’ll learn a lot, but just keep moving forward.”
“My husband kept me upbeat and positive; to him, cancer’s enemy was laughter.”
"I can’t let any fears run my life. I have to let the laughter drown out the fear."
“On days I didn’t want to get out of bed, my friends and family would tell me to stop the pity party!”
"Metastatic breast cancer is just one part of my life in the grand scheme of things. It's not running my life. I'm grateful, and I'm focusing on the things that are important to me."
"I see my mBC like it’s a part of my life, but I try not to let it define my life."
“I learned early on to adapt and adjust to what life put in front of me and to not be afraid of blazing new trails.”
“I have always considered my role to be her biggest supporter and be the strength she needs.”
“I never forget that life is still good. Kaye and I are still two parts of a whole.”
"I'm trying to focus on what I can manage. I can manage loving my boys. I can manage listening to and loving music. I can meet people. I can hear them. I can see them. I can listen and understand them. I can care."
"I see my mBC like it’s a part of my life, but I try not to let it define my life."
“I’m proud of the example I’ve set for my daughters—the sacrifices we made as a family were worth it.”
“I was afraid to spend more and more time with my son...I don’t want him to get super attached to me and then have a harder time.”
“My husband had treatable lymphoma, so our sons had been exposed to cancer. I didn’t want to hide anything.”
“My husband kept me upbeat and positive; to him, cancer’s enemy was laughter.”
"I can’t let any fears run my life. I have to let the laughter drown out the fear."
"You have to really, really, really take care of yourself, without apology."
“I think attitude is so much of this disease—doing your best to stay positive is so important.”
“I learned early on to adapt and adjust to what life put in front of me and to not be afraid of blazing new trails.”
“Continuing to work gave me the time to really think about my health and future and what I wanted to do with it.”
“One of the big things that keeps me going to work is the fact that I know that people rely on me.”
"I often stop. Breathe. Try to live in the moment. Repeat the process again and again, and recognize there is still gratitude in my life and ask, 'Can my actions and behavior make a positive difference?'"
"Metastatic breast cancer is just one part of my life in the grand scheme of things. It's not running my life. I'm grateful, and I'm focusing on the things that are important to me."
“I’m her caregiver, I’m her supporter, I’m her friend, I’m her daughter.”
“There was never a question for me what needed to be done. If you’re a friend, you’re a friend.”
“What I would tell my old me: Bumps in the road…you’ll learn a lot, but just keep moving forward.”
“I do my best to encourage her by stressing the good things, the great care provided by her doctors, and to trust her faith.”
“My sister and I are determined to live our lives as fully and richly as possible.”
“Sometimes just let them cry—without trying to stop it or be a fixer all the time.”
"I see my mBC like it’s a part of my life, but I try not to let it define my life."
“There are bad minutes and good hours, amazing moments and terrible ones.”
“A person is more than just a face or a body; a breast does not make me who I am.”
“I think the hardest thing is to stay positive and not allow ourselves to go to that negative, ugly place.”
“This time around, I resolved to focus my energy on being positive.”
“I learned early on to adapt and adjust to what life put in front of me and to not be afraid of blazing new trails.”
“You always have to advocate for yourself...if something doesn’t feel right to you, then you need to push.”
Connect With A Patient Or Caregiver
To help you navigate life with mBC, sign up to talk with an IBRANCE Patient Ambassador or Caregiver Ambassador for encouragement, support, and understanding.
The IBRANCE Ambassador Mentor Program offers women taking IBRANCE—or their caregivers—the opportunity to have private, one-on-one phone conversations with an ambassador to share personal stories and experiences.
Meet Our IBRANCE Ambassadors
When Anni was 26, her mother, Patti, was diagnosed with breast cancer for the third time—only this time, it was metastatic. Anni decided to leave her job in New York City and return to Maryland to focus on her mother. “My mom is my biggest hero: a strong woman, a fighter, and a motivator.”
As the oldest of three siblings and a natural caregiver, Chris struggled to find ways to accept her mBC diagnosis. “I realize I can’t control my cancer, but I can still control the same thing I’ve always controlled—my impact on other people.”
When Chris met and married Kaye, he knew he’d found everything he’d been looking for. Becoming her caregiver has made him further appreciate what he has. “A lot of what makes life rich are the things she has brought into my life. So I’ve often wondered who is really taking care of whom.”
Nearly a decade after her first diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer and a double mastectomy, Cindy received the news that she had mBC. “Cancer has taught me a lot about myself and how I want to live. It has taught me to appreciate my life and those I love.”
Diane is a nurse’s assistant in a gynecologist’s office. Since her mBC diagnosis, she feels an even greater connection with patients undergoing breast cancer testing. “I can tell them, ‘I know you’re scared. I understand the waiting and the frustration. I’ve been there, I know.’”
Dina’s independent nature and sense of determination have a big impact on her life with mBC. “Even now I am challenging myself. I have not let my cancer define or stop me.”
Donna’s tightly knit family has played a big role in how she’s navigating her treatment journey. “Breast cancer has changed me and my children. We say ‘I love you’ more often, we hug more often, and we spend more time together…I try not to sweat the small stuff.”
After Jami noticed an indentation in her breast, a mammogram led to a Stage I breast cancer diagnosis. Two months later, she was diagnosed with mBC. She focuses on taking things one day at a time. “As my friend reminds me, ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.’”
Janet has lived all over the United States. Her philosophy took shape along the way and is still evolving. "I often stop. Breathe. Try to live in the moment. Repeat the process again and again, and recognize there is still gratitude in my life and ask, 'Can my actions and behavior make a positive difference?'"
John and Cindy met through mutual friends. What followed was a romance, a proposal, and two breast cancer diagnoses. John strives to be Cindy’s biggest support and strength. “I cannot express how proud I am of the woman I married.”
Joni had a full mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation before being diagnosed with mBC. Sadly, Joni passed away from metastatic breast cancer on October 17, 2016. “Advocate for yourself, find support wherever you can, and embrace whatever makes you happy!”
For Joni, her husband and two sons formed the cornerstone of her strength. Other sources—including friends and her own faith—helped to reinforce her support. “Even though I was taught to be able to stand on my own, the beauty of this journey is that I don’t have to.”
Josephine is Donna’s sister, coworker, caregiver, and rock. “Donna might not always appreciate when I come running through the door with her medication and lunch, but I see it as part of what I owe her as a sister to be militant that way.”
Julie and her sister, Chris, were set to leave for a weekend getaway when Chris was shocked by a cancer discovery during a routine doctor visit. Julie stepped in as a caregiver, despite her own busy life, and still struggles for balance. “All I can do is my best, and when I look at the big picture, my best is pretty good.”
Kate was in her early 30s when she was diagnosed with mBC. “Before cancer, I was content to live what I considered a mundane life. Cancer taught me that a future is not guaranteed to you.”
Katherine continues to search for the positive after being diagnosed with mBC in her mid-30s following an early-stage diagnosis and double mastectomy. “Even when life goes nothing like what you had planned, there are gifts you can find along the way.”
At 27, Kaye felt like she had it all together. She had an amazing husband, a master’s degree, and so much to look forward to. Then at 28, she was diagnosed with mBC. “It has been so difficult, but each day holds moments in which I don’t remember that I have breast cancer.”
Kerri and her family thought she’d beaten Stage III breast cancer. A year later, the cancer had metastasized to her spine. Still, she’s determined to prioritize the positives. “I want people to know I love them. I do things with my kids, not just for them.”
As a working mom, Kim has a “can do it” attitude. “There are still things to work on and things left to do, but I’m taking care of myself and doing the right things by me and my children, just like my mom and dad have always done.”
Kitty’s instinct was to conceal her mBC. But, through friends and coworkers, she discovered the benefits of sharing her diagnosis. “I’ve learned that bad news can be shared in a positive light.” Sadly, Kitty passed away from metastatic breast cancer on October 6, 2017.
As a nurse, mother of four, and caregiver for her husband, Libby was used to being a caregiver, not a patient. “As someone who’s cared for other people throughout my career and my life, depending on anyone else was frightening.”
With Linda’s first breast cancer diagnosis, she felt somewhat uninvolved in decisions. When she found out she had mBC, she realized something had to change. “I started to ask my doctor questions. I started to discuss treatment options. I went from being my doctor’s subject to working with her in partnership.”
Having already had breast cancer, Lisa was distraught upon receiving her mBC diagnosis. She was also determined. "I see my mBC like it’s a part of my life, but I try not to let it define my life."
Her education made Norma a civil engineer. She never knew how much that experience would help her following an mBC diagnosis. “I learned early on to adapt and adjust to what life put in front of me.”
Patti was diagnosed twice with early-stage breast cancer before finding out she had metastatic breast cancer after many years of being cancer-free. “All you can do is cry, pull yourself together, and then have a plan.”
As a single mom, Priscilla has always focused on her family and friends—as well as her faith. “I want to set an example that, no matter your circumstance, it’s so important to love people and to live life as fully as possible.”
Rhonda was still a new mom when she discovered she had metastatic breast cancer. “Spending as much time as possible with my son is my purpose now.”
Much has been asked of Ruth in recent years. In that time, she came to a realization that inspires her to this day. "I'm trying to focus on what I can manage. I can manage loving my boys. I can manage listening to and loving music. I can meet people. I can hear them. I can see them. I can listen and understand them. I can care."
Suzanne and Kim are much more than neighbors, they’re like family. When Kim’s breast cancer came back, Suzanne naturally became her caregiver. “She is living each day with cancer. She still loves being outdoors, squeezes every moment of joy out of each day, and never misses an opportunity to amaze us all.”
Tami was a happily married mom when she was dealt the devastating one-two punch of discovering she had breast cancer, then being diagnosed with mBC. Her family and friends rallied around her. “That support has helped me embrace each new day as a gift to cherish.”
Tina’s mBC diagnosis has given her a new outlook on life and what she can and cannot control in her future. “My life has changed, but the important things remain.”
A self-described “old soul,” Ursula found that time and again, she was able to take on new challenges—including an mBC diagnosis. “Metastatic breast cancer is just one part of my life in the grand scheme of things. It’s not running my life. I'm grateful, and I’m focusing on the things that are important to me.”
Veronica coped with breast cancer and a mastectomy with the support of her family. When diagnosed with mBC, she summoned her strength and stayed centered. “I went through the emotional roller coaster, but I collected my thoughts, controlled my fears, and took charge.”
When Vicki’s mom, Tina, was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, both of their worlds were rocked. “When she is physically or emotionally hurting, I am hurting.” Over time, Vicki has found that working through her own anger and sadness is essential to being a good caregiver.
