Anne Woodward had her dream job. Working in TV information, she obtained a front-row seat to historical past. However at 46, a breast most cancers analysis made her shift her priorities. She retired early and made specializing in her well being her full-time job.

She defied the percentages and is amongst a rising variety of longtime stage 4 most cancers survivors.

“I am in yr 9 of a illness that has a median survival price of three years. So I have been very lucky that the remedies have labored for me,” Anne says.

A Decade of Perception for Stage 4 Most cancers Survivors

Anne all the time saved up together with her mammograms. So even her docs had been shocked when, in 2015, they discovered most cancers in her liver. The most cancers unfold there (metastasized) after beginning in her breast.

With metastatic breast most cancers, Anne is aware of there’s no remedy. However remedies have come far. She offers with fatigue, uncertainty, and lots of physique scans, blood checks, and physician checkups. However she’s additionally had a superb life. And she or he’s gained loads of perception on dwelling with metastatic most cancers.

In her personal phrases, Anne shares 10 recommendations on methods to dwell your finest life as a stage 4 most cancers survivor. She shares:

1. Reside Close to an NCI-Designated Most cancers Middle

One of many issues that was extremely necessary to us once we determined to retire within the mountains was healthcare, given my stage 4 most cancers analysis. And so we did some analysis. We checked out North Carolina and Virginia. We fell in love with the panorama of Virginia.

And we regarded up UVA Well being and realized that, on the time, it was the one complete most cancers heart designated by the Nationwide Most cancers Institute (NCI). We knew UVA Well being may supply the identical high-quality healthcare that we had in an enormous metropolis like Atlanta.

An NCI heart has so many benefits due to the analysis and medical trials it affords. I haven’t wanted to enroll in a medical trial but, however I understand how necessary one is that if the usual care stops working for me.

We did our analysis once we determined to maneuver and settled on UVA Well being, which has been great. We could not be happier with my care.

2. Make Well being Your Precedence as a Stage 4 Most cancers Survivor

I spent 27 years with CNN in Atlanta. I had about 400 staff and lined 8 cities. I used to be on the manufacturing aspect. So I obtained to play with know-how and software program and do a lot of enjoyable issues, whereas getting a entrance row seat to historical past. It was superb.

However then I left that profession 2 years after my stage 4 most cancers analysis. It simply obtained to be an excessive amount of. And I could not do well being and a job on the similar time.

I had loads of joint ache and fatigue initially. However largely, it was the fatigue and the stress of my job. It simply was overwhelming by way of with the ability to perform.

Once I was working, I put all of my power into work. And I might simply collapse after I got here residence at evening. I had no power for the remainder of my life. 

3. Know That Making Modifications Isn’t Giving In to Most cancers

Once I was identified, my most important objective in chemotherapy was to get again to work. And attempt to be the individual that I used to be. And so I used to be very motivated to get again to work. And I labored actually onerous. I attempted to show to everyone that the most cancers wasn’t profitable.

However after I did a fly-fishing retreat with different stage 4 most cancers sufferers, I spotted at that second that my life might be totally different. I may have a superb life. I may change my life. To surrender my profession, wasn’t giving up. It was altering the info of my state of affairs.

And in order that retreat was my pinnacle second. It is the place all of it snapped into place, that it is OK to let go. It is OK to do one thing totally different. Simply since you aren’t working, you possibly can have a superb life.

4. Discover a Specialist in Your Kind of Most cancers

After we determined to maneuver to Charlottesville and the UVA Well being space, I went on one in all my Fb assist teams for most cancers and requested for suggestions. Christiana Brenin’s identify popped proper up. She’s an oncologist at UVA Well being Breast Care Middle. Dr. Brenin focuses on breast most cancers. That is all she does. She is spot on. She’s so educated. It is superb.

So I had a physician earlier than I had purchased a home. We had all of the healthcare in line earlier than we ever left Atlanta.

5. Keep Based mostly in Information, Not Concern

All through my whole analysis and therapy for an aggressive kind of HER2-negative breast most cancers, my husband and I’ve been very fact-based. We have tried to not act on the concern. We attempt to act on the info.

I assumed the primary time I had a development (therapy stopped conserving the most cancers from rising), it will really feel like a Mack truck hitting me once more like after I was first identified.

However my husband and I had been in a position to transfer from therapy to therapy and never get freaked out by staying fact-based. We thought, ‘One therapy labored for six years. The following one will work once more.’ So the most cancers progressions haven’t been as scary as I assumed they had been going to be.

With each of my progressions, Dr. Brenin is like, OK, ‘You have had a development. This is what is going on on. This is the therapy we’re going to go to.’ There was no hesitation from her. Once I walked into the workplace, she had a plan. And in order that gave us loads of confidence with every development. She’s been very pragmatic however very optimistic.

6. Some Days, Do Nothing

I’m on my third line of therapy. And I nonetheless undergo from quite a lot of fatigue. And now I’ve what’s known as hand and foot syndrome (a aspect impact of therapy). This impacts your fingers and your ft and the soles and palms of your fingers. And it may be fairly painful. I’ve had bleeding. And I’ve misplaced a few of my dexterity.

However total, I can handle every thing as a result of I am not working. So it provides me time. If I’ve a day after I’m actually fatigued, I simply do not do something. I’ve modified my life in order that I can handle my unwanted side effects.

7. Discover a Group to Assist You Handle Aspect Results

One of many nice issues in regards to the group at UVA Well being is that they’ve actually helped me by the unwanted side effects of my hand and foot syndrome. They’re so educated and so useful in attempting to make it not as unhealthy because it might be. They advisable I take advantage of loads of heavy-duty lotion — not simply run-of-the-mill lotion. However as a substitute, one thing like gardener’s cream that is actually thick.

I additionally use an arthritis painkiller lotion. Then I simply put on gloves and socks and preserve them as lathered as I can.

Generally with unwanted side effects, one of many methods to handle them is altering the dose of your medicine. This is not very best, however when it is impacting your high quality of life, that is generally the most effective resolution.

So I’ve had 2 dose reductions on the drug I am on proper now as a result of I had actually unhealthy diarrhea and vomiting on the highest dose. A dose discount solved it. After which we did a dose discount for my bleeding and cracked fingers. That additionally helped.

8. Journey at a Leisurely Tempo

A yr after we got here to Virginia, I had a development. It was June 2022, so I moved to a different tablet, a CDK inhibitor. That labored effectively for a yr, after which I had one other development. The therapy I am on now’s an oral chemotherapy.

Considered one of my nurses stated to me as soon as, ‘Tablets journey, so you are not tied down, so long as you are feeling OK’. Feeling OK is a day-by-day factor. I do prefer to journey. That is one in all my joys. So we’re fortunate that there is loads of remedies for us which might be pill-based, that you do not have to go to an infusion room.

I’ve modified how I journey to handle the fatigue. I construct in a lot of relaxation time, constructing in days on the entrance or again of touring. And in the event you’re doing a time change, it’s necessary to take time to get better. I do not do almost as a lot as I used to after I journey.

9. Search Consolation in Nature

We’ve 100 acres on the aspect of a mountain close to Wintergreen. It has been pretty. Nature has been an actual a part of my therapy and therapeutic. It simply lowers my stress. Proper after I obtained identified, we spent loads of time tenting and leaving the town to be out in nature.

And so once we regarded for a spot to retire, it was necessary to us to be someplace that was extra pure. We’ve a lot of wildlife on our property. We’ve tons of acres of forest. Our canine loves it. And my husband simply retired. So we’re planning all kinds of tenting journeys.

10. Search Help From Others With Metastatic Most cancers

Proper after my analysis, I reached out to the American Most cancers Society. It has a program known as Attain to Restoration, the place they pair you with any individual who has the identical illness. That was extremely useful, simply to speak to any individual who was dwelling with metastatic most cancers.

Once I got here to UVA Well being, I volunteered with their Most cancers Peer Help Program. I’ve talked to a handful of individuals with metastatic most cancers.

Lots of people simply need to discuss to any individual who’s going by having a stage 4 most cancers analysis. They need to discuss to any individual who’s lived that have, is surviving that have.

However loads of time, it is about unwanted side effects. The way to handle unwanted side effects, the psychological and the bodily. There are loads of psychological unwanted side effects to this illness. It is a very troublesome factor to get your head round.

Some individuals simply need to discuss one time. With one lady, I hear from her each couple of months when she’s coping with a change. However most significantly, individuals need hope. Folks need to know which you can dwell a superb life as a stage 4 most cancers survivor.