When Marianne got sick in 2023, she thought it could have been COVID-19 or another illness. But after a few months, she just wasn’t getting better. During that time, Marianne was also experiencing some pain in her breast but chalked it up to rough playtime with a boisterous new puppy.
But that all changed in September when Marianne felt a large lump in her breast while performing a breast self-exam in the shower. “I decided I should see a doctor, just to be on the safe side,” Marianne said. “And thank God I did. That’s when everything began.”
Marianne received an initial diagnosis of Stage 2A triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in January 2024. TNBC, an especially aggressive and difficult-to-treat form of breast cancer, occurs in approximately 10-20% of breast cancer cases. At only 35 years old, Marianne was shocked by the diagnosis. But the surprises weren’t over yet.
After more testing, Marianne’s diagnosis was changed to Stage 4 triple negative metastatic breast cancer, which had spread to her lungs. Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is breast cancer that has spread from the breast tissue into other areas of the body, most commonly the bones, lungs, liver, or brain. While there is no cure for metastatic breast cancer, more and more women are living longer with the disease by treating it as a chronic illness.
Of her MBC diagnosis, Marianne recalls: “I had the PET scan and they saw the lung nodules, that I was metastatic, but we had to make sure with a lung biopsy to see if they were malignant. I was 35 then, and now I am 36. This all happened so fast, it feels like a blur sometimes.”
Marianne has overcome several roadblocks during her treatment, all with the support of her family and community. One of her lowest points came when her chemo port became infected, causing her to spend 12 days in the hospital. Despite being “depressed and sad” during this particularly hard time, Marianne says one of the silver linings was when a hospital therapy dog was able to visit her, boosting her spirits.
From diagnosis to treatment and beyond, Marianne credits “the best support system” for everything from taking her to appointments and holding her hand to simply listening. Marianne’s parents, who live in New York, temporarily moved to Indiana, renting a house there, to be near their daughter and take her to her treatments. They are now in the process of moving to Indiana permanently to be closer to Marianne and her fiancé.
This family support system has been an important and vital part of Marianne’s treatment and healing. She says, “I have the best support system. My fiancé has been with me every step of the way. He has taken me to doctor appointments and held my hand at chemo. I feel so blessed to have such an amazing family.”
Marianne is also a committed member of a Stage 4 breast cancer support group. This group brings Marianne encouragement as she hears from women with metastatic breast cancer who have overcome the odds, living up to 20 years with the disease.
“I wasn’t able to fully connect to the group until I was a few months into treatment because it was still raw for me,” Marianne added. “In this group, every few months you can ask to have everyone comment with how long they have been alive with Stage 4, and the longest I have seen is a woman who has had Stage 4 since 1994! It makes me feel so hopeful.”
Recently, on July 23, 2024, Marianne rang the bell to celebrate her last chemotherapy treatment! After 57 appointments, 8 surgeries, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, Marianne reports that “all of the tumors are gone, completely.”
Marianne also recently appeared on ESPN with the Indiana Fever for the WNBA team’s Breast Cancer Awareness Game. During the game, Marianne was able to walk on the stage and be announced as a breast cancer survivor!
When asked what advice she would give to other late-stage breast cancer patients, Marianne encourages them to talk about what they’re going through: “Talk about your diagnosis. I didn’t at first; I couldn’t even say it out loud without sobbing. But the more I said it, the more I felt good about it and owned it!”
In addition to being an active member of her support group, Marianne supports other women facing breast cancer as a video game streamer through NBCF’s Game Pink initiative. Game Pink gives gamers, streamers, and content creators a platform to support those impacted by breast cancer by holding fundraisers on their streams.
A self-professed “nerd,” Marianne loves anime and video games. When online streaming started gaining popularity, she “decided to give it a try.” She says that “talking to others made me more of an outgoing, confident person outside of gaming.” Through streaming, she also met many new people who are now long-time friends. One of her streaming friends even sent her a care package full of coloring books and candy to eat when she doesn’t feel her best.
From the fantasy of video games to day-to-day real life, Marianne has found connection and compassion to help her through the hard times. Marianne’s message to women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer is one of support and courage: “Don’t give up, keep fighting and ask for help. Don’t feel shy to ask. Get all the help you can.”
NBCF is here to support all patients at every stage of the breast cancer journey. In addition to a free virtual support group for breast cancer patients and survivors, NBCF offers weekend metastatic breast cancer retreats for metastatic patients and their caregivers.
Donations are always appreciated, but there are lots of great ways to get involved.
