I'm Heather

Hi, all! My name is Heather, and I'm the mother of four gorgeous girls, ages 10, 8, 6 and almost 4. I'm married to my first husband, Clark, who has been a tremendous rock through this unthinkable trauma, in spite of his own ongoing grief and sorrow. He, too, has had to deal with the loss of hope for the future.

I was diagnosed in May of 2008 with stage IV breast cancer, mets to the bones. It was ER+/PR+, Her-2 +. I began a regimen of carboplatin, taxotere, herceptin and zometa, once weekly for three weeks, off one week, for about five months. I responded very well to treatment, and have been NED since my third PET/CT in October of 2008. I had a double mastectomy and oopherectomy in November 2008, opted against breast reconstruction, then did a full treatment of radiation therapy. In March of 2009, I was done with the "huge" treatments and continued the maintence of the AI, Femara, that I had started in January of 2009.

I am now approaching my 2nd anniversary of diagnosis, and just had a PET/CT on February 23rd, which confirmed my continued NED status.

I publish and edit a literary magazine for mothers that I cofounded in 2006 called get born: the uncensored voice of motherhood. I started the magazine because I struggled so much with loneliness, disillusionment and guilt as a mother that I didn't ever want another woman to go through similar circumstances alone.

I live in the gorgeous state of Colorado, in the United States, but traveled a lot as a young girl; my parents were conservative missionaries in Ecuador, South America when I was in high school, and I treasure that experience and the expansion of my world view with which it provided me.

I look forward to sharing on this forum; may our collaboration be a beacon of hope for too many of us who are learning to live in the tenuous space between life and death. Shalom.