Living Alone with MBC
Living with metastatic breast cancer is hard enough, but for those who are single or do not have a primary caregiver, living alone with MBC can be especially challenging. Even if you're used to being independent, having cancer and going through treatment when you live alone can raise many challenges. Making space for all that you are feeling & managing the practical things of day to day may sometimes feel overwhelming, but with some extra planning and working out who can support you, it is possible to continue to live alone and well even when you have MBC.
In this episode, we have a panel of four amazing ladies who share their experiences with living alone while navigating their MBC diagnosis and treatment. Then, we talk to Dr. Jane Lowers, Monica Bryant of Triage Cancer, and Lesley Kailani Glenn of Project Life about resources that can help us live alone and well with MBC. There are many ways to make things easier emotionally and practically. We hope that in this episode you feel seen.
Mentioned in this Episode, Plus Additional Resources:
Social & emotional support
Project Life (membership is required, but it is free)
Metavivor Support Groups (peer to peer)
SHARE Cancer support
Many MBC support groups
TalkMets - helpline with immediate connection to peers with MBC during normal business hours
Young Survivor Coalition - support group for those diagnosed before age 40 who are living with MBC
Coordinating Care
Create a Caremap (Atlas of Caregiving)
Legal help
Legal navigation program (Triage Cancer)
Legal clinics with Abigail Johnston, Esq through Project Life
Help with daily activities
Assistive Technology (Nancy’s List)
Financial concerns
Navigating Finances (Triage Cancer)
Financial Assistance Finder (Triage Cancer)
Finding financial support resources (ASCO - cancer.net)
Financial resources (Living Beyond Breast Cancer)
Even If Insured, People with Advanced Cancer Often Face Financial Problems (National Cancer Institute)
Planning ahead for End Of Life (EOL)
Estate Planning (Triage Cancer)
Hospice
Medical Aid in Dying (Compassion & Choices)
Meet the Guests of the Episode
Lesley Kailani Glenn
Passion, motivation and personal experience of living with Metastatic Breast Cancer for the past 10.5 years is what drives Lesley’s desire to be an advocate. Her goal is to partner with communities, researchers and organizations to aid with the funding of research, raising awareness, and providing support to the overlooked community of those who also live with Metastatic Breast Cancer. With a bachelors of Science in Organizational Leadership, she has been actively involved in advocacy since 2015, training with the inaugural Hear My Voice Volunteer class presented by Living Beyond Breast Cancer. She was invited back as a mentor in 2018 and was awarded the Living Beyond Breast Cancer Leadership Volunteer Award in the Fall of the same year. She enjoys working with researchers and other stakeholders in the MBC field. She is a member of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance, Susan G. Komen’s Advocates in Science, the scientific advisory committee for the Love Research Army, and a consumer reviewer with the DOD-CDMRP, PICORI and Komen. She recently launched her biggest endeavor, Project Life, a virtual wellness house for those living with MBC and their loved ones. Lesley currently lives in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon with her rescue pup and 2 rescue cats.
Beth Harvey
Beth is a resident of Georgia. She took an early retirement, and left her career in Human Resources at the end of 2021. Beth is amicably divorced with no children and continues to have a friendly relationship with her ex, who continues to provide care for her dog when she’s unable to do so herself. She was first diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer 2003, followed by a stage 2/3 recurrence 15 years later. A visit to the ER in 2021 showed “malignant pleural fluid” - what she initially thought was a chest infection was now a diagnosis of MBC. Beth is currently on her 4th line of treatment. This has given her a heightened sense of importance to plan for care as a single woman without family nearby. When the disease does not limit her from doing what she enjoys, Beth volunteers with her therapy dog at a local hospital, and is involved with Brittany Dog Rescue in Texas. She also leads a tech tips workshop at an assisted living facility.
Another one of Beth’s biggest passions is traveling. She went on a bucket list trip to Antarctica this last December ‘22 thru January ‘23 and despite the possible adverse effects on her lungs from flying such a long distance, she highly recommends it as a must-see if you are given the opportunity.
Sheila Pettiford
Sheila Pettiford Bell has been living with Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) since April 2014. She was initially diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in June of 2004. Sheila was treated at a major cancer center in Philadelphia PA with a mastectomy and chemotherapy. She returned to that same center after breast cancer was found in her lungs. Sheila ‘retired’ from teaching in April of 2014 to fight for her life and became active in the breast cancer community advocating for herself and others. Her first stop in her quest to learn more about MBC was the Cancer Support Community of Greater Philadelphia. Sheila also has found support, camaraderie and opportunities to volunteer with Enon’s Cancer Survivors, Supporters and Caregivers Ministry at her place of worship in Philadelphia, PA and Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s annual MBC conference. She has been a volunteer for several years during her journey with MBC with breast cancer awareness groups local to her hometown of Philadelphia such as Women of Faith and Hope, Praise Is The Cure and Youth Enrichment Programs, Inc. BC fundraising program. Their goals are to increase awareness about risks leading to breast cancer, new treatments and increasing survivorship in the African American community. She became active in Delaware’s Breast Cancer Coalition and keeps up with support groups on social media sites.
Sheila also was honored to go to Capitol Hill in 2019 and virtually in 2020, sponsored by the Komen Foundation as part of their MBC Advisory Committee to share her story with legislators to garner support for Bills that would impact those living with Breast Cancer. She has shared her insights with the healthcare community about how to market information to MBC patients and completed several cancer studies. Sheila is committed to the fight to increase diversity in clinical trials for MBC patients. She volunteered with MBC Alliance’s BECOME Project in 2021 and participated in Black Wo(Men) Speak Symposium in San Antonio, TX in 2022 as a subcommittee member and shared her perspectives as an MBC patient. She now is an individual member. Sheila also was an honoree for Metavivor’s Be Bold and Behold fundraiser in 2022.
The next step for Sheila Pettiford Bell in her new home in Virginia is to identify and work with others committed to helping people who live alone with stage 4 breast cancer specifically and addressing the numerous needs of all stage four patients in general. She has embraced the motto, “No one fights cancer alone”.
Angela Stratton
Angela is a 39 year old MBC patient first diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer 9 years ago, and diagnosed with stage 4 recurrence in 2020. She has been living with bone and lymph node Mets since 2020 and will be celebrating 1 year stable on her first line of treatment in June 2023.
Monica Bryant, Esq.
Monica Fawzy Bryant is a cancer rights attorney, speaker, and author, dedicated to improving access to and availability of quality information on cancer survivorship issues. Monica is the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer for Triage Cancer, a national, nonprofit organization that provides education on the practical and legal issues that may impact individuals diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers, through events, materials, and resources. Throughout her career, Monica has provided over one thousand educational seminars, written articles, blogs, appeared on radio and television shows, and co-authored a book published by the American Bar Association called Cancer Rights Law: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Monica is an Adjunct Law Professor at University of Illinois at Chicago School of Law, teaching a class on Cancer Rights.
IG, FB, & Twitter: @TriageCancer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/triage-cancer/
Monica Bryant’s Twitter: @NavSurvivorship
Jane Lowers, PhD, MPA
Jane Lowers is an assistant professor in the Division of Palliative Medicine at Emory University in Atlanta. She holds a bachelors in journalism from Northwestern University, a masters in public administration from Baruch College in New York, and a PhD in palliative care from Lancaster University in England. Her work focuses on the differences between the care people want at end of life and the care they receive, and the factors that shape their choices. This has included a study on caregivers of people who chose to voluntarily stop eating and drinking to hasten death (or VSED) and current research on people aging without close family.
