Five Years and Counting

By John Bach

Julie stops along the familiar path to the Barrett Cancer Center for a celebratory photo.

This month marks five years since Julie’s breast cancer journey began. It is an enormous milestone. I’ll explain why, but first, a quick recap.

In July 2021, Julie discovered a 2.5-centimeter lump in her left breast. A biopsy confirmed that it was triple-negative breast cancer, or TNBC, an aggressive form of the disease.

Julie endured months of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, many more months of Keytruda infusions, a hysterectomy and multiple breast reconstruction surgeries required because of complications from earlier procedures.

So, why are five years so significant?

From the beginning, we asked her oncologists about the outlook for this type of cancer. The numbers we heard were startling: As many as 20% of patients would not survive, and the risk of recurrence could be as high as 30%. We gulped.

Her doctors cautioned that the likelihood of the cancer returning would depend heavily on two things: how successfully she responded to each treatment and how much time passed without a recurrence.

They told us it would be a long road requiring tremendous patience. Her risk would decline with each passing year, they explained, then fall dramatically once she reached the five-year mark.

Well, happy five years!

Julie’s recent checkup confirmed what her doctors told us back in 2021. They now estimate the likelihood of her cancer returning at well under 1%.

Julie let out an enormous sigh of relief, then broke down crying in her oncologist’s office.

Happy five years, my love. I am so proud of you.

The beaches of Frankfort Michigan have been a comfort to our family during this journey, and this year was even sweeter.