Young Mom Thrives Four Years After Metastatic Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Early Symptoms and Diagnosis

• 💡 Elissa Kalver was diagnosed with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer at age 34, four years prior to this interview.
• ⚠️ Initial symptoms included swollen and numb feet after playing tennis, initially misdiagnosed as plantar fasciitis.
• 🔍 Despite regular check-ups and a prior breast exam, the lump was only discovered by her husband.
• 📌 Both the breast lump and an armpit lump were found to be malignant, and further scans revealed cancer in her lower spine and liver, confirming Stage 4 cancer.

Navigating Stage 4 Cancer and Treatment

• 🎯 Kalver was initially given an 80% chance of dying within 5 years, a prognosis that shifted her focus from survival to living.
• 🚀 She emphasizes the importance of advancements in research and targeted therapies for HER2-positive cancers, which have significantly improved her quality of life and life expectancy.
• 🧠 Kalver experienced a recurrence with two brain tumors, but a specific chemotherapy regimen that crossed the blood-brain barrier led to an 80% shrinkage within months, avoiding brain surgery.
• 💬 She highlights the necessity of trusting her care team and family, and advocating for treatments that balance effectiveness with quality of life.

Redefining Success and Living Fully

• ✨ Kalver advocates for living, not just surviving, and prioritizing joy and personal well-being alongside medical treatment.
• 🏆 She redefined success by comparing her journey to running marathons, focusing on finishing and living with the best quality of life, rather than a cure.
• 📚 She founded the nonprofit We Got This.org and published a book, "We Got This U: How I Learned to Thrive with Terminal Cancer," to advocate for thriving with cancer.
• 📢 Kalver aims to raise awareness about metastatic breast cancer and HER2-positive diagnoses, noting that Stage 4 cancer receives disproportionately low funding despite causing nearly all breast cancer deaths.

Family and Open Communication

• 💖 Kalver and her husband maintained open communication with their daughter about her diagnosis and treatment, including shaving her head.
• 🎭 Her daughter's reaction to her shaved head was positive, and she later expressed a preference for her mother's long hair.
• 💬 Kalver feels comfortable speaking up about her treatment needs and side effects, knowing her family and care team are supportive.