Kristen Johnson & Family MBC Fund
Donation protected
2021 - This is now:
First and foremost, we would like to sincerely thank everyone who donated to our fund back in 2019. Your generosity means the world to us, and we are forever grateful. We never expected to be back here again - especially not so soon - but here we are.
Roughly 18 months after completing active treatment for Stage 3C Breast Cancer, we found out that Kristen's cancer has spread to her liver. This new diagnosis, Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC), is a permanent one. There is no cure for MBC and Kristen will be in treatment for the rest of her life.
Back in April, Kristen began having intermittent pain in the lower right side of her abdomen. The pain would come and go, and it was typically not very strong - it felt a lot like a pulled muscle. By early June, the pain was more consistent and stronger, prompting Kristen to bring it to the attention of her doctors. Her oncology team assured her that it likely was not cancer, but wanted to have a CT Scan just to be sure. Well, much like the first time around, they were wrong. The CT Scan showed a very large mass in Kristen's liver. A follow-up biopsy confirmed on June 30th, 2021 that the mass is cancer - Kristen's original breast cancer had metastasized (or spread) to her liver.
Kristen began her "first line" of treatment right away - a combination of drugs (a shot and a pill) for MBC - but they weren't shrinking her liver "met" fast enough. After consulting with both her medical oncologist and her radiation oncologist, it was decided that Kristen needed to start I.V. chemo immediately, and will soon have ablative radiation on her liver.
Kristen is continuing to work with her real estate clients, though she is taking things slower than usual for now. Adjusting to life with MBC will be an ongoing process. Treatment plans will work for months or years, and then will stop working and the cancer will progress again (essentially the cancer adapts and outsmarts the treatment). Scans will take place every three months to determine if the cancer is behaving itself. This isn't going to be easy, but we are in it for the long haul.
We have been hesitant to restart our donation campaign, since this situation is so very different than the first time around. In 2019, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. We just needed to power through those 8 months of active treatment, and then we could get back to our normal lives. Your donations back then enabled Kristen to take time off from work and focus on her health. Now, we need to figure out how to live our lives in this "new normal." Kristen needs to prioritize her health first and foremost, but career, childcare, life in general must go on.
In addition to medical expenses, donations to this campaign will also be used towards helping our family adjust to our new routines. Keeping stress to a minimum is of utmost importance for Kristen's health, so we plan to hire out for housecleaning, meal delivery, occasional dog walking, and so on.
With love and appreciation,
Kristen, Thomas, Norah (human, 4.75 years), and Peppers (goldendoodle, 6 months)
2019 - This was then:
Just a few short weeks ago, my family's life was forever changed when my wife, Kristen, was diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer. Pregnant with our second daughter, Kristen began experiencing pain in her left breast while nursing our toddler, Norah. Initially thinking that it was normal first trimester sensitivity, Kristen brushed off the pain at first. After a couple of months, Kristen began to notice changes to the appearance of her breast, and that's when she began asking questions of her medical providers. Still thinking that this was just pregnancy and breastfeeding related, we were not overly concerned, but we were happy that our midwife (the third medical provider that Kristen mentioned this to) decided to send her for a breast ultrasound just to be safe. On June 3rd, Kristen saw a radiologist for the ultrasound and the doctor was concerned enough by her findings that she had Kristen also get a mammogram at the same visit. She noticed a "very angry" lymph node in Kristen's left underarm and encouraged us to have a biopsy done as soon as possible. We were terrified to say the least, but worked as quickly as possible to schedule the biopsy. On June 5th, we saw our breast surgeon who made us hopeful that this might still just be pregnancy and breastfeeding related, but we insisted on the biopsy to be sure. While we waited for results over the next two days, we convinced ourselves that everything would be okay. However, on June 7th, at 5:55 pm, Kristen got the call that the lymph node biopsy was positive for cancer.
The weeks that followed have been a whirlwind of emotions, doctor visits, scans, tests, and heartbreaking decisions that no young family should ever be faced with. Because Kristen's cancer has already spread to her lymph nodes, it is considered aggressive. Kristen's treatment plan includes four months of dose-dense chemotherapy, a mastectomy surgery to remove her left breast and lymph nodes (and possibly her right breast, as well), and six weeks of radiation. In order for Kristen to receive the most aggressive treatment as quickly as possible, we made the impossible decision to end our pregnancy. On June 12th, we said goodbye to our second daughter, Rosalie Hope Johnson. Our hearts are broken and our resolve is shaken, but we will honor her memory by making sure that Kristen beats this disease.
Kristen will be taking a huge step back at work over the next eight months while she undergoes treatment. This loss of income will make it difficult for our family to make ends meet, but we feel it's the best decision to allow Kristen to focus on her health. All donations raised through this campaign will be used for Kristen's medical expenses and our family's living expenses during this time.
First and foremost, we would like to sincerely thank everyone who donated to our fund back in 2019. Your generosity means the world to us, and we are forever grateful. We never expected to be back here again - especially not so soon - but here we are.
Roughly 18 months after completing active treatment for Stage 3C Breast Cancer, we found out that Kristen's cancer has spread to her liver. This new diagnosis, Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC), is a permanent one. There is no cure for MBC and Kristen will be in treatment for the rest of her life.
Back in April, Kristen began having intermittent pain in the lower right side of her abdomen. The pain would come and go, and it was typically not very strong - it felt a lot like a pulled muscle. By early June, the pain was more consistent and stronger, prompting Kristen to bring it to the attention of her doctors. Her oncology team assured her that it likely was not cancer, but wanted to have a CT Scan just to be sure. Well, much like the first time around, they were wrong. The CT Scan showed a very large mass in Kristen's liver. A follow-up biopsy confirmed on June 30th, 2021 that the mass is cancer - Kristen's original breast cancer had metastasized (or spread) to her liver.
Kristen began her "first line" of treatment right away - a combination of drugs (a shot and a pill) for MBC - but they weren't shrinking her liver "met" fast enough. After consulting with both her medical oncologist and her radiation oncologist, it was decided that Kristen needed to start I.V. chemo immediately, and will soon have ablative radiation on her liver.
Kristen is continuing to work with her real estate clients, though she is taking things slower than usual for now. Adjusting to life with MBC will be an ongoing process. Treatment plans will work for months or years, and then will stop working and the cancer will progress again (essentially the cancer adapts and outsmarts the treatment). Scans will take place every three months to determine if the cancer is behaving itself. This isn't going to be easy, but we are in it for the long haul.
We have been hesitant to restart our donation campaign, since this situation is so very different than the first time around. In 2019, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. We just needed to power through those 8 months of active treatment, and then we could get back to our normal lives. Your donations back then enabled Kristen to take time off from work and focus on her health. Now, we need to figure out how to live our lives in this "new normal." Kristen needs to prioritize her health first and foremost, but career, childcare, life in general must go on.
In addition to medical expenses, donations to this campaign will also be used towards helping our family adjust to our new routines. Keeping stress to a minimum is of utmost importance for Kristen's health, so we plan to hire out for housecleaning, meal delivery, occasional dog walking, and so on.
With love and appreciation,
Kristen, Thomas, Norah (human, 4.75 years), and Peppers (goldendoodle, 6 months)
2019 - This was then:
Just a few short weeks ago, my family's life was forever changed when my wife, Kristen, was diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer. Pregnant with our second daughter, Kristen began experiencing pain in her left breast while nursing our toddler, Norah. Initially thinking that it was normal first trimester sensitivity, Kristen brushed off the pain at first. After a couple of months, Kristen began to notice changes to the appearance of her breast, and that's when she began asking questions of her medical providers. Still thinking that this was just pregnancy and breastfeeding related, we were not overly concerned, but we were happy that our midwife (the third medical provider that Kristen mentioned this to) decided to send her for a breast ultrasound just to be safe. On June 3rd, Kristen saw a radiologist for the ultrasound and the doctor was concerned enough by her findings that she had Kristen also get a mammogram at the same visit. She noticed a "very angry" lymph node in Kristen's left underarm and encouraged us to have a biopsy done as soon as possible. We were terrified to say the least, but worked as quickly as possible to schedule the biopsy. On June 5th, we saw our breast surgeon who made us hopeful that this might still just be pregnancy and breastfeeding related, but we insisted on the biopsy to be sure. While we waited for results over the next two days, we convinced ourselves that everything would be okay. However, on June 7th, at 5:55 pm, Kristen got the call that the lymph node biopsy was positive for cancer.
The weeks that followed have been a whirlwind of emotions, doctor visits, scans, tests, and heartbreaking decisions that no young family should ever be faced with. Because Kristen's cancer has already spread to her lymph nodes, it is considered aggressive. Kristen's treatment plan includes four months of dose-dense chemotherapy, a mastectomy surgery to remove her left breast and lymph nodes (and possibly her right breast, as well), and six weeks of radiation. In order for Kristen to receive the most aggressive treatment as quickly as possible, we made the impossible decision to end our pregnancy. On June 12th, we said goodbye to our second daughter, Rosalie Hope Johnson. Our hearts are broken and our resolve is shaken, but we will honor her memory by making sure that Kristen beats this disease.
Kristen will be taking a huge step back at work over the next eight months while she undergoes treatment. This loss of income will make it difficult for our family to make ends meet, but we feel it's the best decision to allow Kristen to focus on her health. All donations raised through this campaign will be used for Kristen's medical expenses and our family's living expenses during this time.
Co-organizers (2)
Thomas Johnson
Organizer
Arlington, VA
Kristen Johnson
Co-organizer