Tag: #stage4

• More Real Talk about Cancer and Shit

  The Flares I’ve been dealing with cancer for ten years.Metastatic cancer for a little over three. I’m finally starting to understand what’s happening when my body reacts the way it does. And when I say body, I mean all of it — physical, mental, and emotional. You don’t get to separate those things when you’re…

  Erika Sherek

  January 27, 2026

  About Cancer, Stage IV Updates

  #stage4, breast cancer, cancer, chemo, chemotherapy, health

• What Metastatic Breast Cancer Really Means: Beyond the Pink Ribbons

  When people hear the words “breast cancer,” most think of pink ribbons, survivors ringing bells, and five-year remission celebrations. That’s part of the story—but it isn’t the whole story. There’s another side of breast cancer that doesn’t get talked about enough: metastatic breast cancer (MBC), also known as stage 4. This is the kind I…

  Erika Sherek

  September 22, 2025

  About Cancer

  #stage4, breast cancer, cancer, metastaticbreastcancer

• Fatigue No One Sees

  Here’s the thing about fatigue with stage IV cancer: it’s not “I stayed up too late last night” tired. It’s not “I just need a nap and a coffee” tired. It’s bone-deep, soul-sucking exhaustion that no amount of sleep, vitamins, or positive thinking can fix. And the kicker? It’s unpredictable. Just because I wake up…

  Erika Sherek

  September 18, 2025

  About Cancer, Stage IV Updates

  #stage4, breast cancer, cancer, cancer fatigue, fatigue, life, Metastatic, metastaticbreastcancer, StageIV

• The Difference No One Talks About

  When people talk about cancer, the story almost always centers on survivorship. There’s a beginning, a middle, and an end. A diagnosis, a battle, and a victory. Survivors ring bells, declare themselves warriors who “beat cancer,” and step back into a version of normal life. Yes, there’s fear of recurrence. Yes, there ay be follow-up…

  Erika Sherek

  September 8, 2025

  Stage IV Updates, Transition and Thoughts

  #fuckcancer, #stage4, breast cancer, Metastatic, metastaticbreastcancer

• Grieving the Old Me with Stage IV Cancer

  Grief with stage IV cancer isn’t just about death—it’s about losing pieces of yourself while you’re still here. I grieve the life I had. The ability to plan a day and actually do it. The energy to say yes without wondering if I’ll be too fatigued, in pain, or stuck at another surprise blood draw.…

  Erika Sherek

  September 1, 2025

  General Update, Transition and Thoughts

  #stage4, bitch please, breast cancer, cancer, cancer grief, grief, Transition, warrior

• Radiation Sessions: Getting the Authorities Involved

  Radiation sessions for this crazy party are officially complete. I like to think they made an example out of this group—showing the others that we’re not putting up with any nonsense. In case you missed: I think of every lesion and tumor as a party. The party in my hip got a bit out of…

  Erika Sherek

  August 26, 2025

  Stage IV Updates

  #stage4, breast cancer, oncology, radiation, radiology

• When the Hand-Holding Stops: Stage IV and the Vanishing Act of Cancer Care

  When you’re first diagnosed with cancer, the world seems to spring into motion. Suddenly, you have a nurse navigator. Appointments are made for you. Your phone rings with check-ins. Social workers appear with clipboards full of resources. The medical team seems to hold your hand every step of the way, from scheduling to scans, with…

  Erika Sherek

  August 13, 2025

  Diva Training, Stage IV Updates

  #fuckcancer, #stage4, breast cancer, cancer, cancer treatment, metastaticbreastcancer, oncology, StageIV, warrior

• The Biopsy

  I had the bone biopsy yesterday. Got there at 11:30. They prepped me which was a lot of me laying there. Got the IV in, then the dr told me what they were going to do and how they were going to do it. Yes I was scared to death and thank god they sedated…

  Erika Sherek

  December 28, 2022

  Stage IV Updates

  #bonebiopsy, #breastcancer, #stage4, Metastatic, metastaticbreastcancer