Cassie and Dan
We met in 1992. Dated, broke up, dated, broke up, realized we were in love, dated, moved in together, got engaged and married in 1998.
In 2002, Cassie was diagnosed with DCIS – ductal carcinoma in situ. A very early stage, noninvasive breast cancer. The treatment was a mastectomy. Nothing else was required – no radiation, no tamoxifen, nothing. The diagnosis rocked our world but we knew things would be okay. Cassie would live. We raced for the cure, got some pink ribbon stuff, and were relieved that Cassie was a cancer survivor. While Cassie had very regular mammograms and doctor appointments, we pretty much moved on with our day-to-day lives.
In the summer of 2018, Cassie saw her family physician after a month or so of experiencing extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, and some back pain. A chest x-ray showed multiple bilateral masses in the lungs. A PET scan and then biopsy revealed metastatic breast cancer – 16 years after the DCIS diagnosis. It just seemed impossible.
But, unfortunately it’s very real. Treatment began in July 2018 and will be ongoing.
Cassie
Former nonprofit fundraising executive. Enjoys food cooked by Dan, drinking wine with friends and family, and hosting parties for large groups of people. Dislikes eggplant and roller coasters.
Dan
Grassroots organizer and consultant. Enjoys cooking, collecting and drinking wine, laughing at Cassie’s dumb jokes, playing games, and walking with Doc, the basset hound. Dislikes Russian nesting dolls and scary movies.
