Hi, my name is Chrystal Duffee, and on February 19, 2024, I was diagnosed with de novo metastatic breast cancer. “De novo metastatic” means that at my original diagnosis, I was already stage 4, as the cancer had spread to my brain, bones, liver, lungs, and a lymph node on my right side.

I can still remember that day clearly. It was a long one—oncology appointments often are. When my oncologist reviewed all the reports and shared the full diagnosis with my husband and me, I remember the exact moment it became real for him. His hand rested on my leg near my knee, and when the oncologist confirmed it was stage 4 cancer, he gently squeezed my leg. That was the moment I decided I was going to fight.

After we left the office, we went to eat because I was starving(Pizza it was soooo good). From there, everything moved quickly. By the end of March, I started my first cycle of chemotherapy. I went through six cycles of Taxotere, more Zoladex shots than I can count, and countless rounds of Zometa. There were many good days and many hard ones. On the difficult days, I would remind myself that tomorrow will be better.

I was incredibly fortunate to have a strong support system to help me through it all. Even one of my dogs became part of that support. He’s a miniature Australian Shepherd—very smart—and he always seemed to know when I had chemo. He would stay close to me and follow me everywhere in the house, acting as my little protector, especially when I was alone. Cancer is not only hard on the person fighting it, but also on caregivers, family, friends—even our pets. My two dogs struggled when they could no longer sit on my lap or jump on me.

At times, I tried to reframe my symptoms as “superpowers” (not at first, of course). I developed an intense sense of smell—though not always a pleasant superpower to have. When I lost my hair, I joked about my ability to reflect light—beautiful and bald. Fatigue slowed me down so much it felt like I could control time.(really it was just me moving really slow through life).  And the changes in my weight—from not wanting to eat to gaining weight due to long-term steroids—felt like the ability to change my size.

There have been many more symptoms and challenges, both then and now. I am still on active treatment, though it is not as intense as before. Because I am stage 4, I will be on treatment for life. Currently, I am on Phesgo and letrozole, along with several other prescriptions and supplements. That is one risk of Chemo while it does great to kill the Cancer cells it also harms the good cells in your body. Chemotherapy and radiation helped clear the metastases in my brain, liver, and lungs, but I still have cancer in my bones, with lesions throughout my spine, left femur, pelvis, sacrum, ribs, and neck.

I may never be able to say that I am cancer-free, and this disease may take me sooner than I would like. But I have faith that when my time comes, God will call me home.

This is only part of my journey, but I want to share two things:

To those who are fighting: I know it’s hard. There will be days when you want to give up—but remember, it’s just one day in your life and tomorrow will be better. Keep a positive outlook, hold your head high, and remember that you are stronger than you know.

To caregivers and support systems: Thank you for everything you do and endure. The person you care for may never be able to fully express how much your support means, but I can tell you—as a cancer patient—it makes all the difference. Without my support system, I may not be here today.

I am a THRIVING WARRIOR, and cancer is my battle—not my life