Little did Ellen Duffy know when she joined Beyond Pink TEAM, because her mother was a breast cancer survivor, that she would be diagnosed with the same disease a few years later. Ellen was diagnosed with breast cancer and before she completed her initial treatment, it was discovered the breast cancer had spread to her bones. With metastatic breast cancer, Ellen was unable to work at either of her two jobs: as a nurse for Covenant Hospital or as an assistant at a fitness center. After one year both of her employers let her go which left her with no job and no health insurance. While she applied for Social Security disability, she still had to wait more than 2 years to become eligible for Medicare [health care] and did not live long enough to receive it. Ellen was single, never married, and lived her final year extremely sick and in constant fear of losing her home because she could not pay her bills.
A diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer can be very frightening because it is considered incurable. Metastatic breast cancer occurs when breast cancer cells travel from the breast to another part of the body such as the bones, liver, lungs, or brain. Metastatic breast cancer is also referred to as Stage IV breast cancer. We still do not understand why some cancers become metastatic, especially those that are diagnosed years after the first breast cancer. In the past, doctors believed that cancer progressed in a linear manner and that women with positive lymph nodes were more likely to become metastatic. Now researchers are focusing more on genetics and the microbiology of breast cancer. They are trying to learn why some cancers behave more aggressively, what causes cancer cells to grow in different parts of the body, and what treatments can be developed to stop that process. About 6% of women are initially diagnosed at Stage IV. They may already have symptoms such as pain or shortness of breath that cause the doctors to suspect metastatic cancer. Or the metastasis may be discovered during a CT or PET scan as part of the initial workup for breast cancer. Most women who become metastatic are diagnosed later, anytime from several months to years after they were initially treated for early stage cancer.
SHARE NYC:  https://www.sharecancersupport.org/metastatic-breast-cancer/aboutmetastatic-cancer/
The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act (S. 1374/H.R. 2178)
The above law would improve the lives of people, like BPT’s Ellen Duffy, living with metastatic breast cancer. We need your help in lending your voice to this nationwide effort. Currently, individuals under age 65 with metastatic breast cancer who qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits must wait 5 months before receiving SSDI benefits and after that an additional 24 MONTHS (2 YEARS) before being eligible for Medicare (health insurance).
**Currently the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) is asking Congress to enact a bill, S.1374/H.R. 2178, so individuals with metastatic breast cancer have access to the care for which they are entitled and deserve. One of NBCC’s most important priorities is passage of our bipartisan Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act to eliminate waiting periods for social security disability insurance benefits (SSDI) and Medicare coverage for eligible individuals with metastatic breast cancer.
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Concrete Things You Can Do
It’s now easier than ever to take action through the National Breast Cancer Coalition Advocacy Action Center: https://www.stopbreastcancer.org/action-center/action-network Success depends on the voices of breast cancer survivors, and other advocates and stakeholders across all 50 states. Time is running out for legislative action in this Congress. We need you to act today to urge your members of Congress to cosponsor this legislation and get a vote as soon as possible. An additional way you can help is to Vote Breast Cancer!
**Individuals diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer automatically qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) if they apply and meet the SSA’s technical qualification rules.
To earn Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, the individual

1. must have been employed within the last ten years, and
2. currently be unable to work due to their disability.

Once an individual is approved for SSDI, there is a five-month waiting period to begin receiving benefits. Following approval of SSDI, individuals with metastatic breast cancer are eligible for Medicare coverage based on their disability, regardless of their age. However, there is a 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage (health insurance) once eligible. Based on the limited life expectancy of individuals with metastatic breast cancer, an average of 3 years, Beyond Pink TEAM (BPT) and the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) believe both the 5-month and 24- month waiting periods should be waived. By law, the 24-month waiting period for Medicare is waived for individuals with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Legislation has been introduced which would allow patients with ALS who qualify for SSDI to immediately be eligible for SSDI (thus waiving the five-month waiting period). NBCC believes both SSDI and Medicare coverage should also apply to metastatic breast cancer patients who qualify.
 
Local Women Struggling
“L” - “I’m 38 years old, a wife, and a mother of 4 young children, 6 and under, living my life with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.”
“My name is Danielle and I have stage 4 breast cancer with Mets (metastasis) to my bones and my brain. I’m 38 years old and a mom of 3 children, ages 8,6,and 3. There have been many challenges during this journey, but the most important thing is my kids and trying to keep their lives as normal as possible for as long as possible.”

Sherry Schumacher, Survivor 
Written by family friend, Mary Rekers

At the 2019 Pink Ribbon Run, Sherry Schumacher’s family shared Sherry’s story. These are Sherry’s words from 2016… “I was diagnosed with breast cancer in August of 2015. After discovering a lump, I went in for my (overdue) mammogram and then had a follow up biopsy at Waverly Health Center.

From there I was referred to the Mayo Clinic for chemotherapy and mastectomy and finished my treatments with 6 weeks of daily radiation at the Covenant Cancer Treatment Center. I plan to have reconstructive surgery later this year. My family has participated in the Pink Ribbon Run almost from the beginning…I have always wanted to support women going through cancer, but I never expected to be one of them!

This year’s Run will be quite a different one for me. In fact, one thought that kept me going during treatment was that I wanted to be able to run this race in October and start collecting my beads! I think the Pink Ribbon Run is great for the community because it shows the strength of so many women and those who have been their support systems as they go through their cancer experience. It also raises awareness of research being done and reminds women to get their checkups and screenings done.”

Sherry did collect her first strand of beads in 2016. In 2017, smiling brightly with 2 strands of beads, she was front and center in the Survivor’s photo holding a sign with the number 938, the years of survival represented that year. In March 2018, Sherry’s cancer returned…this time in her liver. At that time Sherry and her husband, Mark, contacted the Beyond Pink TEAM and received assistance for transportation costs back and forth to Mayo.

The fight was on again…but the outcome was quite different. Sherry lost her battle on April 11, 2018. She was a loving and devoted daughter, wife, mother, and friend and is missed every single day. Sherry’s faith was an important part of how she got through her cancer.

Her family would like to share two notes found in her Bible: The first next to Ecclesiastes 5:18 was “Be happy where you are.” The second next to Matthew 6:33-34 was “God will give us enough grace for today and fresh grace for tomorrow. Every day is a bonus!” This gives some insight into how Sherry lived her life and fought her fight.

She believed in promoting early detection and supporting those journeying through a cancer diagnosis. As a Team, we will continue to participate in the Pink Ribbon run and hold an annual fundraising garage sale as a tribute to Sherry’s memory. 

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