About Us

On January 22, 2016, I went for a mammogram to confirm that a lump in my right breast was a cyst. It was, and its still in there in 2024 (being closely followed). That cyst saved my life. Because I was overdue for my breast screening, imaging was also done on my left breast. The mammogram and ultrasound came back “highly suspicious” for cancer.

A biopsy followed, confirming that I had breast cancer: invasive ductal carcinoma, with pre-surgical staging as Stage IIB.  The cancer had spread locally to at least one lymph node, ultimately settling as T2N1. The cancer was highly estrogen and somewhat progesterone responsive but HER2 negative. Initially, it was suspected to be Grade 3 or highly aggressive. This settled back to Grade 2 in post-surgery pathology.

I gathered what information and reassurance that I could from the experience of others, from my doctors and from online resources, made choices and forged ahead into a year of treatment - as it turned out, for both of us when my wife, Angie, fell on ice and shattered her shoulder.

We live in the Gatineau Hills in Quebec in a pesticide-free, environmentally friendly semi-rural municipality near Ottawa. We marked our 25th Anniversary in 2017 and our 30th five years later. Still going strong! Angie retired some years ago after working in the social services sector and in her own graphic/web design business. I will be retiring at the end of 2024.

At diagnosis, I was 56 years old. Non-smoker. As of 2013, due to migraines, a non-drinker. An avid golfer, neglectful gardener, and sometime swimmer. An academic and educator. Born in New Zealand; arrived in Canada in 1983. From a ‘cancer family’: both of my parents and one of my two brothers had died of cancer. The same for both of my maternal aunts. A cousin. I had a low-level anxiety about whether I would join the list. In my thirties, I had breast imaging and consultation. Nothing to worry about. Facing my cancer then, has also involved facing one of my biggest fears. It is an ongoing healing process for body, soul and mind.

The blog from which this this book is derived contains letters I've written to our community, my insights on choosing and managing cancer treatment and being sustained during the process we shared together. I have also gathered reflections on some of the big questions we face when cancer comes at the end of the blog to book.

This photo, of me (black tee and sunglasses) and Angie in the white tee, was taken on the Gatineau River in August 2015 - blissfully unaware of what 2016 would bring!

We had a lot of people around us during the year and lots of photos with them. For privacy and consent reasons, I've chosen, in general, not to include those photos.

I'm not a physician so nothing in the posts should be taken as medical advice.

If you'd like to email me I can reached at bretteldawson@gmail.com.