Imagine contracting Lime Disease upon your move to Tennessee… possibly from a tick bite. Then, after battling that for a full year imagine a diagnosis of breast cancer that spreads to the bones in your back, your pelvis and even your ribs. That is the life that Cathy Hoag in Murfreesboro has experienced in recent months.
Cathy, who lives in the Barfield area, was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast Cancer this past August.
Looking back, after noticing something was not quite right with her breast, she made an appointment with her doctor. The test results of a mammogram appeared normal, but more questions needed to be answered due to the extremely dense tissue that did not allow for a proper diagnosis. So, more testing followed which ended in a single phone call on a sunny afternoon.
It was a call that no one wants. Cathy, a wife, a stay at home mom of two boys ages 7 and 10, plus a home school teacher – heard the phone ring. She answered it and soon found herself in tears while closing the door of her bedroom. Her doctor informed her that she did indeed have cancer. It was soon revealed that the cancer had spread from her breast to her bones and it was given the title of “Stage IV.”
Prior to the diagnosis, Cathy had mammograms annually. But, the start date of the cancer was not fully established. Regardless of when it formed, she is moving forward with treatment at the Cancer Centers of America in Georgia.
A short 12 minute audio interview with Cathy is below:
"Remember how far you've come, not just how far you have to go. You may not be where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be." -Stuart Scott