Vesna Zic-Cotê is living with metastatic breast cancer during a pandemic. She put this piece together for Rethink Breast Cancer‘s #rethinkinghome segment on Instagram on August 7, 2020.

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Vesna is graciously sharing her post with us here.

Living with metastatic breast cancer

When you live with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), you’re always cognizant of time. I wanted to do all these things in my lifetime, but I no longer have the luxury of thinking I have endless days to do them in.

And, so I rush about. This way and that. Doing all the things. Making all the memories. Getting sh*t done.

But, when you’re moving at that pace, sometimes the best part of LIVING gets missed. The really beautiful little details. Like dinner together around the table with the people I love the most. Curling up in a chair with my youngest and reading a book together, one chapter a night. Watching the birds visit the feeder in the backyard, and enjoying dessert with my kiddos on the back deck. And, knowing that these are the memories that will stay with them when life goes on.

Living through a pandemic

Living through a pandemic while living with MBC has shown me that in my rush to LIVE and DO and BE, I may have overshot my goal.

I’ve had more time to work in my garden and less time driving around in my car. I’ve had more time to enjoy watching the fruits of my labour grow and blossom and bloom, and less time to go and go and go.

More time to slow down. To live.

To support women like Vesna, please donate to Rethink Breast Cancer’s MBC Fund.

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Vesna Zic-Coté, Photo by Anna Epp Photography

Vesna is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend. And advocate. She was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in 2012. After several years of remission, her cancer returned, requiring active treatment for metastatic breast cancer since March 2017. She is a member of Rethink Breast Cancer’s MBC Advisory Board. Vesna is also the namesake, inspiration, and role model for the Vesna Cardigan. Five percent of direct to customer sales are donated to Rethink Breast Cancer’s MBC Fund.