When I attend yearly conferences, particularly the San Antonio Breast Cancer Conference, one of the highlights is reconnecting with friends I've made in the breast cancer community. What I find most challenging is when I see the empty seats at the table that last year were filled by my friends. My metastatic friends daily face challenges we cannot even imagine, as they constantly face the search for new treatments that may help extend their time on this earth. I struggle with finding words...

Tomorrow, I will journey to San Antonio, Texas, for the Annual International Breast Cancer Conference, SABCS. The highlight of the event for me is the 'Advocate Lounge,' which I consider my "safe space." This lounge will allow me to connect with the most extraordinary patient advocates dedicated to advancing research to eliminate this disease. I view these women and men as my tribe, which, to me, means family. We are united by an experience we were hijacked into—the experience of breast cancer.