When Daniel Bond laces up with thousands of others for Sunday's CIBC Run for the Cure, his wife will be on his mind every step of the five kilometres. Only 36, Tannis McMinn is facing -- and determined somehow to defy -- end-stage breast cancer.
In last year's run, Bond felt bolstered by all the energy marshalled to fight the disease that strikes one in nine Canadian women. But he knows however much he raises for research, chances are it will be too late to help McMinn, who underwent a mastectomy of her left breast and removal of 15 lymph nodes in May 2008.
The fast-growing tumour "took over the entire breast except for a small bit of fatty tissue," she says.
While the five-year survival rate is 87 per cent for breast cancer, McMinn's cancer has spread to her liver and is termed "incurable." It's a cruel word to hear from a smiling young woman who has everything to live for and looks healthy, although pale.
"I've got something called triple negative breast cancer," she says matter-of-factly, seated comfortably in her sunny Saanich living room. She's among the one in five breast cancer patients without common markers present in her tumour, which reduces treatment options. It's also least likely to be found in Caucasians such as McMinn.
Moreover, only 14 per cent of women among the 20 per cent of all breast cancer patients who have triple negative disease survive for five years, she says. Which is not quite three women in 100.
"There are thousands of [clinical] trials going on," Bond says. But research often takes 10 to 20 years to proceed through the necessary phases. "I'm running for a cure and, God, I hope that one of these phase-three trials, maybe Tannis could get involved in, could help."
Meanwhile, the support, the information and the hope the couple has received from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation -- funded by the run -- have been "incredible," he says.
Last year, he raised $1,280 with his employer's team: Fujitsu Consulting Bounders, which brought in $4,064 of more than $600,000 raised locally (see sidebar at right). This year, he has created a Facebook page called Support Tannis through CIBC Run for the Cure, hoping to raise as much as he can to reduce the likelihood that other people will have to go through the anguish they've been through.
McMinn doesn't get teary discussing her odds. "Come on, this is somebody's cosmic joke," she says. After all, she was also among the one per cent of cancer patients whose chemo -- hers was the strongest and most toxic available -- scarred her tear ducts, requiring complicated surgery to repair.
She's thankful her doctors have indicated the tumour in her left arm may be benign -- it has shrunk and has no adhesions.
The IT business analyst with the provincial government on medical leave does not want pity. Sympathy, OK. She's positive to the core -- calling her cancer journey an "adventure" through new experiences that she is determined will turn out in her favour, despite medical opinion.
In May, she was told not to expect to live past April. Her take: "At this time I seriously don't think next April is my expiration date
. . . Nobody gets my death humour except me," she says. "Dead Woman Walking -- it's how I deal with it."
She's on the Internet all the time, seeking answers and ideas -- "I confront what I need to know" -- takes enzyme supplements for energy, eats healthily and doesn't touch alcohol.
"They're not treating me now, until I show symptoms," McMinn says. She's pale from avoiding the sun, but her dark hair has grown back, framing her face, almost hiding triple piercings with gold hoops in both ears and she really does look healthy, except for the catheter scar peeking out from her blouse.
"I'm in no pain. I was never in pain," says McMinn. "Which makes it hard for me to convince myself I'm so sick. I don't feel sick. I'm not nauseous. I'm not jaundiced and if the tumour was doing seriously bad things -- I would be feeling it."
But recently she felt "numb" from mental and emotional exhaustion, and sought help with a counsellor at the B.C. Cancer Agency, Vancouver Island Centre.
"I can still laugh at a lot of stuff; I feel good."
"Every month she feels fine, she feels she's beating the odds," Bond says, noting there's still the possibility of treating McMinn with radiowave ablation in Vancouver.
The couple concentrate on making the most of their good times together -- gardening, working on the house and playing with their five cats. "We have a great life." And they still have hope.
SIGN UP FOR THE CURE
Early registration for Sunday's CIBC Run for the Cure, and run kit pickup, for individual runners takes place tomorrow from 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. -4:30 p.m. at the Running Room, 1008 Douglas St.; 305 - 777 Royal Oak Dr. and 113 - 240G Millstream Rd. and both Mayfair and Hillside shopping centres.
To reach:
Team co-ordinators -- [email protected]
Volunteer co-ordinator Judi -- 250-384-3328
Volunteer e-mail address -- [email protected]
Registration and donation forms can be downloaded at www.cibcrunforthecure.com
