Lauren's Chapter

Our Story Series

Lauren is a strong and energetic woman who focuses on wellness and surrounds herself with a great community in Honolulu. In 2023, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) with subtype ER/PR+ HER 2–. To manage this diagnosis, she takes the pills Kisqali and Letrozole daily combined with a Lupron shot every three months.

Hearing the diagnosis from her doctor was difficult for Lauren. She believes that the hardest part of her journey so far has been accepting her new reality and new life with breast cancer. However, after moving through the confusing stages to reach acceptance, she has found that a grounding support system is key for her journey.

“Reaching out to them when I was at my lowest lifted me and helped me move forward.”

Her daughter, who is in nursing school, has helped her immensely by being a great motivation to keep her going and not give up. Lauren also prioritizes her mental and physical health through wellness practice and bar classes as a positive response to combat breast cancer.

Her advice to other breast cancer patients is to understand that,

“It’s okay to allow yourself to be sad and cry. Have your time to mourn. But, when it is over, get back up and fight like hell.”

If Lauren could go back in time and advise herself when she was first diagnosed, she would simply give her the encouragement needed to overcome the sadness and instead live her life just as boldly and incredibly as before.

“You got this, bu!”

View All

A vital part of Breast Cancer Hawaii's mission is to foster a supportive community for those impacted by breast cancer. Sharing stories like these helps create a safe space for survivors and lets others know that they are not alone in their journey.

If you would like to contribute to the conversation, please contact us at hello@breastcancerhawaii.org.