How a Stage 4 Breast Cancer Diagnosis Brought Me & My Son Closer Than Ever

Kristi Turner, a single mother, was 37 when she received a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis after persistent back pain led to a visit where her doctor noted her right breast was larger. She initially received antibiotics, but after a month with no improvement, a coworker—married to a doctor—helped get her seen. A biopsy confirmed breast cancer, and further imaging showed it had metastasized to her lymph nodes and bones. Turner said the news was devastating and life-altering, especially while raising her 9-year-old son and figuring out how to explain the situation and manage chemotherapy.