In July 2024, a rash surfaced on Debbie Goforth’s breast. It was flaky, red, and shifting in appearance. While it wasn’t “lumpy” in the traditional sense (rather, she says, it felt like individual strands bunched up together), all the telltale signs were there. Debbie wisely sensed it was time to see a doctor. After a full battery of tests, including a mammography, ultrasound, and biopsy, the results arrived.
Ironically, the rash was diagnosed as eczema. But the process uncovered a lump in her armpit, a finding Debbie hadn’t initially connected to the rash. Further investigation revealed that lump to be a cancerous lymph node.
By the time everything was sorted, the cancer had already metastasized to her pelvis and lower spine, officially landing her with a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis. Within a moment, everything shifted.
A career in the banking and financial services sectors that demanded high levels of stamina was all Debbie had known. Now, medical appointments filled her days, her energy waned, and the harsh side effects of chemotherapy and immunotherapy pressed in. Something had to give. Life was asking something different from her, and she now faced a choice: evolve into something new or stay the same.
“I was struggling with side effects, including neuropathy, fatigue, GI issues, brain fog, and even anxiety,” Debbie reflects. “I knew I was pushing myself hard. In early November 2024, I began a private Facebook page, sharing what was working with my treatment and what wasn’t, and asked for encouragement too. Soon, friends and family expressed I should do this for a living.”
That seed sprouted quickly into a bold new direction.
“I decided I wanted to share the lessons I had learned, especially the notion that you are not your job. When your job gets taken away, then who are you? Your job is not your life. You don’t have to get cancer to realize this.”
Debbie’s voice now travels far beyond her own story. She speaks at rotary club meetings, within metastatic breast cancer support organizations such as Living Beyond Breast Cancer, and to patient advisory councils for Texas Oncology.
“I encourage women with stage four breast cancer to ask the hard questions. Call the insurance providers yourself; don’t solely rely on the doctors’ offices. Research the blood tests that doctors want you to take; don’t listen blindly. One of the things I’m passionate about is educating survivors about ancillary insurance policies that help to cover the costs of treatment. Because we know cancer patients don’t just suffer from the emotional fallout. It’s often financial too.”
Because Debbie receives an immunotherapy drug injection every 21 days, she knows she will be in active treatment for the rest of her life. Yet she refuses to let circumstance dictate her direction. She has transformed her daunting diagnosis into a life of purpose, helping others discover identity and meaning through honest, empowering storytelling.
“I’m not an anomaly because many stage four patients survive for years. But I’m here to tell you that it’s okay to say no to the things you no longer have the energy for. I’ve learned to work in chunks, to take naps when I need, and to rest after eight p.m. I’ve changed my eating habits due to my diabetes (another side effect of treatment), and if I skip my medications or even my vitamins for a day, the next day my body remembers that I didn’t take care of it the day before.”
If you’re inspired by Debbie’s journey and want to learn more, visit goforthpurpose.com.
“Ask the hard questions. Call the insurance providers yourself; don’t solely rely on the doctors’ offices. Research the blood tests that doctors want you to take; don’t listen blindly."