Hiking Cancer

In September of 2012, I couldn’t have been happier, more successful, or healthier. I celebrated 25 years of marriage. My three adult kids were doing well in college. I just won the biggest award I could get at my job as a nurse. I finally started my dream of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), bit by bit. We accomplished 122.5 mountain miles on the trail. I had my routine mammogram. I was called back for a recheck. I never had a recheck before but I didn’t worry. Why would I? Cancer was the LAST thing I thought would happen to me. I’m vegetarian. I eat as organic as I can. I compost, recycle, volunteer. I try to do all the right things. The following October 4th, at 9 pm, my doctor called with these four words that flipped my world around. “Patti, you have cancer.”

Midwesterner at heart, I moved to Southern California after graduating with a nursing degree. I married my best friend from college and we have three spectacular kids. My passions include my family and friends, of course, and hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. I also enjoy making DIY products, gardening, yoga, and Halloween. I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at age 51. Follow me as I take you through some of my past tribulations with cancer treatments, but mostly the aftermath and ongoing survival of having cancer.

I authored a book, Hiking Cancer, with my husband. It’s about living life, not cancer. It’s about my way of dealing with cancer by hiking the PCT, while going through cancer treatments. You can also Follow our hiking adventures.