912. Siobhan Donovan, Marathoner with Stage IV Breast Cancer

"It's less scary if you face it. If you avoid it, it grows. It becomes scarier. Sometimes it's better to just face things head on."

In April 2022, Siobhan Donovan was 33 years old. She was 36 weeks pregnant with her third child when she thought she had a clogged milk duct. It turned out to be stage IV breast cancer that had already spread to her bones. The doctors induced labor, and when Siobhan's son was four days old, she went to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to begin aggressive treatment, starting with 27 grueling rounds of weekly chemotherapy — with a newborn in tow. Siobhan's treatment worked: By 2024, she had achieved No Evidence of Active Disease status, and was training for the Boston Marathon (raising $20,000 for DFCI in the process). But just before the race, she found out her cancer was back. She crossed the finish line, and began another year and a half of chemotherapy. Today, 4.5 years after her initial diagnosis, Siobhan is NED again, and in training mode again: Next weekend, she'll run the TCS New York City Marathon. In this conversation, Siobhan vulnerably revisits the hardest days of her life, talks about where she's at now, and shares her hopes, dreams, and fears for the future.

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In this episode:

• What's making Siobhan happy today (3:10)
• Why Siobhan is running this year's New York City Marathon (5:20)
• What Siobhan's into right now (10:45)
• What Siobhan was like growing up, how running came into her life, and how — and why — she became a marathoner (15:40)
• Is cancer like a marathon? (33:15)
• Reflections on Breast Cancer Awareness Month (38:00)
• On receiving a stage IV breast cancer diagnosis at 36 weeks pregnant (42:45)
• "Dying was the biggest fear" (52:20)
• On being a fighter, a warrior, and a survivor (1:01:10)
• Siobhan's advice to caregivers (1:21:45)

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