Julie’s Story: Reflections of a 35 Year Old Living and Dying With Cancer
By Julie Green
It was Julie Green’s hope that sharing the story of her breast cancer diagnosis in 2016 at age 33—invasive ductal carcinoma with a BRCA2 gene mutation—and her choice to focus on life over death, might inspire others walking difficult paths.
While she said she would have preferred to be writing about exotic plants or the antics of her dogs, Julie used her CaringBridge Journal to reflect on the science of cancer—”Chemo doesn’t destroy EVERYTHING, mainly just rapidly dividing cells.”—and social aspects—”I am always thinking about cancer so you mentioning it or asking questions doesn’t change anything for me. I actually enjoy educating people about what I know.”
Julie was able to continue writing as her health declined, and after her death in 2018, her parents, Pat and Bill Barber, published her CaringBridge Journal as a book: Julie’s Story: Reflections on a 35 Year Old Living and Dying With Cancer.
Pat said, “Julie faced her life bravely every day. She said she didn’t feel brave. She just felt that she didn’t have many good choices. Despite this, she always chose life.”
Her family hopes that the insights and experiences in Julie’s Story may help others dealing with the trauma and pain of breast cancer, and to remember the joys in life, too.
Buy Julie’s Story: Reflections of a 35 Year Old on Living and Dying With Cancer on Amazon