Welcome
My name is Cate North, and I have been living with metastatic (stage 4) breast cancer since 2016. I have been dealing with breast cancer much longer, since 2000.
My mission is to empower cancer survivors and all adults to protect their health, to ease their fear and anxiety, and to help them view their mortality as a force for good.
If that resonates, I hope you find my insights from a long-lived experience with cancer to be helpful and inspiring.
Cate North, breast cancer fighter and survivor since 2000.
Philosophy of Stage 4 Living
Choose to be fully present and engaged, playing as best as you can.
Focus on what matters. Let go of the small stuff to live with grace, and ease.
Discover new meaning as you go one day at a time, one step at a time.
Latest Writings
Will cancer be water or fuel for your fire within?
Possible cancer symptoms you should never ignore
About cancer staging and why it matters
The Verzenio side-effect I’d like to sideline
Call it a bucket list, make it a life list
Writings by Topic
Click on the button to see writings on specific topics.
Symbols of Stage 4 Living
You may see frequent use and different variations of the lotus flower and the crab throughout my website. If you’re interested in knowing why, read on!
Lotus
Rooted in mud, the lotus plant emerges from murky water every morning, with blossoms that unfold in pristine beauty thanks to an outer coating. The lotus flower inspires us to Stay in the Game, Lighten the Load, and Honor the Journey so that we can appear in our own full glory every day, through the mud and muck of life.
Crab
Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine,” used the Greek word for crab, carcinos, to describe tumors, which were often hard like a shell, with finger-like projections that mimic a crab’s shape. The sharp pinchers also convey the tenacity of cancer cells to grab and hold on to tissue in our body. I use the crab symbol and image to discuss the disease of cancer.