Support for V's Metastatic Cancer Journey

Hi, my name is Rachel and I have set this page up for my big sister and best friend, Caitlin Bomar. My hope is to find support in the community following her recent and sudden diagnosis of stage IV metastatic breast cancer, for which there is currently no cure.

Caitlin is a mother, wife, daughter, sister, niece, cousin, and friend to many. She and her husband, Kyle, will be celebrating a decade of marriage this August. They have three extraordinarily beautiful girls together; Anna (4.5), Mary Clare (3), and Sophia (20 months). Caitlin has a love and zest for living that is rare, seeking to live wholeheartedly with eyes wide open to wonder and transformation. She seeks authentic connection through courageous vulnerability, and finds great joy in encouraging others to be their true selves. She is quite simply a gift to all who are fortunate enough to know her. This is the story of her diagnosis with this awful disease:

On Friday, July 7th, after a full week of waiting to learn the results of her mammogram with same-day biopsies, Caitlin received the call we were fearing; all of the biopsies were positive for a type of breast cancer called invasive lobular carcinoma. The plan at that point was to wait a couple of weeks to meet with an oncologist to get further testing in order to assess the stage of her cancer and come up with a treatment plan.

Caitlin had been experiencing some noticeable back pain and fatigue for about a month prior to the diagnosis, but it was very intermittent until the days right before and right after the diagnosis. On Sunday, July 9th, her back pain and fatigue were so intense it was a struggle to get out of bed. The severity of her symptoms progressed and on Monday, July 10th, I drove her to the UVA emergency room. It was a long day. We spent hours getting moved from room to room- vitals; needles; waiting; labs; waiting; imaging; waiting.

About six hours after we first walked through the hospital doors, one of the ER physicians walked into our room to discuss the results of her abdominal CT scan. I remember seeing tears in his eyes, and my gut sank as my suspicion of what was causing her symptoms was seconds away from being confirmed. He told my sister, a very active and very health conscious 35-year-old woman, that her cancer had metastasized. They could see it in her liver and on her bones.

The devastation. The rapid spiral of events. The new reality that we just stepped into with no going back to how things were before.

Caitlin was admitted to UVA for four days during which she underwent multiple MRIs, additional CT scans, and biopsies. Although there is currently no cure for stage IV metastatic breast cancer, her type is hormone receptor positive and she has therefore started hormone therapy in hopes of shrinking and slowing down its progression. We are hopeful that she will have an excellent response to this treatment, and are confident in the UVA oncology team directing her care. Additionally, they are working on keeping her as comfortable as possible mostly by controlling her back pain from the diffuse metastatic sites in her bones. We would love to see her mobility and exceptionally high energy levels return after her body has had ample time to adjust and respond to treatment.

Caitlin is facing her diagnosis with feelings of such tremendous grief and tremendous gratitude. Grief over the disease and gratitude over the undeniable ways she’s already seen Spirit exhibiting such tender loving care right in the midst of the heaviness. She believes she is held by Love no matter what. This faith is the energy that directs her life.

Our family has come together to surround and support Caitlin as much as possible during this unimaginable transition. We have been putting our resources together to care for her, Kyle, and their little girls and are now reaching out to our communities for additional support. No amount is too small. Even $5 or $10 can go a long way in a combined effort to help care for my sister and her young family. If you are personally unable to contribute, please consider sharing her story with others.

The funds raised will be used first and foremost to help cover the medical expenses not covered by insurance that Caitlin is now incurring including ongoing monthly treatments, labs, and regular scans. Additionally, we hope to raise enough to help with childcare needs as Caitlin is currently unable to meet the demands of the full-time stay at home mom that she had been for the past four years. Kyle had just begun a new job as an Episcopal pastor days before the diagnosis, and the church is an hour away from their new home in Caitlin’s hometown of Waynesboro, VA, which they have moved to in order to be close to as much family support as possible as they navigate this new terrain.

Thank you for reading about my beautiful, brave, and loving sister, and for considering helping on this arduous journey she and our family have found ourselves embarking on. In Caitlin’s own words… “Life is so phenomenally and painstakingly precious.” Yes, and it makes all the difference in the world to know we are not alone.