Meredith Parkinson’s Story

How has breast cancer affected your life?

Meredith Parkinson is an Ironman triathlete.

She is deeply in tune with her body and its limits. So when one of her children accidentally kicked her in the breast and the pain felt worse than normal, Meredith knew something was off.

After doing self-checks, she felt a bump in her armpit.

She called the doctor right away.

That advocacy was lifesaving.

Meredith had breast cancer, and her treatment journey began in March 2020, just as COVID was shutting the world down.

 

What was treatment like during COVID?

Because her diagnosis came at the beginning of the pandemic, Meredith’s treatment options were affected right away.

She was able to have a bilateral mastectomy, but additional preventive surgery was delayed because hospitals shut down preventive procedures during COVID.

At home, the challenges continued.

Daycares were closed. Visitors were a health risk. Meredith and her husband were caring for their 2- and 3-year-old children while Meredith recovered from surgery.

“My husband and I were so careful during that time because we were so scared I would get COVID during recovery,” Meredith shared. “It was a really tough time.”

 

What happened after that first surgery?

For a while, Meredith felt like surgery had helped put breast cancer somewhat in the rearview.

Then, in March 2021, a follow-up MRI revealed a chest wall recurrence.

Meredith went through two more surgeries and 30 rounds of radiation.

Her world was rocked again in February 2022, when her sister was diagnosed with Stage 2 HER2-positive breast cancer. There was no family history, and still both sisters found themselves facing breast cancer.

Her sister’s diagnosis changed Meredith’s own treatment timeline. What she had once viewed as risk reduction became potentially lifesaving. In May 2022, Meredith moved forward with her remaining mastectomy, which revealed a large amount of abnormal cells.

In more than one way, her sister’s diagnosis proved healing.

“I faced my journey completely alone,” Meredith shared, “but I got to be there for her journey to support her.”

 

What do you want others to understand?

Meredith and her sister both stress the importance of early detection.

A few months before her sister’s diagnosis, her sister had a completely clear mammogram. Only after feeling a lump did she insist doctors run more tests.

Meredith knows how much self-advocacy can matter because it changed the course of her own story.

She trusted her body. She asked questions. She did not wait.

That made all the difference.

 

What has Runway meant to you?

Meredith has continued to be part of Runway’s community in a big way.

She was part of Runway for Recovery’s first Boston Marathon Team, helping launch a program that carries us into the future. 

From the runway to the Boston Marathon team, Meredith has helped move this mission forward. 

We are so excited to cheer her on as she takes the stage in October!