Stories of Survivorship

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Moderators
Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
edited January 2019 in Life After Breast Cancer

Hello All,

We are interested in hearing your experiences on issues related to your diagnosis and/or treatment, such as sexual matters, weight gain/loss, chemo brain/chemo fog, bone and heart health, exercise and nutrition issues, menopausal concerns, lymphedema, infertility, neuropathy, joint pain, skin/hair changes, relationship changes, work and career hurdles, and emotional issues including fear of recurrence. Please don't feel that you need to address each of these issues. We are listing these as suggestions. Your stories will complement a new, upcoming section on the main Breastcancer.org site on Survivorship issues.

Some things to think about for your story: Have you gained a new perspective on this other side of treatment? What life lessons have you learned? What advice would you give your newly-diagnosed self or other person just starting the journey? How does your "old" self compare to your "new" self? Is there a difference? What impact has your breast cancer diagnosis made on your life? If you've become a Breast Cancer Advocate, what is your mission and how are you fulfilling it?

If you're willing to share your perspective of your life after diagnosis and treatment, or your life on active, maintenance or on-going treatment we'd love to hear from you! Please send your story via PM to the Modsalong with a picture of yourself or something that represents you, and a note about how long since you've been diagnosed. Seeing these stories will surely inspire our new members, along with members just going through treatment now, to see that you CAN get through active treatment and get to a new normal on the other side, even if that includes maintenance or ongoing, lifelong treatment.

Your story will be included with the other Members Stories photos on the main site (http://www.breastcancer.org/community/acknowledging/survivorship) and may also be used in part throughout the website and/or in fundraising or event materials.

Thank you for considering!

--The Mods

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Comments

  • lokihi
    lokihi Member Posts: 2
    edited July 2017

    Maybe there should be a book with this stories? It will be very inspirational.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited October 2018

    Bumping this thread for some inspiring stories from members. 

    Please feel free to share your stories here on this thread or send us a PM


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  • GoldenGirltoo
    GoldenGirltoo Member Posts: 3
    edited October 2018

    Six years ago nearly to this day I had a bad mammogram--out of the blue, 55 y/o. Can still remember the unreal feeling of panic.... felt good, no discernible lump, what the heck? They told me to get with a surgeon--who knows a breast cancer surgeon, I sure didn't! But I got on the phone, calling friends, doc, enemies (!) asking where I should go. Ended up at Univ of Mich. Hospital for a breast cancer surgery consult within 2 weeks, and the doc told his nurse to book me for surgery during my initial exam, commenting that he'd like to give me hope but was pretty sure it was cancerous and I'd need surgery asap so it was booked for 3 weeks out. I remember telling the nurse there must be some mistake because I wasn't sick, had no lump, and was very active. She said there is often never a lump.....In a whirlwind I had the biopsy (IDC, 1 cm), and various other pre-op procedures I barely recall--so many appts. in such a very short time. The surgery was out patient lumpectomy, minor recovery, then on to radiation for 5 weeks (no lymph node involvement, so no chemo). Looked around and found an oncologist and he put me on Anastrozole, very scary from all I had read, as of course I got on this forum and was addicted to it for months after being diagnosed. Took up daily exercising which helped a lot as very afraid of Anastrozole side effects, and at yesterday's oncologist appt., 5.5 years later, he took me off Anastrozole and said "you're good to go". I do have some bone loss from the med., but other than that am good. Just wanted to post this as am very grateful and so others know that it can pass........

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited October 2018

    Thank you for sharing, Goldengirltoo!

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