31f, bc twice (both times HER2+). I’ve been on zoladex since Dec 2025 and letrozole since Jan. I’m AuDHD and have struggled with intense anxiety my WHOLE LIFE. Tried Zoloft when I was 20 and it was a horrific nightmare.

I was hesitant to get mental health support because I’ve become so accustomed to my existence. I felt like i was doing just fine in comparison to more dismal cases out there. But alas after a mental breakdown one day, I met with a social worker at my cancer clinic’s Psychiatry department. She recommended a counsellor/psychiatrist combo. Which scared me. But the counsellor and psychiatrist are literally the two most angelic women I’ve ever had the pleasure of dealing with. Like… where were they all my life. 😭 she prescribed 2.5mg of citalopram for a week, then upping to 5mg for another week before we reconvene to talk about it.

Dudes… I’ve taken 2.5mg for just 4 days, and my existence has completely shifted. I feel totally EXPANSIVE instead of huddled inward. Like I finally have space to breathe. My thoughts are constant, but they’re softer. I tell myself I have nothing to do and am totally safe, and my brain actually agrees. 🥲🥹 I feel motivated to do things without the usual overwhelm and exhaustion that accompanies those thoughts. She also prescribed trazodone for sleep which has also been amazeballs. 🙂‍↕️

I’m simultaneously taking a six week break from letrozole due to pain, so I’m sure that helps. But wow. 🤯 I really hope it keeps feeling this good. I’m fucking SHOOK and kind of kicking myself for not exploring this sooner. I’ve always been afraid of med side effects.

The wait time in Canada for a psychiatrist… I don’t even want to know what it is. But this was totally free and very quickly organized. If you’re struggling and your cancer clinic offers this service… USE IT. Love to all my sisters.

I was just thinking about how since my mastectomy with implants I have perky boobs, but due to tamoxifen (and approaching 50) I've completely lost my waist. And now I have "Boobs Without a Waist" in my head to the tune of "Eyes Without a Face."

Hi everyone,

I’m 58 years old and I was recently diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. The tumor was about 4.5 cm and grade 3. I already had surgery and they removed it, and I was told the margins are clear.

I’m trying to understand what this really means for me.

It didn’t hurt at all and I had it for almost a year before getting it checked, which makes me worried that I waited too long.

I have a few questions if anyone here has gone through something similar:

- How serious is grade 3 in my case?

- Is this something that can be cured or more something to manage long-term?

- What usually comes next after surgery? (chemo, radiation, etc.)

- Has anyone here had a similar size tumor and outcome?

Also, if there are any recommendations about lifestyle, food, or things to avoid during treatment, I’d really appreciate it.

Thank you so much for reading 🙏

Breast cancer sucks. I lost my favorite tit, my hair, my eggs, and my eyelashes! My vagina doesn’t work right. I’ve lost all muscle tone from being out of the gym for over a year.

If all of that wasn’t enough, my nose will not stop running! I think it’s from nose hairs not growing back to what they were. I know this seems minor, but it’s really kind of awful. Everyday all day, I’m wiping my nose or blowing snot into a tissue.

Anyone else experience this? Nobody warned me that I would be leaking from my damn nose constantly on top of everything else. Is there an end in site?

I am facing my second recurrence....in less than 2 years and technically I've had BC 3x and thyroid cancer x1. so sick of being a cancer patient.

first dx at 34 yrs old. second (recurrence) at 43 yrs old and now 3rd at 45 yrs old.

I've had chemo x2 ,radiation, double masectomy

... meds appear to not be working. feel like options are running out.

Anyone else in this cycle, welcome any advice or support. my mind is going to the dark side

previously dx invasive ductal carcinoma, stage 2 and hormone positive

It seems like most reconstruction stories and before/after photos are from women with, say, more raw materials going in. A lot of talks of being satisfied with reductions, etc that just don't factor in to anything that could happen on my journey.

Where are my petite ladies who have had a lumpectomy (my goal) or SMX (extra scared) and how did your surgeons handle it?

Interested in both looks and function (sexual health related sensation).

I'm curious what routines, practices, etc. helped you the most with moving on from treatment and getting "back to normal" in your body or mind. I'm over six months out from chemo, five months out from surgery, and three months out from radiation. I'm feeling stronger every day but still easily winded and have to plan my energy carefully every day. I'm comfortable with my progress but also thinking, "how long can it possibly take to shake this??".

I'm 36 and had rough treatment for tnbc.

I'm currently undergoing chemo for triple positive, and am getting to the point where chemo is really wearing on me. I've completed 7/12 rounds, and am just looking for some insight into whether it gets better after chemo?? I'm scheduled for a mastectomy in July and radiation following that, I know obviously they will be tough in their own rights but surely nothing can top the chemo?? tia!! 💗

I (29F) was just diagnosed with breast cancer this week. It's been a long and scary road to get here and I am proud of myself for pushing to be taken seriously and get the care I need.

I am due for a full double mastectomy (it is not nipple sparing) in about 2 weeks. Its hard to imagine life in my 20s without breasts. They are a feature I have always loved them (not bragging, but they're nice boobs). I've loved nipple play during smeggs and all of that, so I'm preemptively mourning the loss of them and its affect on my life as well as my sexual confidence.. etc etc.

My sister suggested a boudoir shoot before my surgery. Its all happening so fast, and I'm not sure if that would make me sad to see the photos in the future and miss what I once had. But I do want to celebrate my body and enjoy them while I still have them... It seems impossible to predict how I will feel after. Has anyone done a photoshoot before their surgery? Would it be more empowering to do after surgery/healing and take pride in what I've been through and overcome? Should I do both before and after??

Feeling lost and scared. Any advice and insight into others journeys and how they have felt before, right after, and after healing would be so helpful. Hugs to all <3

Have to get a single mastectomy and met with a great plastic surgeon yesterday. I’ll be getting reduction on the healthy breast, and trying to soft through pros and cons and what will be best for me.

I’ve read too many stories about women who were disappointed by results, blindsided by enormity of recovery, etc. None of that helps me make this difficult decision.

If you were happy with your results, what did you get and why are you satisfied with your choice?

Thank you sisters! You guys have welcome me and helped me so much in the club nobody wants to join.

Well, here we go again. I had DCIS and a BMX two years ago. They took two nodes for a SLNB (one swollen) and they were clear. I came out of it surprisingly ok, considering. I had some significant cording that broke up after a while with exercise, and no further treatment was recommended, and I bounced back pretty quick. I always had a little swelling and mild discomfort from working out my right chest area and arms, but I was told it was likely just post surgical pain. Anyway, I was lifting heavy weights at one point sometime early in December and and afterwards I noticed a weird carpet burn type feeling along the front edge of my armpit. Since then I've had intermittent swelling and burning in my armpit and that side of my chest. I got diagnosed with stage 1 lymphadema, and have been trying to manage it after a month or so of physical therapy, but it's really reactive to lifting stuff and I'm not very good at the massage techniques they teach you so it's been difficult.

After a few months I called my Oncologist about my concerns and they had me come in for a physical exam and ordered an ultrasound for me for peace of mind, more than anything (they would have done it at my follow-up in December, if I had asked but the physical exam was fine and I was afraid it would have been kind of overreacting on my part. So I did the ultrasound this week.

They asked me if I had been sick since November. I had a really bad respiratory virus in late February/Early March. I told the tech and she was like "oh ok so not since November"... I was confused by that. Like maybe she thought I was talking about last year. I told her about lymphadema, but she didn't seem concerned about it and the radiologist didn't indicate that he knew I had even been diagnosed. Granted I'm a VA patient, so some of my care is done closer to home through a different hospital system than the cancer care hospital I go to. But neither are at the VA specifically. So maybe some of this stuff isn't being communicated between hospital systems.

Anyway, Birads 4, suspicious finding. Prominent lymph node with cortical thickening near the site of SNLB. FNA recommended. They also found a hypoechoic area, but that was BIRADs 3 with another Ultrasound recommended in 6 months.

I'm freaking out. I was told I was extremely low risk for recurrence. I wouldn't have even had an ultrasound if not for that weird skin burning feeling around my armpit/chest skin. My FNA biopsy is in two weeks. There is no lump or mass anywhere... just the one pissed off lymph node. I just want to hide under my bed and never come out. I'm not even 40 yet.

Edited to add: The pressure from the ultrasound wand itself caused the lymphadema to flair up. I've been swollen and in some form of pain since, and that was four or five days ago. So that's great.

Helloooooo I just wanna, I don't know. Just a little scared of the cancer already spreading since I can't start chemo yet.

For context, I was diagnosed March 7 last month. HR+ Her2- Grade 1 multicentric tumors, no lymph node involvement, no nothing.

Was supposed to start chemo April 13, but we had to move it to April 20 since:

1. Have a lot of dental procedures to finish (Dentist must take out all of my wisdom teeth and my previous root canal got infected) so I need time to heal and recover per my MO; and

2. Need to get Zoladex shots 1-2 weeks before we start chemo.

So today I went to my dentist, hoping that I will be able to finish all procedures today even if it takes me all day, but then alas, they can't do everything today. I need to return on Tuesday to finish all procedures. Ugh. The dismay on my face when my dentist told me we can't do it all today. She told me I should've come at an earlier date, but ma'am your clinic was closed for a week due to recent holidays kdjaskdljaslkd and I have work! Work literally pays for all of these procedures. But I get what she means.

Plus, I will only get my Zoladex on Monday at an uncertain time we aren't even sure when. Maybe morning, maybe evening, IDK. Maybe even the next day. Then I have to schedule with my nurse when she'll give it to me, which, at this point, might be on Wednesday.

Ughhhh all these delays are killing me--hopefully not literally!!!

With the way things are going, I think I'd be able to start on April 27.

That's like what, more than a month since I was diagnosed. Who knows what could've happened during the delay.

I even opted not to do egg preservation since it will delay the start of chemo by 2 months, at least. My MO said if I elect to do preservation, she would already order a PET/CT Scan ahead of time to check if the cancer has already spread, due to the delay in starting treatment.

It's just so frustrating, really. I'm doing my best to finish everything immediately so I can already start, but alas, I have to wait a little more.

For those of you who had an ALND after your initial surgery, how was it? What would you recommend for recovery?

I had a single mastectomy with SNLB a couple of weeks ago, with 4 nodes removed. Imaging had showed all the nodes were in normal range and all the pathology during surgery came back with no live cells, so I thought I was in the clear. Unfortunately, the longer-duration staining showed that there's still cancer in two nodes. I had neoadjuvant chemo, so my surgeon says the protocol is to go back in and take another layer of lymph nodes and not leave it up to radiation.

The mastectomy and SNLB recovery have been easier than expected, but I'm not sure what to expect with the full lymph node dissection. My surgeon is saying I can be back to my wfh job in two weeks but isn't giving me a lot of information about what to expect in those first two weeks other than that I'll have a drain again and need to be more careful with my arm.

Bonjour

En 2021 j ai eu deux cancer du sein différend sur chaque un her 2+ et un in situ

Chimio chirurgie bilatérale et radiothérapie

En 2024 re cancer cutané et musculaire triple négatif re chimio

Tout semblait être parti j étais sous immunothérapie et hormonothérapie

Fin 2025 re triple négatif opération

Je viens de faire une biopsie sur une boursouflure a un cm de la cicatrice de ma dernière opération donc triple négatif de retour plus HER2 faible plus lymphangite carcinomateuse

Le 16 je rencontre mon oncologue pour la suite

Qui a connu ce parcours je vous remercie

I have struggled to find others in my situation, so if anyone can relate, I’d appreciate hearing your experiences. I’m in the UK under the NHS if that’s relevant. And sorry for the long post.

So, I was diagnosed with ER weakly positive, HE2 negative, stage 2b grade 3 breast cancer in October last year. Due to grade and lymph node involvement it was decided I should have chemo as well as surgery, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. After advice I decided to have chemo before surgery - three rounds of EC and three of docetaxel.

Initially, all went well - i had a scan that showed the tumour had responded, and had shrunk from 30mmx20mm to 28x7mm. Lymph nodes had also responded.

After starting docetaxel I felt something wasn’t right. Tumour felt different, it was sore and easier to find. I kept mentioning this but kept being told it would be unusual to have not responded to docetaxel after a strong response to EC. So I pushed through to round 5 and didnt push to be seen beforehand.

Anyway, had a meeting with the breast surgeon about my surgery a couple of days ago, mentioned I thought had grown. She examined me, immediately ordered a scan and lo and behold, tumor is now bigger than it was at diagnosis (it’s now 35mm). Weirdly the lymph nodes have shrunk though.

I’ve now got to skip the last cycle of chemo and go straight to surgery.

I’m gutted and really confused as to how this could have happened, feel anxious about not completing chemo , and upset with myself for not pushing harder to Be seen when I knew something was wrong.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

I was recently diagnosed with DCIS Stage 0(cannot rule out microinvasion). I had a lumpectomy procedure 2 weeks ago. At the time of diagnosis I felt the treatment options were drastic (lumpectomy v mastectomy), but ultimately decided to do the lumpectomy because I was scared into getting the ”cancer” out. Prior to surgery I asked my dr about having an MRI and she didn’t feel it was necessary. Post surgery pathology showed lymph nodes negative, but microinvasion and also my margins are not clear. the Dr said she now wants to do an MRI and that they may need to do another lumpectomy to get clear margins or potentially mastectomy.

Now I’m regretting having the procedure so soon after diagnosis. I started finding articles on over diagnosis and overtreatment of DCIS. I don’t necessarily want to do radiation and hormone blocker. is it too late because I’ve already a lumpectomy? has anyone else opted for active surveillance? I have a post op appt w my surgeon this week. I’m so conflicted. so many thoughts running though my head. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

TNBC (still being tested for full stage and grade)

IT'S BEEN 11 YEARS AGO SINCE I'VE DONE CHEMO, I REMEMBER A FEW GOOD DAYS BUT THE MAJORITY ARE A FOG AND JUST BEING IN BED AND THE COUCH WAITING ON BETTER DAYS.

I'M TRYING TO PREP MY MIND, I NEED TO ORDER A WIG, AND PREP MY HOME FOR CONVIENCE. COMPANY USE TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER, COMPANY THAT I KNEW LOVED ME...IT WAS RARE THAT I WANTED TO BE ALONE. I HAVE A SON THIS GO ROUND SO I WANT TO KNOW HOW WELL I'LL FEEL AND SOME FAMILY EVENTS LIGNED UP. I'M JUST READY TO SHRINK THIS TUMOR, AND MOVE TOWARDS FEELING BETTER! 🩷🙏🏼

Posting on my wife's behalf.

My wife is 39 and was recently diagnosed with late stage 2/early stage 3 breast cancer (HER2+, ER/PR-). She’s already started chemo (round 2 of 6) and targeted therapy, so we’re not at the surgery decision point yet, but meeting with the surgeon at the end of the month where we need to have a better idea of the surgical route.

The current major dilemma is lumpectomy vs double mastectomy. For those that went the mastectomy route, do you have any on going issues from it? ie. nerve pain, etc?

She already has chronic pain and fibromyalgia so adding on more daily pain is a hesitation. She also has dense breasts, so if we went the lumpectomy route, not sure if imaging would always catch new cancers..

We've been back and forth on this topic and she's slightly leaning towards a lumpectomy due to the chance of added chronic pain with a mastectomy, provided the oncologist will agree to proper monitoring (ie. MRI's due to dense breasts)

Thanks and appreciate any input.

Did anyone else get shingles after chemotherapy? I have them of the right eye and it’s moved to the right side of my face. The ER doctor said that it’s because of my low immune system. I never even had chicken pox! Im not understanding how this happened. I guess this is my life’s story because I said the same thing about TNBC …how did that happen?????

This is so dumb. I finished chemo in December and am starting to get some hair growth (it’s coming in silver but at least it’s coming in!) I‘ve been feeling somewhat optimistic but today at school a third grade boy gave me a snotty look and said “nice hair cut” in a very sarcastic tone and it just leveled me! I’ve been trying so hard to be positive and not stress about my hair. Ugh. Why do I want to cry over what an eight year old said??!