Breast Cancer: Vivienne's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Vivienne noticed that something was wrong with her breast in February 2021, when it became engorged and her nipple inverted. She sought medical care, and the evaluation eventually led to a breast cancer diagnosis. The news left her frightened, worried, vulnerable, and at times emotionally numb. She also began reducing her alcohol intake after diagnosis.

Vivienne underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy. She relied on her doctor’s guidance as well as her own research when making treatment decisions. She described hair loss, peripheral neuropathy, and lymphedema among the difficult side effects and used prescribed medication to help manage them. As treatment progressed, she moved from anger and fear toward greater hope.

By the time Vivienne shared her story, she had completed most of her treatment, said she was in remission, and remained on hormone therapy. She had stopped drinking alcohol and increased her exercise. Family remained a priority, and she hoped to travel overseas with them. Her main fear was that the cancer could return, but she felt increasingly optimistic, confident, hopeful, and thankful. She wanted to stay healthy, work less, enjoy life more, and take the future one day at a time.