mastectomy: 360 Real Stories
360 stories match mastectomy. 342 of them mention surgery.
Stage II Breast Cancer: Marisol’s Survivor Story
Marisol found several large lumps in her right breast and was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. The diagnosis left her frightened, nervous, worried, and powerless. Following her doctor’s recommendation, she chose a plan that included mastectomy…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Sheryl’s Patient Story
Sheryl sought medical attention for nipple pain and breast soreness, and a second opinion confirmed Stage II breast cancer. The diagnosis left her fearful and sad, but she chose to trust the medical team guiding her care. Her doctor recommended a plan that…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Erika’s Patient Story
Erika, 47, scheduled a mammogram because both her mother and grandmother had breast cancer. Doctors found a mass in her right breast, and she was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer. The discovery made her angry, and the diagnosis left her numb and…
Read this storyStage I Breast Cancer: Tia’s Survivor Story
Tia’s breast cancer was discovered unexpectedly during a routine health examination more than 3 years before she shared her story. A mobile mammogram found a tumor even though she had no symptoms, and she was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. Tia sought a…
Read this storyStage II HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Faith’s Survivor Story
Faith, 37, was pregnant in mid-2021 when she told her obstetrician about lumps in her breasts. There was no unusual discharge or pain, but ultrasound and biopsy confirmed Stage II ER-positive, HER2-positive breast cancer. The diagnosis brought fear, sadness…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Harper’s Patient Story
Harper, 58, sought medical help after noticing a red patch on her breast. Testing at a hospital in Christchurch, New Zealand led to a diagnosis of Stage IV breast cancer. The news was overwhelming, especially because she had already lost her father and…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Luz’s Survivor Story
Luz sought medical care after developing arm and shoulder pain and noticing changes in the shape and size of her breast. With guidance from her doctor, she chose a mastectomy, lymph-node surgery, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. Making the decision left her…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Hwee’s Patient Story
Hwee Lin, 66, sought help after a sharp pain in her breast persisted and did not go away. Her general practitioner referred her to a local hospital for further evaluation, where she was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer. The diagnosis filled her with fear…
Read this storyBreast Cancer: Vivienne’s Survivor Story
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…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Aurora’s Patient Story
Aurora, 41, was pregnant in 2021 when half of her breast became hard. She was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer, a frightening and overwhelming experience that left her worried and powerless. She changed her diet after diagnosis and began eating…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Ingrid’s Patient Story
Ingrid’s breast cancer was found during follow-up after an annual gynecology visit, when mammography showed a breast mass. An oncologist performed a biopsy and confirmed stage 2 breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy, lymphadenectomy, chemotherapy, and…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Kelly’s Patient Story
Kelly was 41 when she shared her Stage III breast cancer experience. She had first noticed redness spreading across her right breast and was diagnosed in her mid-30s, around 2021. Her doctor discussed an estimated 5-year survival rate of 80%. The diagnosis…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Beth’s Survivor Story
Beth, 41, followed her intuition after persistent breast pain continued beyond her menstrual cycle. She scheduled a mammogram, and by that evening she learned she had Stage III breast cancer. She had no other symptoms, so acting on that pain became a key part…
Read this storyStage II HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Kelsey’s Survivor Story
Kelsey was 45 when she noticed a lump in her left breast. Her family doctor referred her to the hospital for a mammogram, and she was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer in 2021. Her record included HER2-positive disease, and trastuzumab was named because…
Read this storyStage I HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Betty’s Survivor Story
Betty, 59, sought medical attention after noticing white spots around her nipple. Testing showed Stage I breast cancer. The diagnosis was frightening and made her worry about dying too young, especially because cancer had affected other members of her family…
Read this storyStage III Breast Cancer: Onagh’s Survivor Story
Onagh found a lump in her breast and was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. The news brought fear, grief, resentment, isolation, and a sense of vulnerability. After diagnosis, she increased her exercise and reduced her alcohol intake from 8 drinks to 2…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Rachael’s Patient Story
Rachael found a breast lump during a routine self-check and was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2021. She also noticed changes in the size and shape of the breast and irritation or dimpling of the skin. The diagnosis left her numb, resentful…
Read this storyStage II Breast Cancer: Ana’s Survivor Story
Ana was 57 and living in Colombia when she found a lump in her left breast while bathing. A general practitioner arranged a mammogram and then a biopsy, which confirmed stage 2 breast cancer. She was a stay-at-home mother of 3 and the head of her household…
Read this storyStage III Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Barb’s Survivor Story
Barb’s invasive lobular breast cancer was found after a routine mammogram in November 2016. She had no symptoms and no family history of cancer, so she did not expect the call-back to become serious. Second-look imaging led to ultrasound and biopsy, which…
Read this storyStage IV Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Allison’s Patient Story
Allison Rebello was 36 when a mammogram in 2011 showed invasive ductal cancer in her right breast. Further testing also found cancer in the left breast. She underwent a right mastectomy with reconstruction and a left lumpectomy followed by 6 weeks of…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Pam’s Patient Story
Pam Benchley was 53, a triathlete, cyclist and fitness trainer, when she noticed inflamed skin on her left breast. A recent mammogram had not shown cancer, so she first thought the irritation came from a sports bra. A local doctor biopsied the area and found…
Read this storyStage II Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Jessica’s Survivor Story
Jessica Duemig was 32 when she woke with stabbing pain in her left breast and felt a small lump. At first, the lump was about the size of a pencil eraser, but within 1 month it had grown to the size of a large gumball. She decided to get it checked, and the…
Read this storyStage IV Breast Cancer: Doris’s Patient Story
Doris learned in 2017 that she had breast cancer. The cancer was described as aggressive, and after months passed before she reached the hospital, she was told it had advanced to Stage IV and had metastasized to her lungs. Her doctor gave her an estimated 6…
Read this storyStage IV Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Kristine’s Patient Story
Kristine Bishop first noticed a slightly painful breast lump in 2008. It was a fibroadenoma, a noncancerous tumor, and it was removed. A year later, her mother pushed her to keep a follow-up mammogram appointment. That mammogram showed a tiny starburst-like…
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