One year ago, I heard the words: You have stage 2 triple-negative breast cancer.
Since then, I’ve learned that the hardest parts aren’t just appointments or treatment days. It’s the lingering exhaustion, emotional weight, and quiet rebuilding. Even the Mayo Clinic identifies cancer-related fatigue as one of the most common and distressing side effects of treatment.
I’m not sure “anniversary” fits. It feels too celebratory for something that reshaped my life. But it is a marker, a moment to pause and reflect on how much I’ve grown.
This year held fear, uncertainty, physical depletion, and emotional highs and lows. There were days when strength felt thin and the future unclear. But there was also faith, not polished or picture-perfect, just a daily decision to trust God when I didn’t understand what was happening.
Then today, something unexpected happened.
A woman I’ve never met reached out. She had just been diagnosed with the same cancer: triple-negative breast cancer.
The same shock. The same fear.
We talked. I shared my story. I encouraged her to anchor herself in faith and hope, even when everything feels overwhelming. I also shared practical advice: what to expect at her first appointment with the breast surgeon, the pace, information, and emotions.
Later, she texted to thank me. She said our conversation helped her feel prepared and less afraid.
I truly believe God carried me through this year, through the diagnosis, treatment, waiting, and healing. Moments like today remind me that maybe part of the reason I walked this road was so I could help someone else take her first steps.
If you’re newly diagnosed, please hear this: you are not alone. Take it one appointment at a time. One prayer at a time. One breath at a time.
One year later, I don’t just see cancer. I see grace. I see resilience. I see strength I didn’t know I had. And I see purpose growing from a chapter I never would have chosen.
