u/KaMaAllee

Mid-2025, my BC "journey" began. I was diagnosed with stage 3 triple-positive breast cancer. 42 years old. My treatment plan was 6 months of TCHP, surgery, radiation, a total of 1 year of Herceptin, and 10 years of tamoxifen.

During those first weeks of panic attacks and overwhelming stress, I was lucky enough to find this forum. Since then, I've checked it every day. This subreddit has helped me so much, and I want to thank you all for your contributions. I learned so much here and basically became a breast cancer specialist as a result of reading all the posts. :) Whenever I had a symptom or something unusual, I'd search old posts to see if anyone else had experienced it—from elevated liver enzymes to drains to radiation gaslighting.

But most importantly, I found emotional support. Everyone on here just understands. Understands that, after active treatment, it's not over. Understands that we have to live with the risk of recurrence (whatever your personal risk may be), often for much longer than we'd like. And understands that every ache or pain in our bodies can now trigger instant anxiety.

But I also want to add that I sometimes see posts from people asking whether a pCR is still possible with stage 3 and/or triple-positive BC. Well, let me tell you that before I started chemo, my doctors told me that a pCR was unlikely, partly because both my ER and PR were highly positive. Little did they know that my tumor was extremely treatment-sensitive, and I achieved a pCR! So never lose hope, no matter what the doctors tell you. We are not a statistic.

Of course, achieving a pCR is never a guarantee, and the side effects of treatment are very real. I'm still dealing with GI issues 6 months after chemo, and I'm nowhere near finished with treatment (hello, tamoxifen!). But I am incredibly grateful that these modern treatments exist.

To everyone who is just starting this journey: take it one step at a time, the day that active treatment is over will be there before you know it.