Real Talk

Real Talk

I Know It’s Not Me: Double Mastectomy to Flat Closure to DIEP Flap with No Nipple

Images of flat closure and DIEP flap reconstruction with no nipple after double mastectomy.

Real Talk

Admiring My Scars: Double Mastectomy with Implant Reconstruction

Images of breast reconstruction with implants after a double mastectomy on a 40-year-old Black woman.

Real Talk

Becoming a Role Model: Double Mastectomy with Tissue Expanders to Flat Closure

Images of flat closure after a double mastectomy and tissue expander removal on a 44-year-old white woman.

Real Talk

#WhenYouSeeUs: Reflections on 5 Years of For the Breast of Us

Five years can be a long time in the breast cancer community, and this organization has accomplished a lot in supporting Black and brown women.

Real Talk

It Went as Well as It Could: Double Mastectomy and SGAP Flap Reconstruction

Nipple-sparing, skin-sparing double mastectomy and SGAP reconstruction on a 44-year old white woman.

Real Talk

Empowered by My Choice: Nipple-Sparing Double Mastectomy with Implants

Images of breast reconstruction with implants after a skin-sparing, nipple-sparing double mastectomy on a 43-year-old white woman.

Real Talk

Lifesaving Scars: Double Mastectomy and Aesthetic Flat Closure

Images of aesthetic flat closure after a double mastectomy on a 34-year-old white woman.

Real Talk

It Takes Time: Single Mastectomy with Implants and Nipple Reconstruction

Images of breast reconstruction with implants and nipple reconstruction after a single mastectomy on a 48-year-old Black woman.

Real Talk

It Happened to Me: A HIPAA Violation

HIPAA should protect your health information. Here's my experience of a HIPAA violation while receiving home healthcare.

Real Talk

Why Being a ‘Good Patient’ Could Be Harmful to Your Health

Good patient syndrome can be a response to trauma. Those of us with chronic illnesses may exhibit people-pleasing behaviors to stay on doctors’ good sides, but that can ultimately endanger our health.

Real Talk

I Advocated for Myself: Nipple-Sparing Double Mastectomy with Implant Reconstruction

Images of silicone implant breast reconstruction after a nipple-sparing double mastectomy on a 28-year-old white woman.

Real Talk

How to Find Control When It Feels Like Your Chronic Illness Makes All the Rules

It can easily feel like chronic illness makes all the rules. Here’s how I found control.

Real Talk

Figuring Out Life with Multiple Chronic Illnesses: How I Did It

Take it from me, pacing yourself is key.

Real Talk

I Got Breast Cancer at 37. Why I’m Screening for Colon Cancer Too

Being BRCA positive with a family history of colon cancer made it easy to decide to get screened. 

Real Talk

Itching and Tingling: Is This Common Symptom of Breast Cancer Being Ignored?

Maybe the body sends warning signs long before diagnosis takes place.

Real Talk

The Honest Realities of Chronic Illness We Don’t Often Discuss

Here's how I've found ways to share unspoken realities in ways that feel right for me.

Real Talk

Hindsight Is 20/20: Double Mastectomy and DIEP Flap Reconstruction without Nipple

Images of DIEP flap breast reconstruction after a double mastectomy on a 55-year-old Black woman.

Real Talk

Second Time’s the Charm: Double Mastectomy and Implant Reconstruction without Nipple

Images of breast reconstruction with implants and revision surgery after a double mastectomy on a 34-year-old white woman.

Real Talk

Finally Happy: Double Mastectomy and Implant Reconstruction with Nipple Tattoo

Images of breast reconstruction with implants and nipple tattoos after a double mastectomy on a 65-year-old white woman.

Real Talk

Feeling Unbalanced: Double Mastectomy with DIEP Flap, Implants, and Nipple Reconstruction

Images of DIEP-flap breast reconstruction with no nipple after double mastectomy.

Real Talk

These Boobs Are All Me: Double Mastectomy and DIEP-Flap without Nipple

Images of breast reconstruction with DIEP-flap and no nipple after double-mastectomy.

Real Talk

10 Ways to Find Support When You Live Alone with Chronic Illness

Living alone with a condition can be challenging, but there are people who want to help.

Real Talk

How Mainstream Brands Are Making Furniture Accessible for All

From beauty to fashion, industries have begun to make their products more inclusive. But what about furniture?

Real Talk

Breast Cancer Advances, Then and Now: Finding Hope in the Past and the Future

We've come a long way, and there's emerging progress toward a cure.

Real Talk

Cancer Derailed My Plans but Helped Me Tap Into My Greatest Strength

Teaching is my gift, but my purpose is to educate and advocate.

Real Talk

How Misconceptions About Breast Cancer Led Me to Advocacy

Jess Iso shares how a stage 3 diagnosis led her to take control of her health and face misconceptions about who gets breast cancer.

Real Talk

5 Promises I Made to Myself and How They’ve Changed

Some promises helped, but most had to change for me to live well with rheumatoid arthritis. Here's why and what they mean to me now.

Real Talk

I’m Cancer-Free, So Why Do I Feel So Depressed and Hopeless?

Life after cancer can be just as challenging as living with it. Here’s why that’s OK.

Real Talk

Losing and Finding My Identity as Wife, Mother, and Friend

I'll never be the same after breast cancer, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing.

Real Talk

How to Respond to Chronic Illness Comments During the Holidays

These funny or serious responses can help combat well-intentioned yet sometimes misguided comments.

Real Talk

How I Learned to Ask for Help after a Metastatic Breast Cancer Diagnosis

I had always been the strong one, but my friends showed up for me.

Real Talk

Bipolar Disorder and Breast Cancer: Navigating Mental Health with a Cancer Diagnosis

Mental health can be just as formidable as cancer.

Real Talk

The Truth About Chronic Illness and Fatigue

Fatigue is common in those living with chronic illnesses. But this symptom is often treated as an afterthought. Here's what you should know and what might help.

Real Talk

Living as Normally as Possible with Stage 4 Breast Cancer

While the diagnosis is life changing, these are some things that help me to keep a sense of normalcy in my day-to-day.

Real Talk

7 Absurd Cancer Cures People Recommended to Me

Maggie Hundshamer-Moshier received unsolicited advice about her breast cancer treatment. Here are the most ridiculous ideas she received.

Real Talk

How Cancer Lit a Fire Under Me — and Helped Launch For the Breast of Us

Marissa Thomas shares how she built a community to advocate for Black and brown women living with breast cancer — and what keeps her going.

Real Talk

I’ve Been in 4 Clinical Trials for Breast Cancer: This Is What You Should Know

Writer Caroline Johnson shares her experience with breast cancer clinical trials. Even if a trial fails, she knows she's paying it forward for future generations.

Real Talk

20 Celebrities Who Are Part of the Breast Cancer Community

The range of celebrities who have shared a breast cancer diagnosis includes teens, men, and many outspoken advocates for the cause.

Real Talk

Please Stop Calling My Breast Cancer a Fight

When I was diagnosed with cancer, I was suddenly thrown into a fight — or so I was told. The mental toll of my so-called cancer fight weighed heavy and I soon decided to choose my own words.

Real Talk

Meeting My Mastectomy Scars and How I Cared for Them

I thought I would hate my scars. But the aftercare process taught me to treat them with respect. When I finally saw them, it wasn't what I expected.

Real Talk

Unhidden’s Founder Talks About Creating Clothes for Every Body

Providing dignity and identity to those living with disabilities is at the core of Unhidden's mission. Learn more about this adaptive clothing brand that featured at London Fashion Week.

Real Talk

Feeling Unseen and Unheard: Is This Medical Gaslighting or Something Else?

Not feeling fully supported in healthcare settings can be common. It's important to know why you might be feeling this way — whether from medical gaslighting or from limited medical resources — and what you can do about it.

Real Talk

Bezzy BC Ambassador’s Journey Builds Meaningful Friendships

Meet Christina Green, an ambassador with Bezzy BC, and learn more about her breast cancer journey and the support systems she leans on.

Real Talk

Am I Oversharing? 8 Tips for Navigating Social Media with a Chronic Illness

There are no perfect answers for how much to share and how much to hold back, but there are guidelines that might help you determine the right approach for you.

Real Talk

What It’s Like Being Chronically Ill in the Time of Wellness

Unsolicited medical advice is exhausting — and sometimes even plain rude. The wellness industry needs to wake up to the realities of living with a chronic illness.

Real Talk

How Fatigue Changed My Mindset as a Disability Activist

Hustle culture and the pandemic made me hit a breaking point. I was exhausted, but being an activist made me want to fight on. Now, I live by a different mantra.

Real Talk

How to Cope When the World Seems to Have Moved on from COVID-19

As public concern over COVID-19 wanes, many people who are immunocompromised are feeling left behind. Here are six tips for caring for your body and your mind during this time.

Real Talk

Cancer Helped Me Encourage Others to Advocate for Their Health

Eboney Thompson shares how her breast cancer journey has led her to advocacy work after a misdiagnosis, but with the support of her children.

Real Talk

Spotlight on For the Breast of Us: An Organization Dedicated to Being a Resource for Women of Color

Women of Color are disproportionately affected by breast cancer. The organization For the Breast of Us aims to provide resources for these women to find the support they need.

Real Talk

These Military Servicewomen with Breast Cancer Are Fighting Back and Bearing Their Scars

The risk of developing breast cancer is higher among people who’ve served in the military. These servicewomen are sharing their stories and bearing their scars.

Real Talk

A Closer Look at Pinkwashing with Kelly Kashmer, Founder of NothingPink

During breast cancer awareness month in October, the color pink tends to be everywhere. We dive deeper into what the term pinkwashing means with Kelly Kashmer, founder of the organization NothingPink.

Real Talk

Sewing Myself Back Together: Overcoming the Hurdles of Breast Cancer

There are four hurdles I've had to face in overcoming breast cancer: Chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and the emotional recovery to sew myself back together.

Real Talk

6 Things That Aren’t Helpful to Say to Someone with MBC — and What to Say Instead

Friends and family may have tons of questions about your metastatic breast cancer diagnosis. But sometimes, it's better if they say nothing at all.

Real Talk

Staying Flat and Finding My Way to Advocacy

Ginny Shudlick is an Asian American woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 40s. Learn why she turned to advocacy work after cancer.

Real Talk

Men Get Breast Cancer, Too — But We Often Lack Support to Get Through It

More awareness of breast cancer in men is necessary so that we can get the support we need to detect and treat it sooner.

Real Talk

5 Lessons from the Pandemic That Promote Inclusivity

We can continue to learn from the pandemic and encourage inclusivity in our everyday practices.

Real Talk

My Journey to Becoming a Chronic Illness Advocate on Social Media

Writer Nia G. discusses her journey to becoming a social media advocate after her chronic illness diagnoses.

Real Talk

From Physician to Patient: My Journey with Breast Cancer

As an emergency room physician, Kavita Jackson, MD, saw many patients with breast cancer. But it wasn't until her own diagnosis that she truly understood what people endure.

Real Talk

Recognizing Signs of Medical Trauma When You Live with a Chronic Condition

Medical trauma is real but sometimes it can be hard to recognize. If you live with a chronic condition it is especially important to be aware of how traumatic medical scenarios can have lasting effects. If you have experienced medical trauma, it is important to know you are not alone.

Real Talk

What I’ve Learned About Self-Advocacy When Living with a Chronic Condition

When living with a chronic condition or disability, finding and using your voice is a must.

Real Talk

Understanding Grief When It Comes to Your Chronic Condition or Disability

Having a chronic condition or disability can mean living without a lot of things. It’s important to talk about this grief and find ways to cope.

Real Talk

How Breast Cancer Changed My Mental Health and Helped Me Build Community

You hear about how being diagnosed with cancer changes your life, but I didn't expect it to shift my thinking so much.

Real Talk

As a 23-Year-Old Professional Dancer, I Had to Fight for My Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Having a support system that advocated for me was my fighting technique in a medical system that told me I was too young to have breast cancer.

Real Talk

How Shifting My Assumptions Changed My Cancer Journey

It's human to feel like screaming after a cancer diagnosis because you have fears about the future. But if you stay present, you can learn to listen instead — both to those around you and to yourself.

Real Talk

We Need to Talk About Ableism and COVID-19

The issues that disabled and chronic condition communities face as a result of the pandemic are being ignored too easily.

Real Talk

How Therapy Can Help If You’re Living with a Chronic Illness

Finding the right therapist — one who understands life with chronic illness — can make all the difference.

Real Talk

Confronting the Shock of a Triple-Negative Breast Cancer and BRCA1 Mutation Diagnosis

When I came across two masses in my breast, I tried convincing myself that it was nothing. But I was sure it was cancer.

Real Talk

How I’m Making Peace with the Never-Ending Pandemic

Those of us living with a chronic condition are used to navigating an unknown future.

Real Talk

How I Found Deeper Meaning in Life After a Metastatic Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Two decades in, I can say that my experience living with metastatic breast cancer has led to me focusing on every moment and finding deeper meaning in my life.

Real Talk

On Breast Cancer and Poetry: Writing to Keep Hope Alive

The act of putting pen to paper helped me unleash emotions, confront my changing body, and raise my head to face the darkest hours of my life.

Real Talk

Medical Gaslighting Is Real, and It May Have Happened to You

A patient’s word should be believed. You shouldn't need to fight to advocate for your health when you're feeling your worst.

Real Talk

Navigating the Burden of Being Strong

The most important lesson I learned during my breast cancer treatment is that you don’t have to carry everything on your own.

Real Talk

How I Balance Advocacy and Privacy Living with a Chronic Condition

Some days, sharing about my life with MS feels useful and authentic. Other times, I'd rather keep the details to myself.

Real Talk

Living Life to the Fullest Despite a Terminal Diagnosis

There’s no use revisiting the past, and I don’t want to focus on a future that may or may not be.

Real Talk

These Two Breast Cancer Survivors Are Reclaiming October — Here’s Why

Trish Michelle and Tiffany Dyba are tired of the pinkwashing surrounding Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So they're stepping up to make a change.

Real Talk

Bezzy BC and For the Breast of Us Partner to Create a Safe Online Community for Women of Color with Breast Cancer

Bezzy BC and For the Breast of Us are partnering to create a safe online community for Women of Color with breast cancer.

Real Talk

8 Reflections on Life with a Chronic Condition During the Pandemic

Bezzy community members share their experiences of living through the COVID-19 pandemic with a chronic condition.

Real Talk

Why I Advocate: Speaking Up for My Own Health Empowered Me to Support Others

Becoming an advocate for my own health helped me be a better resource for other women with breast cancer.

Real Talk

The Emotional and Physical Roller Coaster of My Breast Reconstruction

My breast reconstruction was transformative and healing, but it was also emotionally challenging.

Real Talk

#WhenYouSeeUs: Elevating the Experiences of Women of Color in the Breast Cancer Community

Women of color are underrepresented in the breast cancer community. This organization is changing that.

Real Talk

Why I Advocate: Jackie’s Breast Cancer Story

As an ambassador for the Bezzy BC community, Jackie Scheuerman offers the peer support she wishes she had when she was first diagnosed.

Real Talk

How a Taxol Reaction Changed My Breast Cancer Treatment

I never dreamed I’d have an adverse reaction to a drug that was supposed to be “a piece of cake.”

Real Talk

How Actress Angela Trimbur Created an Online Community of Breast Cancer Survivors

For actress Angela Trimbur, connecting with other women who know what it’s like, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, has been invaluable.

Real Talk

Why Representation Matters for Women of Color in the Breast Cancer Community

Women of color, specifically Black women, are treated as outliers in the breast cancer community.

Real Talk

Inspiring Ink: 6 Breast Cancer Tattoos

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among individuals born of the female sex, worldwide. One way to raise awareness around breast cancer is through body art, by getting a tattoo. Check out the beautiful artwork and powerful messages behind the following tattoos submitted by our readers.