For Breast Cancer Survivor, Treatment was Just the Beginning 

“I’m sure it’s nothing. I’m too young for cancer.”

That’s what Drea Sauceda told herself when she first noticed a lump in her breast during a shower in December 2021. The 39-year-old mother of two promptly made an appointment to be checked, but was convinced she was overreacting. But while waiting for test results during her appointment, the evidence seemed to be stacking up against her.

“I remember after my mammogram and ultrasound, they asked me if I’d ever had a biopsy before, which felt like a strange question,” Drea said. “I said no, and I remember my nurse running to the scheduler and saying, ‘You need to get her in for an MRI right away.’ It slowly started hitting me that this was going to be serious.”

The day after Drea’s biopsy, she got a phone call with the devastating news. She had HER2-positive breast cancer.

Knowing What To Expect

Early on, Drea struggled with telling friends, family, and colleagues about her cancer diagnosis. Most people she told were understandably shocked and sad. It took a lot of mental energy for her to absorb that emotion from other people repeatedly.

“I’m the type of person who never wants to make anyone uncomfortable or sad,” Drea said. “I really hated telling people. I’d ask my husband, my mom, or my sisters to do it. I found myself crying more from having to tell other people and seeing their reactions than I actually cried about getting the diagnosis. The social side of getting cancer is so strange.”

Drea’s treatment plan had initially not included chemotherapy. However, after further testing of her tumor, her doctor recommended surgery with a lumpectomy and breast reduction. followed by 12 weeks of chemotherapy and then radiation as the best treatment option. Learning she would have to endure chemotherapy made Drea anxious. She searched online and read about others’ experiences to help her know what to expect. Unfortunately, she had difficulty finding the kind of day-to-day personal experiences of navigating treatment that she was looking for.

“The doctor gives you a list of side effects you can expect, but I wanted to know what happens to people and how they’d describe it themselves,” she said. “I wasn’t finding that online, so I decided to write it myself. If someone could use that information, I wanted to give it to them.”

Drea began writing weekly blog posts detailing each appointment, symptom, and side effect. Though Drea started blogging to help others, it also helped her process her own experiences. This was especially important as her treatment plan took its toll. Drea said her body reacted poorly to her second-to-last round of chemotherapy, and she spent most of that week bloated and in pain.

“I couldn’t even get comfortable lying down,” Drea said. “It was to the point where I was almost ready to say, that’s it, I’m done, I’m not doing the last dose.”

Drea ultimately decided to complete her treatment plan, something she celebrated by participating in her local Relay For Life. She hoped the experience might feel like a well-deserved victory lap.  

“It was the best ending to a rough time,” Drea said. “I was so grateful to have something to look forward to during that time. I did a lot of story sharing on social media, and our team raised a ton of money, so by the time we got to the actual day, it felt like a big party with my friends and family.”

Coping With Life After Treatment

While Drea ended her treatment journey with a party at Relay For Life, the celebration was short-lived. For so long, Drea felt like she had a plan and a path forward, with a schedule of near-daily appointments anchoring her. But when treatment was over, life slowed down, and things got quiet. Soon, she found herself struggling with an intense fear of her cancer returning and other health-related problems.

“I’d find myself in the waiting room at my primary doctor’s office for a routine six-month check, and I’d start crying,” she said. “During treatment, you’re powering through. You’re being strong. But when it’s all supposed to be over, the trauma hits, and you start thinking things like, what will I do if it comes back? Am I going to get to see my girls grow up?”

To help her cope with these feelings, Drea is a part of several cancer survivor groups. She says talking with others in similar situations has helped her realize this is a shared experience. Cancer survivors often struggle with mental health issues after all the visible signs of cancer have gone away, and the people who were their cancer support system fade back into their everyday lives. Drea said a few things have helped her cope in the post-cancer period: antidepressant medicines prescribed by her doctor, talking regularly to a therapist, and using breathing techniques to help calm her body and mind when panic starts to rise.

“I take deep breaths, take myself out of fight or flight, and think through things logically,” Drea said. “It doesn’t always work right away, and it takes practice, but it’s been helping.”

Finding Ways To Celebrate

Drea says that even though she’s still dealing with the aftermath of cancer, she’s grateful for the people and experiences it has brought into her life. A friend took her to a Los Angeles Chargers football game that supported the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative. As part of the initiative, cancer survivors raised awareness and recounted stories of their experiences at the event. Drea had never been surrounded by so many women who had been through something similar to what she’d experienced.

“Cancer is horrible, and not everyone has a good outcome,” she said. “But to meet those amazing ladies and be celebrated in such an uplifting way, that was an amazing experience.”