Selena Randall found a lump in her breast in the spring of 2018. After completing a
mammogram and a biopsy, she received a diagnosis of triple negative, stage one breast
cancer. Selena said upon receiving her diagnosis that, “being told that I had triple negative
breast cancer was pretty scary, women die from triple negative breast cancer more than
some of the other cancers, so it was scary to have a diagnosis with an aggressive form.”
The first step in Selena’s treatment was a referral to a surgeon to have the lump removed. The
day prior to meeting the surgeon, Selena found CancerConnection.ca through the Canadian
Cancer Society website, and reached out to the forum to find out what questions she should
ask during the meeting.
Selena recalled that “at a time when I was feeling really vulnerable, I had found a community
and when I reached out, it felt like I received hugs back.” After her surgery, Selena had to wait
to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatments. “The waiting period between my surgery
and hearing about what my chemotherapy treatment plan would be – that was really hard,”
Selena explained. “The forum was really helpful because anything that can make the process
easier helps reduce your anxiety”. On the CancerConnection.ca forum, Selena was able to
connect with other people affected by cancer as well as survivors, offering her supportive
words and helpful answers to her many questions.
“Reading the stories and connecting with people who had the same type of cancer was
really helpful,” Selena recalled. “It was great to learn hints and tips on how to cope with the
treatment, how to cope with chemotherapy, and how to manage the fatigue.” During her
chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Selena experienced many side effects and found
solace in receiving advice from others on the forum who had been through similar
experiences. “You get information that just does not come from your oncologist,” Selena
explained. “I have neuropathy from my treatment, but I didn’t know what neuropathy was or
what it would feel like, and my oncologist couldn’t tell me because she didn’t know what it felt
like, she could only describe what others had said.”
After four months of chemotherapy and twenty radiation treatments, Selena officially became a breast cancer survivor in 2019. She then spent some time being a mentor on the CancerConnection.ca forum and enjoyed
helping others while staying connected. “I was fortunate to become a mentor on that
platform so that I could give back as well,” Selena states. “When you see the same questions
that you were raising come up, you can empathize because you’ve been there, and you can share what worked.” CancerConnection.ca is a supportive online community designed to help patients find connection, share experiences, and exchange information.
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with cancer and are looking for support, visit
CancerConnection.ca to join the community, or go to Cancer.ca to learn more.
