By Ashley Sheppard
At age 35, cancer is really not something I expected to be a part of my life, but I was diagnosed with Stage three ErPr+ breast cancer in March 2025.
I was completely shattered when I was diagnosed, but there is so much more to being diagnosed than I ever thought of before. Hearing the words “you have cancer” was truly a rollercoaster of emotions and an out of body experience. So many things were happening and being said about me and my body. It was like a nightmare that I couldn’t wake up from.
“So many things were happening and being said about me and my body.”
Aside from the diagnosis and actual treatments, the mental toll is a completely separate thing in itself. Cancer makes you feel as if you have no control over anything in your life; you are just stuck and there is nothing you can do to change it. I was watching all of my friends continuing on with their lives, planning vacations, getting promotions, having children, etc. while I was waiting for test results, laying in bed for days sick from chemo, preparing to lose a part of my body that makes me a woman, being put into menopause at age 35, wondering “will I ever be able to have children? Will I be able to accept who I see in the mirror? Will my husband be attracted to me? How will this affect us financially?”
I felt so alone, depressed and that no one understood my feelings. Don’t get me wrong, I am so grateful to have an amazing support group of friends and family (and the MOST incredible husband I could ever ask for!). They are all there for me, but they don’t get it. Unless you are going through cancer personally, no one truly understands the impact it has on you.
My connection with YACC was initiated from my dad. He spotted a poster in the cancer centre and encouraged me to sign up online. I signed up in May but chemo hit me SO hard — I was incredibly sick for months — that I didn’t get involved until October when I received an email about a zoom call to discuss a “Recover Study.” I had no idea what it was but I finally had some energy, so why not!
I hopped on the call with Pam and Karine and heard all about the Recover Study’s mission. Turns out, how I’m feeling is an actual thing but there are few studies that prove it; the resources and support YACC wants to provide requires information and experiences from people just like me, which is why I was so willing to get involved and share it!
“Joining the Recover Study gave me the sense that I wasn’t just fighting for now and for myself but for everyone who comes after me.”
Joining the Recover Study gave me the sense that I wasn’t just fighting for now and for myself but for everyone who comes after me. I know other people feel this, it is just so hard to talk about “feelings.” Our experiences can, and will, help build more support for the future.
This study gives other young adults hope that there will be more programs and more awareness. It might not be today, but it could benefit your sister, cousin, friend or child. Cancer can touch any of us, even if you feel you are doing everything right — trust me!
I recently ended my treatments for cancer, but I am nowhere near the end of the effects cancer has had on me. It constantly plays in the back of my mind: “What is that ache? Was this lump there before?” My mind is never free from it.
YACC has had a huge impact on my overall mental health through my cancer journey. Programs like Support Groups and Localife have connected me with others who share this cancer experience, allowing us to support one another with a level of understanding that only comes from living it.
If you got to the end of this, thank you for reading a little of my story!
If you know someone diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 18-39, please share this with them.
If cancer has affected you personally, I encourage you to take part in the Recover Study! (And hey, why not, you also get a $20 gift card of choice as a thank you!)
