year 1 down

2024 marked my first year in remission—my first year of survivorship. Real talk though: being diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer as a young Black woman hit different. The stats don't lie—Black women are 41% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, and we're getting diagnosed younger and at later stages. For real, Black women under 35 are getting TNBC at twice the rate of white women, and that shit is wild.

I was talking to someone recently about how the word "SurvivHer" feels heavy on my tongue. Still got my port, still getting infusions, haven't even touched reconstruction yet. I know, I know—"You're a SurvivHer from diagnosis," that's what everyone says. But it just don't sit right with me yet, so "Shriver" it is until I'm ready.

People always asking me, "How do you deal with triple-negative and knowing recurrence could come quick?" I keep it 100—I just do. It is what it is. No fancy speeches, no Instagram-worthy affirmations. This shit is real. When you're young, dealing with cancer, watching everybody else just living their regular life while you're stuck in this bubble cancer created... that's the hardest part.

Being active in the breast cancer community built me these incredible sisterhoods, but damn if the survivor's remorse ain't real. Why did my treatment work when theirs didn't? Some of the strongest warriors I knew, gone too soon to the same disease we were fighting together. But I hear them in my head saying, "Jeanelle, keep going. Put your foot on their necks. Fight for mammograms for all women. Don't let these doctors discriminate."

This ain't no sugar-coated journey—it's raw, it's real, and sometimes it's ugly as hell. But here I am, carrying their legacy, fighting for better screening, better treatment, and better understanding of how this disease hits different in our community. No generic shit, just real talk from someone who's living it. 💪🏾

The statistics included are based on current research showing:

• Black women have a 41% higher breast cancer mortality rate
• Triple-negative breast cancer is twice as common in Black women under 35
• Black women are often diagnosed at later stages with more aggressive forms
• The recurrence rate for TNBC is highest in the first 3-5 years after diagnosis