Has breast cancer affected your marriage or relationship? Share experiences, support, and advice.

My fiance cheated on me cause he didnt want me having fake brwasts after being diagnose with Ductoral Circanoma. 3 days after bilateral mastectomy he left me. After almost 2 decades he decided i wasnt good enough to keep because of breast cancer.

@Hidden username  I'm really sorry that happened to you. I'm scared of a mastectomy because I don't know if I can handle feeling disfigured. Have things gotten better for you since you last posted?

I was just thinking about this today... I'm going through chemo again and I think the dynamic has really changed with my husband. He's afraid of hurting me I think and keeps a distance from me. I'm grateful for it on the days that I just feel sick and exhausted after treatment, but some days I wish he'd stop being delicate and just hold me like he used to. I'm afraid he doesn't find me or my body beautiful anymore.

@0Foubrean ,

If I may, you should not think it that way. Have you ever seen couples where he is very handsome and she is ugly and wonder how can that be?  That is because beauty, I believe, is just a luring thing to allow reproduction but for a couple relationship to last a lifetime, other values come into play. Cancer cannot change values. Did you try talking to him?

@0Foubrean Hey, @Hidden username is right. Cancer can't change values. Your husband loves you for you, not just for your body. Definitely talk to him and tell him what you need. I definitely went through a rough patch like that after my mastectomy. I didn't love my body so I couldn't imagine anyone loving it either. But with time and healing and being honest with myself and my husband I knew that our love for each other was stronger than physical attributes. I'm still working on it, but I'm trying to love and accept my scars. 

@4577Thaicin Yes, I don't really like how I look now- it takes a long time to get used to all the changes, but I AM ALIVE TODAY, and that makes it all worth it!

Hi everyone 💗

I wanted to gently bring this older discussion back, as breast cancer can affect relationships in ways that aren’t always easy to talk about.

Diagnosis and treatment may change routines, responsibilities, communication, intimacy or simply how you and the people closest to you relate to one another. Every relationship and every experience is different.

Did breast cancer change any of your close relationships, whether with a partner, family member or friend?

Was there anything someone did or something you wish they had done , that helped you feel more supported?

Please share only what you feel comfortable sharing. Your experience may help another member who is navigating similar changes and wondering whether others understand what they’re going through. 💙

Take Care,

Razar from the Carenity team💖

Hi everyone 💗

@Choujoujeang @0Foubrean shared parts of your stories in this discussion some time ago, so I wanted to check in and ask how things are for you now.

Have you found new ways of coping, communicating, or asking for support? And are there any difficulties that have remained harder to manage?

I’d also really like to hear from other members of the community. If breast cancer has affected your relationship with a partner, family member, friend, or even the way you relate to yourself, feel free to share your experience.

What has helped you most, and what do you wish the people around you understood better?

Share only what you feel comfortable with. Your story may resonate with someone going through a similar experience. 💙

Take care,

Razar from the Carenity team💖