My name is Laure and I was diagnosed at 39 years old during the summer.

At first it was a small cancer. I was told about lumpectomy to be followed by rays. Finally, the ganglia were affected and I had to go through chemo, mastectomy / ablation of the breast, axillary dissection, radiotherapy and then 5 years of hormone therapy.

At the announcement of the diagnosis I was all the more surprised that I did not feel sick and had no symptoms, if the time had passed, the story could have been written otherwise. At the time, I was in the midst of a move between Poland and Turkey. At the same time, I blessed heaven to have discovered this disease in time.

"My mother had breast cancer already"

Breast cancer was not unknown in my family. My mom, who had declared herself some time before me, became my coach. My father was deeply moved, I believe, he also helped and accompanied me during my operations in France (my mother was in Turkey to help the children and my husband).

My husband never delivered his own feelings or fears but he immensely helped me by staying close to me, giving me confidence and continuing to love me despite the difficult stages of treatment. He has been pro active in helping me find gym adapted to my needs and nutritional support.

My children were young and it was difficult for them to manage a sick mother. Today they tell me a little what they felt at the time and I think they are proud of their mom.

"It's not the same thing to have cancer at age 39 or at retirement age"

In 2009, Rose magazine was not out yet and I felt alone at my age in the face of the disease, isolated geographically. Mom could help me but it's not the same thing to have cancer at age 39 or at retirement ... At the time, I would have liked to talk to other women in my generation, moms too and active. Fortunately, I managed to talk to a friend who had been ill and lived in Brazil.

When I came back to France, I needed a physiotherapy, I had every difficulty in finding one near my home who knows the lymphatic drainage. Above all, I realized by exchanging with other patients that we were as isolated in the big suburbs or in the provinces, in the small towns and villages, as in Istanbul.

In my memory, 100% of the patients with whom I exchanged had spent, at least once, beside information or an address that could have been useful to them during the illness.

"With My Breast Cancer Networks, real exchanges and links are created"

At the end of the summer of 2013, faced with this observation, the idea of ​​an association sprang up. Thus, "My patient network" finally gave birth to the My Breast Cancer Network * site in July 2014.

The beginnings were not simple, only the persons personally concerned, some doctors, some partners supported this project in the service of the patients and their daily needs.

From now on, the project is better understood and many associations, information centers, caregivers and patients talk about it because the idea is to highlight the actors of proximity in parallel to a space of exchanges secure, moderate and free, available online 24 hours a day.

What really makes me want to continue is the return of the users, the advice and encouragement they send us. It is useful, it is free, it is respectful and real exchanges and links are created on the network. It is a facilitator of the course in the disease.

The idea is to highlight the actors of proximity on a space of exchanges secure, moderate and free

Supporting patients in their daily lives

For my part, today, I think I'm fine!

The fact of interacting with the caregivers of our scientific committee, our scientific and institutional partners, the professionals who intervene on the subject, the associations and support structures and the "expert" bloggers, creative and entrepreneurial patients is fascinating.

With the change of care pathways, the new oral therapies, the development of the outpatient, the accompaniment of the patients in their daily life is essential. This is the purpose of this project, my way of participating in the accompaniment of patients, knowingly.

* monreseau-cancerdusein.com/sign-in