Hi there!
I’m Lindsey, a 2x breast cancer slayer and I’ve been using social media to document the complexities of life after a cancer diagnosis. My Instagram account, @thedailylindsey, became an unexpected source of creative expression and connection with young women going through a similar experience. Using hashtags like #lindseyloveslippies, #goddessinrehab, #excitingmorninghair and #marvelousmorningmoves helped me celebrate milestones along the way and process how my life was changing. I continue to share my story to empower others to take charge of their health and well-being.
My cancer story is an unusual one: I’m in the 5-percent of women who get breast cancer after a mastectomy.
I was first diagnosed in August 2015. My husband, Dave, and I had just celebrated our two-year wedding anniversary. We were settling into our first home, a fixer-upper and planning its renovation. I also had just interviewed for my dream job at the L.A. Times.
I was 30 and found the mass while I was packing the night before heading out of town for a girlfriend’s Las Vegas bachelorette party. As I was planning my outfits, I took a moment to give myself a routine examination in the mirror. On the right side of my chest I felt a firm pea-sized mass, quite the opposite compared to my squishy breast tissue. My college roomie and sister-by-heart, Leslie, had breast cancer at 24 and was the reason I was in the habit of doing self-exams regularly at a young age.
Take One
I would later be diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in my right breast. In the middle of planning treatment and surgeries, I went through two rounds of fertility preservation. I had a unilateral mastectomy with reconstruction of the right breast. The mass was 3 cm, my margins were clear, and we caught it before it had spread to the lymph nodes. I started hormone therapy in February 2016.
I was on Tamoxifen for more than a year while on a quest to get back to pre-cancer Lindsey. During that time, I went on a life-changing trip to the Philippines with my family where I jumped off waterfalls and went swimming with whale sharks. My husband and I finished the first phase of renovating our fixer-upper. I volunteered at the Feminist’s Center for Creative Work where I helped coordinate a safe space for women to pursue their creativity.
Take Two
Then came another bump. In July 2017, during a routine annual check up with my plastic surgeon, he felt something suspicious in my right breast. I thought it was scar tissue because it was close to the original mass. Later we learned it was stage 1 breast cancer and 1 cm large. This was a shock. How could I get cancer while taking Tamoxifen? It meant that this type of cancer was much more aggressive. I had a lumpectomy in August 2017. One of my margins tested positive, which meant another surgery was needed to remove more tissue.
My oncologist recommended an aggressive treatment plan. I had a port put in and underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapy (Adriamycin, Cytoxan and Taxol) in five months. Then came 33 doses of radiation. To boost my spirit and help raise breast cancer awareness, I wore a different shade of lipstick each day and documented it on Instagram with the hashtag #lindseyloveslippies. Social media became my outlet to creatively express my cancer experience. It helped translate my emotions into words and gave me a deeper understanding of how life was changing.
Life after cancer
Now I’m navigating the path of preventative maintenance. When a premenopausal woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, protocol requires regular check-ups because cancer tends to behave more aggressively in younger women. I see a team of doctors every three to four months. I’m on hormonal medication for ten years to prevent recurrence and have additional meds to the treat side effects of active treatment and Tamoxifen.
It took a year from my second diagnosis to understand that cancer doesn’t define me, but it is part of my story. I accept it’s an experience that can’t be neatly stored away. There’s a new flow to life. I let go of getting back to regular Lindsey. It was hard because I felt like I lost so much. I had to give myself space to accept change and re-imagine a new path.
By giving myself permission to explore my emerging interests, I gained the confidence to move forward. 2019 was a year of adventures:. I went rock climbing and whitewater kayaking with First Descents. I co-founded The Grateful Hearts, a support group for women in the cancer community. Then in a whirlwind decision, Dave and I moved from Southern California to Canada for his work.
In February 2021 during a routine scan, an MRI showed an intracapsular implant rupture in my right breast. After six years of living with an uncomfortable implant, I explanted and opted for aesthetic flat closure.
Dave and I have lived in Ottawa for three years with our cat, Emu. I stay busy with a variety of creative and advocacy projects, most notably, an upcoming collaboraton with Barbells For Boobs x Puma launching Oct. 1.
Today Show Feature with Donna Farzan - Oct. 2021