MD Breast Cancer Survivors Share Stories Of Grief, Fear, Faith, Recovery

Every day, more than 1,000 women are diagnosed with breast in the United States alone. Globally, a woman is diagnosed every 14 seconds.

While October happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness Month, outreach efforts extend beyond those four weeks.

Three Maryland women spoke with Patch about their personal battle with breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Here's their stories and a reminder for all women to perform self-exams monthly and schedule an annual mammogram if it applies to them.

Rough Recovery Plagues Patient

Breast cancer patients who need chemo can receive it before or after surgery. Breast surgeons aim for obtaining clear margins around the tumor or tumors, or else they have to go back in and obtain those clear margins.

Oftentimes, surrounding lymph nodes are removed and tested for any traces of cancer. Lymph nodes that light up with radioactive dye that's used to identify cancer are typically are automatically removed by the surgeon.

Harpreet Rehki, 54, of Germantown was diagnosed in December 2024 with stage two triple positive (HER2+) invasive lobular carcinoma in her left breast. She underwent chemotherapy first before surgery that consisted of six cycles of TCHP given three weeks apart.

"The goal of chemo first, which is a relatively new protocol with breast cancer, was to shrink the three tumors that I had in one breast as much as possible, so that surgery would be more successful. I started chemo in January 2025 and finished that May 2025," Rehki told Patch.

Four weeks after her last round of chemo, Rehki underwent a bilateral mastectomy with immediate DIEP flap reconstruction, which is where skin and fat is removed from the lower stomach area and used to create new breasts instead of silicone or gummy gel implants. She said recovery was tough, because her abdominal incision opened up in a few spots and took longer to heal.

Once her skin had healed fully, Rehki started 14 cycles of chemotherapy with Kadcyla in September 2025, which she finished in June. Some breast cancer patients benefit from taking Tamoxifen if they are pre-menopausal, or an aromatase inhibitor like Anastrozole or Letrozole, which are all hormone suppressants, if they are post-menopausal. She will start taking Neratinib soon, which targets the HER2+ part of her cancer.

"Only the largest tumor that I had was picked up as something suspicious in a routine mammogram, but because I have dense breasts, it was not confirmed right at that time. I later had an ultrasound and diagnostic mammogram, which confirmed the diagnosis. Following a biopsy, I had an MRI of the breasts, which picked up two additional smaller tumors in the same breast," Rehki told Patch.

Challenges Of Chemo

Each stage of treatment dished out different hurdles, Rehki said, and the side effects of chemo were "brutal."

"I got terribly dehydrated just in the first cycle to the extent that about two days after the first chemo, and I had severe palpitations and fatigue - I did not even have the energy to shower," Rehki said.

She needed IV hydration throughout chemo, which helped during the three weeks between the two cycles of chemo. She now has lymphedema, which many breast cancer survivors deal with after lymph nodes are removed.

Fatigue accumulates with each round of chemo. Neuropathy in the hands and feet is a common side effect of the chemos used for breast cancer treatment. Not all chemotherapies lead to hair loss, but the typical ones used to treat breast cancer do cause hair loss. Some women opt to cold cap, a process that helps save their hair.

"I was only the second patient in my infusion center to have cold capping or scalp cooling, which helped me save a good percentage of my hair and gave me a little sense of normalcy during chemo," Rehki told Patch.

Recovery from her DIEP flap surgery proved to be a mountain to climb, because you cannot stand up straight and stay hunched over for several weeks. Rehki ended up sleeping in a recliner for a few months after surgery. She also opted for physical therapy to help with her overall recovery.

"I feel like I have aged so much with the entire treatment. And of course, the diagnosis and the entire treatment process did cause an extreme amount of stress and anxiety and sleep disruption," Rehki shared.

Know Your Family Medical History

Now with chemo behind her, Rehki takes her cancer prevention medications, has regular blood tests and checkups, follow-up scans to monitor her recovery and will need to have surgery to remove her chemo port and revise her abdominal scar that's become tight and uncomfortable.

"Before my cancer diagnosis, I was the person that was very particular about what I ate, exercised regularly, have a very active job and also did what you would call the right stuff - like avoiding eating fried foods, processed foods, junk food," she said. "I had replaced plastic containers with glass ones and stopped using nonstick pans, etc. but despite all that I got cancer."

That itself has been frustrating, she admitted. Rehki said she's struggling to return to life before cancer, to get a good night's sleep and to have the energy to resume exercising regular, something that many breast cancer patients experience.

Although Rehki has a family history of breast cancer, she strongly recommends women stay on top of their self-exams and regular appointments with doctors and mammograms.

"If you have dense breasts, definitely talk to your doctor to see if you qualify for an MRI. Women with high family histories should get the genetic testing done and if you do have a gene for breast cancer then if nothing else, at least the surveillance is heightened because we all know that early detection leads to the very best outcomes," Rehki told Patch.

Rehki also credits her support system for helping her through her breast cancer battle, from friends and family to neighbors and others. Her 25-year-old son helped her make medical decisions and was her rock throughout the journey.

Breaking The News Broke Mom's Heart

A cancer diagnosis doesn't just impact the patient. While all efforts focus on beating breast cancer, family members also go through their only grief journey during a love one's battle.

Joyce Gwyn, 58, of Laurel told Patch she was crushed when telling her daughters, Shanae and Shanell, that she had breast cancer.

"I knew there was no way I could protect them from the news I was going to tell them. Seeing them upset and devastated hurt me. I was more concerned about them than myself. It was so hard when I had to tell them," Gwyn said.

Gwyn was diagnosed in August 2023 at stage three after discovering something concerning during a self-exam. She was treated with chemotherapy and then radiation focused on the left side of her breast.

Breast cancer treatments are mentally, physically and emotionally taxing. Radiation can burn and cause leathered skin. Chemo fog is a real thing, patients will say. And so many emotions will blanket a patient - shock, denial, fear, anxiety, sadness, grief, anger, frustration, loneliness.

"I was just tired and I felt I didn’t have enough energy some days. The issues that I currently face are neuropathy in my feet, tenderness around the radiation site. I get spasms in my feet and hands," Gwyn told Patch.

As she continues moving forward from her diagnosis, Gwyn admits she needs to exercise more and make more conscientious eating choices.

"But I say take each day at a time. Do 15 minutes a day and build yourself up," she told Patch.

What hurt her heart even more than telling her two daughters she had breast cancer was to watch one of her daughters hear those same gut-wrenching, heartbreaking words: You have cancer.

Blessing During The Battle

Shanae Brooks, 36, of Alexandria, Virginia, was diagnosed in July 2024 with 1A early stage HER2+ breast cancer less than a year after her mom's diagnosis. She also discovered a suspicious lump during a self-exam.

"I had to receive three forms of chemotherapy medication, radiation and a shot in my stomach every three months. I have to take one tablet every day for five years, and five tablets every day for one year," she shared.

Brooks had set her sights on ringing the bell, a tradition that signals the successful end of treatment for cancer. Now, it was her turn to rise victorious from what she'd endured. But one week before she was to ring the bell, her then boyfriend proposed to her.

"He was very concerned but he was very encouraging throughout the process. He handled my feelings with care but it was definitely difficult for him to see me in this situation," Brooks told Patch.

Planning For The Future

As a young woman, Brooks not only had herself to think about, but any future children she hoped to have after treatments. Most women who undergo chemo and aren't through having children are encouraged to freeze their eggs beforehand.

"I currently think about my future and the process I have to go through to have children. I cry every time thinking about it because I don’t know what that looks like for me. I’m definitely leaving it up to God because it’s out of my hands," she told Patch.

Brooks had to stimulate the production of eggs in order to harvest and freeze them. That left her tired and overwhelmed before she ever started chemo.

"I lost my hair after my first treatment because the chemo was so strong. I took it each day with grace. Oh, loss of taste, everything was so salty. Barely wanted to eat. My issues I’m currently facing are neuropathy in my hands, forced perimenopause, weight gain, low sex drive and spasms," Brooks told Patch.

As she continues down the road to recovery, Brooks works out periodically, is working with a nutritionist and meditates.

"I'm still a work in progress. I have my days where I go up and down," she admitted.

Three-Time Survivor

Moniesha Shorter, 51, of Upper Marlboro has stared down breast cancer twice. The third time, however, she was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.

Shorter has authored a book about her breast cancer battle. She was first diagnosed in May 2016 at stage 0 with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Her second diagnosis was in 2019 at stage 1A. The third time, in July 2021, she was told she was stage 4.

"It was discovered during a routine mammogram and MRI. Breast cancer doesn't have to be a death sentence when detected early," Shorter told Patch.

Thanks to continuously evolving research and new treatments, being diagnosed as stage 4 doesn't mean a patient is out of options. Shorter opted early on for a double mastectomy in her breast cancer battle, which she said was one of the hardest decisions she's made.

"At the time it felt aggressive — it was permanent — but something in me knew to listen carefully to my doctors, and my doctor sensed there was more happening beneath the surface than we could see. She was right. When the cancer returned, I understood why that decision mattered so much. I also did radiation during my second diagnosis. I'm now on a hormone therapy and have responded well to the treatment," Shorter told Patch.

All treatments have one goal - to beat cancer.

"The hardest hurdle wasn't just physical. There were moments I felt deeply alone — not because people weren't around me, but because I felt misunderstood by people of faith that meant well. What got me through was learning that faith and wisdom were never meant to compete — pursuing medical care wasn't a betrayal of my faith; it was part of my responsibility in the healing process," Shorter said.

As a three-time survivor, Shorter has turned her experience into a platform where she champions for early detection, preventive care and health equity for women, particularly Black women, she said. She has turned her pain into something useful as she transitions from patient to advocate.

"Learn your body and pay attention when something feels different. And when you're in that exam room, speak up — ask questions, don't feel intimidated and don't leave until you understand your options. If my story helps one woman schedule a mammogram or speak up about her symptoms, that's another step toward equity," Shorter said.

The Prince George's County survivor's life-changing breast cancer battle has been shared through the written word. Shorter decided to write a book titled Function: Embracing Your Divine Design for Purpose and Impact that was inspired by her cancer journey.

"I wrote Function for everyone who has ever felt like their gifts didn't look spiritual enough to matter — the builders, the strategists, the ones working quietly behind the scenes. For a long time, I believed serving God only counted if it happened behind a pulpit and my cancer journey dismantled that idea completely. I realized that using our experiences and natural abilities to serve others is spiritual service — faith becomes practical when capability and calling intersect," she said.

Thankfully, Shorter had her husband, Earl, who has been her biggest cheerleader and champion through it all.

"Through every diagnosis, every surgery, every waiting room, he believed in me on the days when believing in myself felt difficult. He never tried to fix what he couldn't fix; he just created the space for me to become who I needed to become," she told Patch.

Extra Help From Organizations

Numerous nonprofits exist to help breast cancer patients through the battle. Some hold fundraisers in order to buy meal gift cards for patients. Others hold walks to celebrate survivors and remember those whose breast cancer battle ended all too early.

Shannon Moneymaker serves as executive director of For 3 Sisters, based out of Olney, which formed in 2011 with a mission to alleviate burdens for people affected by breast cancer and ensure no one fights breast cancer alone.

In the past 15 years, For 3 Sisters has helped hundreds of women and their families with direct wrap-around support. They've also reached tens of thousands with their messaging emphasizing the importance of early detection, mammograms and self-exams.

Moneymaker said she and her husband launched For 3 Sisters in honor of her sisters-in-law who lost their battle with breast cancer.

"As a caregiver to his sister, Penny, we saw the gaps in wraparound services and support for people with breast cancer, and we navigated the red tape, hurdles and bureaucracy that often came with asking for help. We set out to remove those hurdles for breast cancer patients and their families," Moneymaker said.

Her husband, Marshall, was an active duty Montgomery County firefighter when his sisters faced this fight - but not alone. Moneymaker and her husband also discovered along this journey that his sisters didn't do regular self-exams or get mammograms.

"As a founder, it was important to him to get the message out to women (and men) that early detection is paramount," she told Patch. "I want people to know that For 3 Sisters is so much more than a breast cancer awareness organization. We're here for people when breast cancer turns their lives upside down."

Breast cancer patients not only have to endure grueling treatments, hair loss, fatigue and more, they also have to find a way to get help with children, prepare meals, clean house, navigate insurance hurdles and lean on others.

"We help with the challenges that often come with a diagnosis but don't always get talked about," she said. "We believe that no two people experience breast cancer the same way, and neither should the support they receive. We take the time to listen, understand what someone is going through and figure out how we can help."