My name is Annick. I am a mom of four boys, a teacher, a runner, a CrossFitter, and the author of PheMOMenal Teacher. I also blog at annickrauch.ca, where I have written openly about my breast cancer journey. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in April of 2025 at 38 years old, an age where I never imagined cancer could be part of my story.

My diagnosis came about in a way I still find hard to wrap my head around. Just three weeks before my doctor found a lump, I had a clear mammogram. Because my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer at 42, my doctor continued to perform breast exams despite them no longer being routine, and I had been getting yearly mammograms since I turned 32.

I have dense breast tissue, something I did not even know until my diagnosis despite years of mammograms, and my cancer did not show up on that scan. I had no symptoms. I felt healthy. I was busy raising kids, working full time, and living my life.

When I was told I had breast cancer, the shock was overwhelming. I remember feeling disbelief and immense fear.

I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, a higher grade cancer that grows and spreads quickly and is often diagnosed late. Even though my tumor was small and my lymph nodes ultimately came back clear, I struggled to celebrate. Through my own research, I learned that triple negative breast cancer does not always spread through the lymph nodes and can spread directly to other organs. Living with that knowledge has meant learning how to sit with uncertainty, even alongside good news.

My treatment has been intense. I had a lumpectomy and completed eight rounds of chemotherapy, which was, without question, the hardest thing I have ever done. It pushed me physically, emotionally, and mentally beyond anything I had experienced before. There were days I wanted to quit, and in my darkest moments, I felt completely overwhelmed by the weight of it all.

I am now in the middle of radiation, with twenty treatments planned. I have also started five years of anti hormone therapy because despite being diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, my cancer showed a very slight estrogen positivity, so my team is treating for that as well.

While I am done with the “worst of it” in terms of chemotherapy, I am still very much in a place of processing what I have been through over the last eight months and what my future will look like. There is no going back to what life used to be. I am learning to find a new normal that includes ongoing treatment, lingering side effects, and the emotional weight that comes with all of it. It often feels deeply unfair.

Cancer has changed my life in ways both visible and invisible. It has slowed me down. It has forced me to listen to my body and to advocate for myself without hesitation. I no longer assume that feeling healthy means everything is fine. I now understand that you can feel completely well and still be very sick, and that early detection can make a profound difference.

One of the biggest lessons this journey has taught me is how critical screening and self advocacy are, especially for women with dense breast tissue. Dense breasts can make cancer harder to detect on standard mammograms, yet many women are never told they have dense breasts or what that means for their screening options. I was one of those women, until it became personal.

Since my diagnosis, I have been sharing my journey openly on Instagram at @annickrauch, using my voice to raise awareness, ask hard questions, and encourage women to advocate for themselves.

If there is one message I want to share with women who do not have breast cancer, it is this: do not wait. Do not downplay your risk because of your age. Do not assume that a clear mammogram means everything is fine. Ask about your breast density. Ask about supplemental screening. Push for answers. You are not being dramatic. You are being proactive.

Cancer has changed me, but it has not taken my voice. If anything, it has strengthened it. I share my story because awareness saves lives, and if my experience encourages even one woman to advocate for herself sooner, then it is worth it.

“I Want You to Know”

I want you to know that I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 38 years old after my doctor felt a lump during a routine physical, just three weeks after a clear mammogram.

I want you to know that I have dense breast tissue, and my cancer did not show up on that mammogram.

I want you to know that feeling healthy and having no symptoms does not mean everything is fine.

I want you to know that early detection does not happen by accident. It happens when women are informed, properly screened, and empowered to advocate for themselves.

And I want you to know that asking questions does not make you difficult. It makes you responsible for your health.