Bad B and I connected over Instagram through "Tough Friends Friday" from @ohyouresotough page and became very good friends. Cancer is definitely one of the worst ways to meet some of the most amazing people but apart from the fact that we both share our struggles with living with cancer, we also connected by the fact that we are both third culture kids. We have been texting back and forth, then Whatsapp and then finally Facetime. Hopefully we meet in person one day. Bad B is a breast cancer survivor who also has her own Youtube channel, where she gets candid and raw about living with cancer.
Be sure to check out her Youtube channel here. You can find a lovely introduction of her channel by watching this video below:
I invited her to share her reflections here so that you have the chance to gain insight on different experiences of living with cancer, which will be in the style of a Q&A format.
Me: Tell me about yourself
Bad B:
I’m a 34 year old triple positive, breast cancer survivor. I was born and bred in Melbourne Australia, to a Japanese father and a Thai mother and back in the 90s, we HAD TO ASSIMILATE or be made fun of, so here I am with the most ocker, Aussie accent, but with a very Asian face! I spent my whole childhood in Melbourne, and when I turned 23, I moved to Japan for the first time! It was an amazing experience and it was where I met my husband, which was funny because he grew up in Melbourne too. I know it’s a cliche but I love to travel. I also love running - or maybe it’s just a habit? I’ve run one marathon (pre-cancer) and I’m looking forward to running another one (post-cancer), just to prove to myself that I can! I also love riding motorbikes, there’s nothing like it! In the past, I’ve ridden a G310R, and a Ninja, and now I’ve graduated to a Scrambler. Riding has also introduced me to my other love, MotoGP!
Me: How did you find out about your diagnosis?
Bad B:
To be honest, my diagnosis is either a terrible or lucky story…I cried when I retold this story on Youtube. It actually still makes me a little teary. I was living in Japan for the second time when originally felt a lump in my right breast in May 2022, so being the hypochondriac I am, I paid extra for a mammogram and ultrasound at my Kenkoshindan (Japanese yearly health check). I got my results back, “A”, which is the epitome of health. I thought, ok that must be true, because they’re doctors. Then fast forward 7 months, when I came home to Melbourne for Christmas, the lump was growing, and quite painful. I knew in my gut that something wasn’t right, so I scheduled another mammogram and ultrasound, and the radiologist told me to check it right away. Unfortunately, I was returning to Japan the next day! I scheduled a core needle biopsy at a breast clinic in Tokyo, and the doctor said, “It’s not good news”. I just burst into tears. My world was turned upside down. Luckily, it was only stage 2, but what if I hadn’t checked again? Now, I know how important it is to advocate for yourself.
Me: Could you walk us through your timeline of your treatment (number of chemo rounds, surgery, etc…)
Bad B:
Even though I was diagnosed in January 2023, I didn’t start chemo until March 2023! It took forever to get tests done in Japan. I ended up having 16 rounds of chemotherapy. 12 x Paclitaxel (Taxol) with 3 x Trastuzumab (Herceptin) and Pertuzumab (Perjeta) every 3 weeks. I followed that up with 4 x AC (Adriamycin and Cyclophosphomide or Doxorubicin) - the dreaded “red devil”. I finished chemo in September, 2023.
Surgery wise, in June 2023, I had a port placement, in October 2023, a sentinel lymphnode biopsy and retro areola biopsy, in November 2023, a bilateral mastectomy with direct to implant reconstruction, in February 2024, a bilateral salpingo oophorectomy, hysteroscopy and D&C, and I’ll also have a port removal surgery sometime in July 2024. The port is meant to be kept in for a year and a half after treatment concludes, but I’m moving overseas, and won’t be able to have it accessed every 6 weeks.
Now, I’m almost finished with my 14 adjuvant (post surgery) Trastuzumab (Herceptin) infusions as my cancer was HER2 positive. I’ll be done with Herceptin on July 18, 2024, I started Exemestane in November 2023, and I’ll be on it for 10 years as my cancer was oestrogen positive.
I also have the ATM gene mutation which puts me at greater risk of breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and for males in my family - prostate cancer. So I’ll have to keep up with my doctor visits. The scanxiety is palpable. It’s less than ideal, but this gene mutation explains why I got cancer in the first place, because I was very healthy pre-cancer. It just goes to show that it’s usually a combination of bad genes and bad luck!
Me: What inspired you to start your Youtube Channel? What is the message that you are trying to convey?
Bad B:
I decided to start my YouTube channel, Bad B Parade because navigating breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in a foreign country (Japan) was quite an intense experience. I didn’t want other foreigners in Japan to have the same difficulties I did and I felt it was a weird and often rarely encountered situation. I also wanted to connect with others who might be in the same cancer boat, and I’ve made friends through Youtube, so in that respect, it's been wonderful. I’ve since documented all my cancer treatment on YouTube (and although I’m about 4 months behind real life, I plan to continue long after I’ve finished treatment! I guess I’ll pivot niches and go from cancer vlog to expat life vlog!
Me: What is one piece of advice you would give to newly diagnosed cancer patients?
Bad B:
If you’re newly diagnosed, I’m sorry you’ve joined the worst club with the best members. My advice would be to find breasties/cancer friends that are your age, because as an AYA (adolescent, young adult) cancer survivor, having breasties and cancer friends who were also in the same stage of life as me, really got me through it. Although I haven’t met many of my breasties or cancer friends in real life, they are still such an important part of my life and I make sure to check in with them regularly. Having been through trauma like cancer together, it creates a special bond. They experience and understand what is happening and it makes all the difference, because unfortunately, even if you have a good support network, if they don’t have or haven’t had cancer, they just don’t understand…
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