Bald…but Blessed ❤️
My Breast Cancer Story (Part 2 of 3)
This photo is me — June 2023.
38 years old.
After six months of chemotherapy.
Me (Bree) bald, June 2023, headed into surgery for stage 3, triple negative breast cancer. (photo credit: Neil Bacon)
My husband snapped it right before I headed into surgery to remove two tumors in my right breast and several lymph nodes.
It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so sharing Part 2 of my story (you can read Part 1: The Voice & The Lump here).
The Diagnosis I Never Expected
It was November 2022, and I was crying in my bathroom, staring into the mirror, when I heard a voice telling me to do a breast check.
And I found a lump.
What followed was a whirlwind of appointments, tests, and scans that revealed not one, but four tumors — two in my right breast and two in my lymph nodes.
I had stage 3, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
I was referred to an oncologist and met with him in December of 2022 to fully understand what my diagnosis meant.
When he walked into the room, he told my husband and me that I had an aggressive form of breast cancer, and at that moment my chance of survival was about 50 percent. To fight it, I would need to start six months of chemotherapy immediately. I would lose all my hair. After that, I would undergo surgery to remove the tumors and lymph nodes, followed by several weeks of daily radiation and another several months of immunotherapy infusions. The entire treatment plan would take about a year to complete.
I went into shock.
I have a one-year-old daughter, how could this be happening?
What do you mean I have a 50 percent chance of survival?
Six months of chemotherapy? Where is the simple ten-day pill that you take for normal illnesses?
How did this happen? No one in my family has ever had breast cancer. I don’t have any of the genetic markers for it. Where did this come from?
An Earthquake Called Cancer
In that moment, I went numb.
My personal Elite Energy™ system was experiencing a major earthquake, and everything I had worked to put into balance across my Mind, Body, Heart – Rest and Reach - was now in total chaos.
Source: Bacon, Bree. “Your Elite Energy: A Blueprint to Break Free from Burnout and Restore Your Vitality”, Chapter 11. Published June 6, 2025. Used with permission of the author (me!).
At that moment, I could not think about my mental, physical, or emotional health; about maintaining rhythm; or even about balancing Rest and Reach.
All I could do was hold tight to my foundation.
My (Bree’s) personal Elite Energy™ System.
During the Storm, Holding Tight to My Foundation
During the six months of chemotherapy and surgery, that is all I did, hold tight to my foundation of my personal Elite Energy™ system, my Values & Beliefs—Faith, Grace, Growth, Grit & Gratitude—as I survived one day at a time.
During my storm of cancer, my usual rhythms—Mind, Body, Heart, Rest, and Reach—were gone. What I did witness was my husband, family, friends, and an entire community surrounding me with prayer and support. I watched as God provided a team of oncologists, doctors, surgeons, and nurses who carried me through.
I just survived, observing it all unfold.
It was humbling, especially for a control freak like me, a traditionally “Miss Independent” woman (thank you, @Kelly Clarkson).
Storms Test Us, Foundations Carry Us
What you have defined as the foundation of your Elite Energy™ system is what helps you navigate difficult situations. It provides clarity and stability when everything else feels uncertain.
As I emphasize throughout Your Elite Energy, the Elite Energy™ framework is universal, but how you fill it in to unlock your best is deeply personal.
Your foundation represents your personal choice of who you are, what you stand for, and gives you a sense of direction, even in chaos. It is what you choose to believe, stay grounded in, and desire to represent in the world, no matter what comes your way.
I believe the storms of life can either challenge or solidify our foundation, testing what we believe and offering new insights.
For example, in my own life, faith has always been a central part of my personal foundation…but cancer brought this faith to a whole new level.
Before this season of my life, I had always approached my faith intellectually. I studied the Bible, attended church, volunteered, donated, and strived for perfection. Though I knew, at an intellectual level, that I could not “earn” acceptance, I was still somehow always caught in the cycle of trying.
The night I heard, “Do a breast check,” staring into my bathroom mirror (story here), marked the first time I audibly heard God’s voice so clearly.
It reminded me of 1 Kings 19:11-12:
A great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
God’s voice was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire.
In my case, all the noise of the world had to be silenced. The doors were slammed shut by doctors, pastors, therapists, experts, and even my own attempts to control things until I could finally hear that gentle whisper.
I will forever be in awe of that moment.
As I reflect on surviving that storm, holding tight to my foundation is what carried me through, and it is something I would encourage anyone facing their own storm (whether it’s cancer, health scares, financial struggles, relationship challenges, or career upheaval) to consider.
Equally important is giving yourself grace.
If you are in the middle of a storm or have just emerged from one, do not put pressure on yourself for your Elite Energy™ system to be running at full capacity.
Give yourself time, grace, and patience.
When you’re ready, hit reset.
Stay tuned for Part 3 of my breast cancer story next week.
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Can’t wait?
You can read more in Chapter 11 of Your Elite Energy — now available in paperback, hardcover, e-book AND audiobook (read by me!).
Photos and story adapted from: Bacon, Bree. Your Elite Energy: A Blueprint to Break Free from Burnout and Restore Your Vitality, Chapter 11. Published June 6, 2025. Used with permission of the author (me!).
