Nicole McLean

Survivor

Diagnosed at 39, never married, with no kids Nicole looked forward to getting married and having her own family one day. Her diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer changed everything. The relationship she was in at diagnosis, ended while she recuperated from her mastectomy surgery. It was devastating. After going through chemotherapy, a mastectomy, radiation and breast reconstruction, with each step she wondered… “who will love me now”? As she navigated her new normal, looking for love and being open to intimate relationships just seemed impossibly difficult. She had been through too much. Or so she thought.

She resigned herself to casually date and not think about deep, meaningful relationships anymore. It seemed easier that way. Blogging about breast cancer was cathartic but she accepted that it was probably more than most guys could handle. An active social media participant, she met tons of new people online but never really considered dating anyone. That’s when a loving friend intervened. Not on her behalf, but on his. 

A really nice guy was brought into one of her Facebook groups by a good friend of his. Specifically to meet Nicole. She was completely unaware of this, and just went about her online life as usual. He watched her and interacted with her for about a year, just getting to know her. A chance meeting at a bar they both frequented, sparked a flame of love that has grown stronger each day for nearly two years. 

Nicole has never felt more loved and more supported than she does now with her boyfriend. He is her number 1 champion for her writing and her breast cancer blog. He understands all that she’s been through and he’s not afraid to keep loving her and building a solid relationship. The love they share today keeps her strong. Nicole really knows and understands that love is absolutely possible after breast cancer.