About

I’m Megan-Claire Chase aka Warrior Megsie!

Advocate | Speaker | Survivor | Writer

Welcome to my blog, Life on the Cancer Train.

I didn’t set out to become an advocate. I became one because I had to.

This space is where I share the real story of survivorship, beyond diagnosis and treatment. I write about life after breast cancer, chronic illness, grief, mental health, and what it means to navigate the world as a Black woman, survivor, and professional.

My Breast Cancer Story – the cliff note version

On September 14, 2015, two months after my 39th birthday, I was diagnosed with Stage IIA invasive lobular breast cancer – something I never saw coming. I was introduced to another underrepresented category of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer (AYA) because I was diagnosed just a hair under 40.

My treatment lasted 22 months, all while working full-time:

  • 16 rounds of chemotherapy (4 AC, 12 Taxol)
  • Blood transfusion
  • 8 surgeries
  • 33 radiation treatments
  • Bilateral salpingo hysterectomy & oophorectomy (ovaries removed)

By the end, I was using a cane, unable to drive, and could barely walk, while also being beautifully bald and slowly developing my Warrior Megsie persona.

On October 25, 2016, I was declared NED (No Evidence of Disease). I don’t use “cancer-free” or “in remission” because those words don’t fully capture the reality of survivorship. So, NED is my boyfriend, and we’ve been together for 10 years this year!

Life After Breast Cancer: The Reality of Survivorship

I’m still in a long-term relationship with NED, and yes, still chronically single.

I share my life with my cat-daughter, Phoebe Nell, and carry with me the love of my heart, my cat-son, Nathan Edgar (Baby Natey), who passed away at 20 in 2024.

Life after cancer comes with lasting effects, including:

  • Chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN)
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Surgically induced menopause
  • Loss of fertility
  • Chronic, often debilitating back pain

After five years of advocating to be taken seriously, I received a nerve ablation in 2022 that provided only four months of relief. I was getting injections every 4–6 months, but it was hard to manage, so I stopped for now. Now that I finally have professional help to lose weight (post-menopausal weight is awful), I can tolerate the pain better, but I continue to search for real, lasting solutions.

Some days, my body feels 900 years old. I’ve often wished I could get a refund for this body and get an upgraded, pain-free version.

Cancer Advocacy, Race & Health Equity

My experience is not just about cancer; it’s about navigating systems that often fail patients like me.

As a Black woman, I’ve faced delayed diagnoses, dismissed symptoms, and systemic inequities in healthcare; that reality drives my advocacy. We all deserve quality care and quality of life.

I speak and write about:

  • Health equity and racism in cancer care and this country
  • The experiences of Black breast cancer patients
  • Survivorship beyond treatment
  • The need for better resources and representation
  • Career transitions and microaggressions

My work has been featured on PBS (Stories from the Stage) and in The New York Times, People Magazine, Cancer Today, CURE, and Patient Power.

Why I Created Life on the Cancer Train

I created this blog to give you a raw, unfiltered, humorous, and authentic insight into what it was like to go through breast cancer as a single woman, as a Black woman, as a professional.

I bring the Breast Cancer REAL – the full, complicated, human experience of cancer and survivorship, sprinkled with stories from my youth.

Here, you’ll find honesty, advocacy, and community because I don’t sugarcoat the experiences. Whether it’s through writing or videos, I’m here to share my story in the hope that it will resonate with others.

If You’re Here…

Whether you’re a patient, survivor, caregiver, or simply trying to understand…

You’re in the right place.

Welcome to Life on the Cancer Train with Warrior Megsie.

Photo credit: Patricia Alvarez, World Channel