True stories from members of the Young Survival Coalition, which serves young women under 40 with breast cancer

9. When complaining to my plastic surgeon about the funky shape of my tissue expander, he said "Well, it's sort of like a beach toy that is not fully inflated yet."

8.  When asked to take part in a clinical trial suitable for stage II cancer, I asked my oncologist, "So that means I'm stage II, then?" And he replied, "Yeah-- at LEAST!"

7.  After taking samples of my tumor, my physician asked, "Do you want to see them? They look like little timy pieces of angel hair pasta."

6.  After discussing plastic surgery for breast cancer, my plastic surgeon said, "You know they are never going to look real."

5.  When discussing with my oncologist about getting my port removed, he said, "Well, I guess we can put it back in if we need it."

4.  Talking to my oncologist, he says, "Well, everything is fine---for now"

3.  My primary oncologist asked me, "So, who is your primary oncologist?"

2.  My plastic surgeon remarks, "I hate making nipples."

1.  Arriving to get a mammogram a few years after a breast cancer diagnosis: "So, why are you here?"