Ash Davidson was diagnosed with breast cancer following their gender affirming top surgery.

10 days post-op, Ash had a phone call with his surgeon. They had found a lump during his top surgery and the pathology results had shown it was cancer. Ash’s elation with their new chest was quickly and painfully obliterated as they faced their diagnosis and a gruelling 8 months of treatment.

In that moment, everything stopped, everything changed. No longer was my story about gender transition and trans joy. It was all about cancer. Breast cancer, especially is so geared towards women (with good reason), but as someone very early in my own transition, it brought on that familiar feeling of shame. My body had betrayed me again. Worse than ever before. While it’s true that the tumor was gone, I would have an uphill battle ahead of me. One that would bring me to my breaking point. One that I’m still working through today.

Read more from Ash on Medium.