freddie did you see any of the videos that Victoria Derbyshire did following her breast cancer diagnosis? They're probably on YouTube I should think. I thought they were very good, in general. But obviously I have bowel cancer so I can't be entirely sure if they were an accurate depiction of the typical stage I-III breast cancer "journey". I shared them with some friends and they reacted really negatively though.
I think people can be very defensive about it. It's a fine line to tread.
It sounds like a good article to write though. I have been pondering it since your post last night. I was a bit too muddled to reply then, but a few points... still a bit muddled, but hopefully less so!
As long as you are only writing about your personal experience then I don't think you could be accused of belittling anyone else's experience. You aren't saying all women with breast cancer will feel this way. Just how it has been for you so far.
I think it's very important to acknowledge that you're never really out of the woods, that there's no such thing as a cure etc.
I don't think you're wrong for wanting to write about it. You're a writer. So writing may help you process it. Have you written anything about it at all yet?
My absolute pet hate is any kind of cancer smuggery. We all cope in our own way. But I really cannot stand when people seem to think they've "beaten" cancer through some sort of strength of character. All those naff slogans about "cancer picking the wrong person to mess with". I've seen cancer diminish and kill far too many strong, fantastic, funny, clever, kind women. Cancer isn't something that we beat. If anything beats it, it is modern medicine.
I felt a similar way to you after my first diagnosis. My prognosis wasn't excellent. It was stage IIIc when it was first diagnosed and I needed major surgery and chemo. The chemo gave me almost permanent nausea and diarrhoea. But I wrote it off as a six month investment in hopefully having a long, happy, healthy life. Obviously that didn't work out as I hoped, but it was three and a half years before the cancer reared its head again, so I guess it did quite a good job :)
Anyway, it was shit but I got through it. It was doable. It wasn't the disaster that lots of people seemed to think. I didn't cry or wail or anything very much. People thought I was weird for that. But I think my feelings are just as valid as anyone else's, and I wish I'd been more secure about it at the time.
Stage IV is a different kettle of fish entirely, of course. And I think it's worth acknowledging that because it rarely gets a mention except in a hugely terrifying, taboo sort of way. We haven't made much progress in talking about incurable illness or terminal illness or death openly yet. But even stage IV isn't (always) the nightmare it once was. Especially breast cancer as lots of progress had been made recently. It's not just optimism to say new treatments are developing all the time, as they really are. And many of the treatments have manageable side effects.
I hope that hasn't been too rambly and unwelcome. I feel I should add I've felt this way for years now, ever since my diagnosis, so it's not some sort of new bitterness or anything 
I'd be very interested to read your article if you decide to go ahead, and of course if you don't mind losing your anonymity.
I hope your peely nipples improve soon! 
Jo that sounds empowering
chewing wow! 
people can be so inconsiderate. I'm glad chemo isn't making you feel too rough. I hope you enjoyed your time down south. There seems to be some distinction between terminal cancer and incurable, though it's not very official. But given your original prognosis I would imagine that would fall under "terminal" anyway. Maybe you'll be relegated to "just" incurable for now 
Twitter I'm sorry you are still struggling, though it's completely understandable given your personal situation. You're absolutely right that everyone's experience is individual and obviously there is no comparison to be made between someone with "curable" cancer and someone with incurable cancer. And it depends on so many other factors too.
Whilst I will always regret in some ways that I've never had children, I'm also incredibly grateful that I do not have that additional pain and fear.
I will stop there as this is getting very long! I hope everyone has had a reasonable weekend, and love to all who need it whether posting or lurking or whatever's going on with you.