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By Bridget Bahl, as told to Newsweek
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Bridget Bahl is a content creator and founder of the women’s fashion brand, The Bar. In 2024, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and began sharing her story on social media. Shortly after being declared cancer-free, Bahl’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. In an interview with Newsweek, Bahl shared an update on her mother’s treatment and what they both hope other women learn from their family’s story.
In 2024, my husband and I were one year into marriage; I had just bought out my company; and I was on my sixth round of in vitro fertilization. It was a really exciting moment in our lives—there was lots of pressure, but we were hopeful and happy. I’d got married later in life, at 40, so that was a big part of what I talked about online before I got cancer. I’d tell women, “Don’t go marry someone because society says you’re old and you need a husband. Never settle.”
Then one day in August, I felt something in my breast. I asked my husband, who’s a plastic surgeon, “Can you feel this?” It was so far back, though, and I have dense breasts, so we weren’t sure. At my next fertility appointment, I brought it up, and the doctor ordered a mammogram. After that test, they asked me to stay for a biopsy, which isn’t normal. I left there in a complete haze and really scared.
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Deep down, I knew I had cancer.
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I was diagnosed a few days later. Treatment was terrible. I had a really tough time with chemotherapy. I went into it positively, with an attitude of, “I’m gonna fight.” But it was a struggle the whole time: I was alarmed that I just could not feel any better. Going into medically-induced menopause overnight was so hard; I was in a really dark place. It took me a long time to get through the chemo because I had to take a break in between each round to gain weight. I got down to 82 pounds at one point. Finally I finished chemotherapy and then did a lumpectomy to remove the tumor, then 15 rounds of radiation.
My heart breaks for people who go through this alone. My husband, Mike, and I were basically newlyweds and our relationship changed in an instant. He probably feels like we’ve been married for 30 years already. I was so sick and he had to take on so much. At points, I couldn’t even stand up. He had to take me to appointments and take time off work to help keep me keep my company afloat—it was a lot, and it wasn’t fun. But he’s an angel, and we made it to the other side.
Finishing treatment was a relief, but I still felt terrible, physically and emotionally. I didn’t want to speak that out into the world—I didn’t want that to be real—so I kept pretending I was fine. Survivorship has been very eye-opening. It’s a weird thing to process. I think people so desperately want me to be better, and the truth is I’m probably not. I feel like a newborn baby. But life has to go on, and with every month that would pass, I’d feel a little better. Today I feel good, but I’m still sort of broken by the experience. I think it’s going to take a while to process.
In August, Mike and I went to Italy. It was our first trip since I’d finished treatment—it was a celebration trip. My mom, whom I’m very close to, had recently gone in for a routine mammogram, and they’d done a biopsy. I know this is crazy, but I wasn’t worried. I thought, “There’s just no way it’s cancer. It can’t be.” Aside from me, we didn’t have any cancer in our family. We didn’t have any genetic mutation that I knew of. I was so ready to close that chapter, and ready for what was next in our lives. Logically, I know that one in 8 women get breast cancer. I know that I will be helping women walk through this for the rest of my life. I just didn’t think it would be my mom.
She waited until we were back home and then called and told us she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I was like, “What the heck is going on?” It felt unbelievable. It had been two years since I was diagnosed, and I was finally better. Fortunately, her doctors found the cancer early; it’s stage 1. Her tumor is the size of a raisin; mine was the size of a golf ball.
My mom lives in Pittsburgh, but she’s going to do her treatment in Dallas, where Mike and I live, and stay with us. When she was diagnosed, I was so upset, but I also switched into action mode. I was like, “I know what to do. I can do this for you.” I see this experience now from the perspective of a caretaker. My mom is a trooper. She is a strong, courageous woman. The whole thing is crazy, but she’ll be OK, and I’m going to take the best care of her.
I’m so happy she went to her appointment, that she followed through. I think a lot of women skip these appointments because they’re scared. But finding cancer early changes everything. As it stands today, my mom isn’t going to have to do chemotherapy. She’s just going to have a lumpectomy and possibly radiation. She saw me so sick during chemotherapy and was so happy she wasn’t going to have to do that. I didn’t think she’d want me to share her story, but she said, “No, you have to.” We want people to know that early detection saves lives. Get your mammograms. Go to your appointments. I’m not above bribing people to get their exams. Sometimes I think about how my platform has changed over the past few years. I used to just talk about makeup and fashion and weddings—and I still love all those things!—but I never thought I’d have the opportunity to help save people’s lives. This feels purposeful and meaningful. This work of sharing my story and helping other women through what might be the most frightening moment in their own lives? It’s an honor.
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