The Intersection of Cancer and Life with Emily Garnett

For the Season 2 finale, we wanted to switch the conversation up a little bit, so I’m welcoming six other breast cancer podcasters onto the show for a round table conversation. It’s not often that you get a group together like this, a half-dozen total strangers, bonded only by our need to talk about our illness in this way, but I can’t even fully capture what an amazing group this is. We had so much fun, and I hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording. The show will be taking a brief break over the summer, and be back in a couple of months with a deep dive into breast cancer. We’ll be talking to researchers, doctors, advocates, and unpacking the challenges of all aspects of life with breast cancer in anticipation of October’s breast cancer awareness month. I’ve been so honored to continue to share these conversations with you, and am so excited to keep going. Have a wonderful summer! Guests: Kelsey Bucci Kelsey Smith Tina Conrad Leanna House Mimi Hall Lindsay DeLong --------- “But You Don’t Look Sick” Podcast: Kelsey Bucci is 32 years old, a military wife and mother of 4 kids, ages 9, 7, 6 and 4, and the owner of the clean beauty store Paris Laundry. She is also a stylist, podcast, and breast cancer advocate. She lives in Savannah, GA with her family and is about a year out of active treatment. She was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer at the age of 30. Blog/Website: http://theblogpardonmyfrench.com Shop: https://parislaundry.com Instagram: @kelseybucci Facebook: @kelsey.bucci.3 Podcast: But You Don’t Look Sick   “The CanSurvivor” Podcast: Kelsey Smith was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer at the age of 29 in 2014. Without hesitation, Kelsey underwent the most aggressive treatment she could: A double mastectomy with reconstruction, 20 weeks of chemotherapy, and five years of maintenance medication. Currently, in remission, Kelsey hosts a weekly podcast entitled “The CanSurvivor Network” which highlights various breast cancer-related initiatives. Kelsey has worked with the University of Michigan, The American Cancer Society, and local charities as a support group facilitator. She resides in Temperance, Michigan. Blog/Website: www.thecansurvivor.org Fundraising Page: https://www.bonfire.com/the-cansurvivor-network/ Instagram:  @thecansurvivor Facebook: @TheCanSurvivors Twitter: @TheCanSurvivor Podcast: The Cansurvivor Podcast with Kelsey Smith   “DJ Breastcancer” Podcast: Tina Conrad was diagnosed at age 37 with stage III estrogen-positive breast cancer in 2013. She is a year breast cancer survivor, and her mother is a 2-time triple-negative breast cancer survivor. They have had different kinds of cancer and nothing from a genetic testing perspective to indicate why they both developed cancer at a young age.  At the time of her diagnosis, Tina was newly married and had a new promotion. With her diagnosis, a lot of things changed... friendships grew, others faded, her career aspirations changed...She does feel that her relationship with her husband grew stronger, however, there are times when he doesn't understand her as her pink sisters do. She has built a support system of many strong women, including my mom, and fights every day to advocate for research dollars because she does not want her goddaughters to live in a world with a breast cancer diagnosis, and volunteers with the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.  Tina believes that research is the answer for breast cancer- we need to do more! Blog/Website: www.djbreastcancer.org Instagram: @djbreastcancer Facebook: @Tina Conrad @DJ Breast Cancer Twitter: @djbreastcancer Podcast: DJ Breast Cancer   “Thanks, Cancer” Podcast: Hosts Leanna House and Mimi Hall met at a support group at Dana-Farber Cancer Center, and through their friendship, the podcast, Thanks, Cancer, developed. Leanna House lives in Boston and works in grants/finance in medical research. Leanna was diagnosed at 33 with same cancer that killed her mother: estrogen positive her2 negative breast cancer. She had chemo (A/C and taxol), a unilateral mastectomy with full auxiliary node dissection, radiation, and reconstruction. She is now on hormone treatment for the foreseeable future. Leanna co-founded a Thanks, Cancer! podcast, and is involved in the Patient Family Advisory Council at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Mimi Hall is a community development manager, food consultant and yoga instructor who originally hails from Cape Cod and lives in South Boston. She was diagnosed with aggressive triple-positive breast cancer in 2015 and received treatment at Dana-Farber through 2017, which included a trial study of the targeted immunotherapy drug T-DM1, a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, 12 weeks of Taxol chemotherapy and a year of Herceptin. Podcasts helped her survive the odd combination of terror and monotony that defined her treatment experience, along with amazing friends like Leanna who understand the darkness.  That's what Thanks Cancer is all about...like getting a chemo treatment with your best friends! Blog/Website:  https://www.thankscancer.com/ Instagram: @thankscancer Facebook: @thankscancer Twitter: @thankscancer Podcast: Thanks, Cancer   “Cancer, Casually” Podcast: Lindsay DeLong is the Managing Editor of the Fullest Magazine. She was diagnosed with She found a lump in her own breast at age 33, and was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, ER+, PR+, and HER2+ breast cancer on October 11, 2016. Blog/Website: Cancer, Casually on the Fullest Instagram: @cancercasually Podcast: Cancer, Casually    ------  Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

This week, we are doing something a little different and am answering some of your questions! If you have something you'd like to ask, please send it over and I will answer it in a future episode! ----- This week's questions: Q: How were you diagnosed? Q: How often do you see your doctor? What doctors do you see? Q: What is your treatment regimen? How long will you be on it? Is it working? What are the side effects? Q: Why aren’t you doing chemo or surgery? Q: Is it still considered breast cancer if the cancer is in your bones, liver, lung, and brain now? Q: How does your doctor know when the cancer has spread? Q: What is your prognosis? Q: How do you handle your mental health with this diagnosis? Q: How much do you tell Felix about your illness, appointments, etc? Q: What has been the hardest part for you? What has surprised you? How do you deal with the hard parts of the diagnosis and treatment? Q: How is your life different since your diagnosis? Have any parts changed for the better, or stayed the same? Q: Has your cancer been hard on your marriage? Q: What can I say or do for a friend with cancer? ------  Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

This season, we’ve talked about the pivotal moments of life with cancer, and the ripple effects they have in our lives. We find ourselves unwitting participants in a trial by fire, and emerge from the acute situations forced upon us with bewilderment at the drastically different lives we find ourselves in. That just about sums up my last six weeks. After discovering my brain mets and undergoing stereotactic brain radiation, I had a follow up with my oncologist the first week of May, in which she ordered a surprise abdominal CT Scan. Which showed, you guessed it, more progression, with four new liver lesions, and a brand spanking new cancer spot in my left lung. Honestly, it’s not great. It’s pretty terrifying, actually. I’ve been having some tough conversations with myself, and with my family members and close friends, and have been really reckoning with the understanding that I might really only have a few years left if we’re being pretty optimistic. What do you do with that information? Well, honestly, coming from that situation personally, you just put your head down and figure out your priorities and power through. Last Friday, my oncologist ordered a liver biopsy so we could get some more information about what might be fueling my disease, as it seems fairly resistant to hormone therapy now. I’m off the clinical trial, and this week started an oral chemotherapy drug called Xeloda. The first week has been surprisingly ok, but I do know it will keep hitting me harder as the drug builds up in my system, and one of the toughest side effects is that your hands and feet will start to peel and the skin will slough off - it’s called hand and foot syndrome. If you were jealous of my glamorous cancer life before, well, you’re going to be raging with envy over this one. On the plus side, I won’t lose my hair. So small wins. I will hopefully continue this drug for a long time but will be on it until it stops working. So I guess I’d rather have no fingerprints or skin on the bottoms of my feet than be a walking ball of tumors? If I sound a little sarcastic right now, it’s because I’m processing a lot. It’s just been so much shit getting thrown at us, over and over and over. And honestly, it’s been so difficult to just get through the days, when there seems like there’s so much to do - so much I want to do, and so many different directions I feel pulled. How do you fit an entire lifetime into the prognosis of “months to years?” Today's guest, CC Webster Marrone, found herself in one such pivotal life situation when she was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. One minute she was working balls to the wall corporate marketing job, and the next, she was undergoing chemotherapy, pulled from the breakneck pace of her previous life to a near standstill. CC captured this experience in her book “So That Happened: A Memoir,” a memoir of her life after her cancer diagnosis. CC is a young adult lymphoma survivor and author of So That Happened, A Memoir. After her diagnosis of Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2016, at age 29,  and completing six months of intensive chemotherapy, CC learned how to redesign her personal and professional life to accommodate a new, unexpected set of priorities. As the founder and creative director of Webster Works, CC is a branding and marketing consultant specializing in working with health and wellness brands and businesses. She is based in New York City.    Find CC online: So, That Happened: A Memoir Instagram Facebook Profile Facebook Biz Page LinkedIn Webster Works   ------  Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

This is a special episode, one that talks about the in-between spaces of motherhood. With the upcoming Mother’s Day Holiday, we talk easily and often about the things that make motherhood - both the mother figures in our lives and our positions as mothers - remarkable and revered. We don’t talk about the in-between spaces of motherhood in such ways, leaving those spaces to wavering voices and hushed tones. Life with breast cancer further challenges any positions of either fertility or family expansion. Whether it is the moment we are robbed of the chance to have a child, be it the first child or second, or third, those losses are no less valid. Or it is the choice to have a child despite the life long challenge, and often, spectre, of cancer co-existing with one’s family. Whether it is a loss of a pregnancy in the first trimester, second, or third, or the unimaginable existence of the loss of a child. Those of us who exist on these roads feel the deeply solitary anguish of loss that recognizes that our roles in relationship to motherhood are not black and white, but tempered with shades of gray that vacillate with our emotions, positions, understanding, and grief. My husband and I were trying to get pregnant with a second child when we learned of my breast cancer diagnosis. Nine months later, instead of welcoming a new human into our lives, I underwent a total hysterectomy, removing my ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, and cervix, which rendered me completely sterile, infertile, and in permanent menopause. While friends grow their families, my son, who is 3 and a half, asks when I will have another baby in my tummy, and if he can have a brother or sister. He would have been an incredible big brother, and my heart wells with tears that I can’t shed in front of him, as I explain to him that we can’t have any more babies in our family. He doesn’t understand, but my infertility will affect him for the rest of his life as he navigates the world as an only child. I carry immense pain with me, knowing that I cannot give him a sibling. It is not a pain that can be lessened or mitigated, but one that must be carried, adjusted throughout time to manage the burden so that it does not continuously cut too deep and leave marks that are too raw. But it never leaves. This episode is dedicated to my guest today, Anna Crollman, her husband Mac, and their babies - babies lost, babies that may come into the world in the future, and the babies they hold in their heart. At the time we recorded this episode, Anna was undergoing a frozen embryo transfer in the hope of becoming pregnant. While the transfer was successful, Anna lost the baby around 7 weeks, her second loss after suffering a traumatic ectopic pregnancy in 2018. Anna and her husband anticipate moving forward with another transfer, as Anna can only be off hormone suppressants for a fixed period of time. This episode honors Anna’s space as a mother, and her motherhood, where she has been, where she exists now, and space she may occupy in the future, in whatever manner it holds for her. This episode is also dedicated to all of those people who are living the in-between spaces of motherhood, whose hearts carry empty space for hopes and dreams that have not manifested themselves in the manner they yearn for. I see you, I hear you, and I recognize your motherhood, in whatever ways you choose. Anna is a blogger, breast cancer survivor, and motivational speaker specializing in wellness, beauty and style content. She uses her compelling experience of facing breast cancer in her twenties to inspire young women to overcome adversity with strength, confidence, and style. Anna founded and runs My Cancer Chic, a platform providing resources, inspiration, and community for your young women facing adversity. Anna was diagnosed in July 2015 with stage IIB triple positive breast cancer despite having no family history of pre-menopausal breast cancer and no genetic mutations. She had a single mastectomy, fertility preservation, 6 rounds of TCH chemo, followed by a second mastectomy on the non-cancerous side. At that point she had implants put in and had them for 6-8 months, then had the implant exchange surgery, followed by revisions and fat grafting a year later. In January 2018 Anna went off Lupron and Femara - hormone-blocking drugs -  which she had been on since her diagnosis. She got pregnant in June, but sadly, that pregnancy ended in an ectopic pregnancy, requiring emergency surgery to remove one of Anna’s fallopian tubes. Anna and her husband began IVF with their frozen embryos shortly before we recorded this episode, and Anna became pregnant again, only to lose yet another baby in the first trimester. Despite all of these challenges, Anna has remained a beacon of light and hope, not only for herself but to those around her navigating similar challenges. I had the wonderful fortune of meeting Anna in person in March at the Young Survival Coalition 2019 Summit in Austin, Texas, and can attest to the fact that she is, in fact, just as sweet and genuine in person as she is over social media.   Find Anna Online: Blog/Website: mycancerchic.com Instagram: @mycancerchic Facebook: @mycancerchic Twitter: @mycancerchic   ------  Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

I’m still recovering from my SRS brain radiation. The first few days were as nothing at all had happened - I was shocked since it seemed that something that is physically damaging one’s brain, the single structure responsible for the design of one’s existence and one's personhood, would carry with it some repercussions. The following week, I noticed I was a little more tired than usual, but my mom was staying with us, so I was able to mitigate much of the fatigue with a couple of extra hours of sleep each morning. Which brings me to today, almost 2 weeks post radiation. I woke up yesterday morning with a raging headache, and my whole body felt like a bag of sand. I was groggy and irritable, but forced myself to get up and begin moving around by about 11:30 am, after sleeping for nearly 14 hours). As the day went on, my headaches got worse and more localized. They were like flashes of light in my skull, flaring and then fading out quickly. By the evening, I began to get concerned about them and resolved to call my radiation oncologist the next morning if they hadn’t resolved. They hadn’t, and the radiation oncologist’s office recommended that I go back on a course of steroids for the next few days. They believe that it is likely localized brain tissue swelling, a common side effect of the brain radiation, and often relieved by the steroids. It’s another bump in the road, a hurdle, and a challenge to navigate this new normal on top of everything else. As I am recording this, I’m actually struggling to keep my eyes open, and once I finish, I’m going to try to lie down again - although often I struggle with insomnia due to the steroids. This is life with an ongoing illness, whether you term it chronic, incurable, or terminal. At any given point in the day, life taps you on the shoulder and asks you to spin the wheel - you might be feeling great, then all of a sudden…you aren’t, and have to recognize those limitations or pay dearly for them. On the blog “But You Don’t Look Sick” Christina Miserandino pioneered “Spoon Theory” as a way to analogize ongoing health challenges. Wikipedia defines Spoon Theory as “a neologism used to explain the reduced amount of mental and physical energy available for activities of living and productive tasks that may result from disability or chronic illness” but for those actually living as “Spoonies” as those with ongoing health challenges often call themselves, it provides a lens for others to better understand the challenges we navigate at any given moment. Our illnesses so often exist with a cloak of invisibility, showing us what strengths that belie our weaknesses, our struggles, our limitations. My guest today is Courtney Pest, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age 14. She missed her entire freshman year of high school due to her cancer treatment and proceeded to go through chemotherapy for nearly three years. She currently lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband, dog, and cat. She has degrees in psychology, teaching, and certificates in early childhood education, behavioral scientist, and autism. Ever since her leukemia diagnosis, she has struggled with at least three diagnoses at any given time including but not limited to, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic back pain stemming from herniated bulging and ruptured discs as well as degenerative disc disease. In this episode, Courtney and I talk about the manner in which illnesses dictate so much of our lives but despite that, we find ways to define ourselves outside of the pervasiveness of our illness. Courtney also gives us a glimpse into her typical day, comparing a good day for her with a bad day. The Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino   Find Courtney online: Fight Like A Warrior Instagram - @chronically_courtney Instagram - @FightLikeaWarrior Twitter - @ChronicallyCori   ------  Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

And we’re back - and switching gears - my guest today is CHARLES GRAEBER,  an award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author of The Breakthrough: Immnuotherapy and the race to cure cancer, and “The Good nurse”.  His work has been included in collections including The Best American Science Writing, The Best American Crime Reporting ,The Best American Business Writing, The Best of 10 Years of National Geographic Adventure, The Best of 20 years of WIRED, and The Best American Magazine Writing as selected by the American Society of Magazine Editors and The Columbia Journalism School, and garnered honors including an Alfred P. Sloan fellowship and an Overseas Press Club’s Ed Cunningham Award for outstanding international journalism. Charles and I talk about a different place in the intersection of cancer and life - immunotherapy - a place of both incredible medical advancements and future unknowns, as this innovative approach has gained presence within the world of cancer research. His book, the Breakthrough, serves as an approachable yet informative manual for anyone navigating a cancer diagnosis, as a critical tool in the understanding of potential treatments outside of the traditional trio of chemo, radiation, and surgery. Charles and I discuss the scientific mechanisms of immunotherapy, as well as the setbacks and limitations of developing immunology-based cancer treatments. In addition, we discuss the limitations of clinical trials: that we need doctors to be more willing to explore trials earlier in treatment, patients need to be willing and receptive to try trials, and trial sponsors need to be more nuanced in their approach to the needs of patients in order to recruit trial participants, create the tools for treatment adherence, and expand their criteria for inclusion in trials, particularly for patients with brain metastases. Find Charles online: Website Twitter  Facebook The Breakthrough: Immunotherapy and the Race to Cure Cancer The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder  ------  Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

A few days ago, I was sorting through the mounds of paperwork that had accumulated in my office over the last year- exp of benefits, conference glossy fliers, and pages and pages of notes from every appointment I went to. And then I found, buried at the bottom of a giant stack of folders full of paper, the notebook that I had purchased in between my mammogram and biopsy, on Nov 9, 2017. The notes from my first appointments with cancer doctors. It struck me to look back and review those notes, just how dismissive those doctors were. I had notes about my symptoms that clearly indicated my metastatic status, and I felt transported back to that place, where I felt small, unknowing, insignificant. To the place where I didn’t feel like I had a say in my treatment or my assessments. I was also transported, that evening, into a place where I was no longer metastatic- where I felt like I could step into that world again, if only for a few minutes, and envision my life if things had been different if my cancer had been caught earlier. It’s a fantasy for sure since we all know that it’s not the case for me. But what if I had known I was likely to be at risk for all of this? What would I have done with that information? My guest today, Jessamyn Lopez, is one of my oldest friends- we met in after school care in elementary school, and continued to keep in touch throughout high school, college, and beyond. During all of this, Jessamyn’s father was diagnosed with breast cancer, which later metastasized and caused his death. After her father’s diagnosis, Jessamyn sought genetic testing and tested positive for the BRCA 2 gene. Jessamyn found herself in a web of tremendously difficult decisions surrounding family planning in her very new marriage, and ultimately choosing to undergo a bilateral prophylactic mastectomy and removal of her fallopian tubes. Jessamyn and I have had innumerable conversations since my diagnosis, and it has always struck me how, when we talk, there is no “before” for either of us- every facet of our lives is now filtered through the lens of this diagnosis, even our experiences prior to cancer. When I found those notes from 18 months ago, it struck me how difficult it was to relive the moments of that understanding of the fundamental changes for every single aspect of my life. I’m not going to compare life with metastatic breast cancer to life with an genetic mutation, because that’s irrelevant for this conversation. What struck me as so connecting with my conversation - and overarching friendship with Jessamyn - is how universal that change, that shift in your life is, and how it shatters your entire worldview. There is universality in that feeling of wishing you could step back into an earlier, or different time, and live in one’s innocence, one’s unknowing, for a little bit longer. With CRISPR, Scientists Engineered Nearly 4,000 Mutations of a Breast-Cancer Gene Angelina Jolie's Op-ed FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered): The Ovarian Early Detection program at Northwestern that I've been in for 9 years Jessamyn's Instagram ------  Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

Just wanted to chat for a little bit and give everyone an update of what's going on.  ------  Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

After my metastatic breast cancer diagnosis, the one thing that stuck in my mind the most was “how the hell do I parent in the midst of all of this?” It felt like a struggle to even manage my own day, let alone still navigate things in a way that would allow me to properly care for my son. I just didn’t know how I was going to do it. By and large, we have found a new normal, as he gets older and I process and understand more about my life with metastatic breast cancer. But some days, I still don’t know how I’m going to do it. Currently, I’m navigating my diagnosis of brain metastases, and the thought of that terrifies me - I have to perform some pretty intense mental gymnastics in order to keep my mind out of very dark places. Last week, when I received the news, my first impulse was to basically just spend the day in bed with my head under the covers. I didn’t really want to face the world. Then I realized that I had the opportunity to interview today’s guest, and it dawned on me: who better to have the opportunity to talk to about metastatic parenting, brain mets, and the challenges of being a mom of a young kiddo and still dealing with metastatic breast cancer? Tricia Russo’s life as a parent is an incredible testament to the tricky reality of hope when living with cancer, especially metastatic cancer. Tricia was initially diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer in December 2011. After a year of treatment, including chemo, single mastectomy with expander, radiation, and reconstruction, she and her husband began discussing their options to start a family. Only two months after a clean scan, Trish was re-diagnosed as metastatic when metastases were discovered in her brain. She underwent brain surgery, partial brain radiation, and then stereotactic radiosurgery through 2016. While she was dealing with this diagnosis, she and her husband considered IVF as a way to start their family but were unable to do so due to Tricia’s continued treatment. In 2015 they decided to pursue family building with a surrogate/gestational carrier. They became a family of three in November 2016, when their son, Grayson, was born. Tricia is a filmmaker, Patient Advocate, mother, and founder of The Cyan Gray Hope Foundation, a non-profit focusing on creating content to raise awareness, and ultimately funding for research, for MBC and infertility.  Tricia has been living with MBC (mets to brain) since 2013 and has been NED for 6 years. She previously worked in film development for Walt Disney Motion Pictures but little did she know that her own life would become fodder for her storytelling.  ‘LOVE ALWAYS, MOM’ is her award-winning documentary feature about her journey to have a child through egg donation and surrogacy after her metastatic breast cancer diagnosis. It is currently screening on the film festival circuit and there will be community screenings throughout 2019 leading up to a streaming release. Tricia served as a ‘Hear My Voice Volunteer’ for Living Beyond Breast Cancer in 2017 and runs a support group for young MBC survivors in Los Angeles. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband, screenwriter Greg Russo, and their son, Grayson. She loves taking her son on adventures, whether around Los Angeles, across the country to visit family in her home- state of New Jersey, or to film festivals and cancer conferences far and wide. Love Always, Mom is currently on an east coast tour, with screenings in Hagerstown, MD, Millburn, NJ, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, NY, and then back to the west coast for Los Angeles, CA, Redwood City, CA screenings. You can purchase tickets or make donations through Brown Paper Tickets or through the website www.cyangray.org. As a special promotion for the Brooklyn screening for Love Always, Mom, we are giving away two tickets - stay tuned for more details at the end of the show. Here's where to find Tricia online: Blog/Website Instagram - @russotricia Instagram - @lovealwaysmomthemovie Facebook - trish.gonnellarusso Facebook - lovealwaysmomthemovie Facebook - CyanGrayHope Twitter - @LAMthemovie ------  Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

In the final lines of his poem, Ulysses, Alfred, Lord Tennyson writes:   Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho' We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.   What do we talk about when we talk about resilience? What is it that makes something resilient? Resilience isn’t necessarily the inflexibility to withstand impossible forces or obstacles, but the strength in yielding, the suppleness to respond, to bend with the forces that come at us. Resilience isn’t hope, and it isn’t fear, but it’s a recognition of both of those things in which neither overtakes the other. It’s a nest, woven with threads of both anticipation and expectation, with the full recognition that it may be blown from the tree where it sits, but at the same time, it presently is still secure in its current - much safer - location. I received some pretty tough news last night - at the time I’m recording this, it’s still incredibly fresh, and difficult to wrap my head around. A few weeks ago, when I last saw my oncologist, I mentioned some unusual headaches I had been having. They weren’t terribly bad, but were not easily explained, and were, well, just strange. She ordered a brain MRI to follow up with them. You know where this is going. My oncologist called late last night - after 9 pm. I almost always know when she’s calling because her number shows up as “No Caller ID” on my phone, the only number that does, and if anyone else from my cancer center calls me, the main line shows up on the screen. Before I even picked up the phone, I knew. My stomach coiled into a weighty ball, and I braced myself for the news I was terrified to hear. I have metastases in my brain. Now currently, I really don’t want to be talking about this. I don’t want to be even thinking about it. But, unfortunately, I don’t have a choice - it’s my life now. For those of you who are finding out about this for the first time through this podcast, I apologize. This news is less than 24 hours old, and honestly, we just don’t have a lot of information right now, and I can’t answer the same questions over and over. And that is where this place of resilience comes in. Resilience, in many forms, recognizes the space that we need to create for ourselves and says “to hell with everyone else, I am claiming this for myself.” It recognizes and honors the shitty things that can, and do happen, and gives us the roots to bend, but not break. When I first got diagnosed with breast cancer, then metastatic breast cancer, then when I had progression in December, then basically all of 2019, culminating with the phone call last night with my oncologist, I found myself sobbing that I was so afraid - that I didn’t want to die. When I finally secured enough Ativan to get me to sleep (disclaimer, it did not exceed the prescribed therapeutic dose) I took a hot shower. As I stood in the water, and the bathroom filled with steam, I choked on sobs, finding myself closer and closer to the most terrifying fear that I have ever felt. And then it dawned on me. I felt so close to death and felt that fear so viscerally because it was so real, so concrete. We all know we are going to die. But we don’t know how, or when, we’re going get there. We don’t know what the in-between spaces look like, or how they will play out. I was trying to push against the inevitable. I eventually will die, and by immediately letting my mind exist in that place fails to recognize that I am currently not dying. Yes, I have a very serious disease. But that willingness to recognize the strength in yielding to what comes in the interim, to see it, to acknowledge it and give it no more and no less time and energy than it needs, that gave me power. It’s giving me power right now. I’m not in the process of dying, I’m recording this podcast. I’m going to pick my son up from school, and we’re probably going to read some books together. I can exist in the unknown space, fully aware that I don’t know what is to come. Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will. To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. My guest today is Christine Buttigieg, an incredible example of resilience through almost every facet of her life. Christine is a working mom of two who was diagnosed with appendix cancer at age 34 in February of 2015, less than a year after her second child was born. Throughout her diagnosis and treatment, Christine’s journalism background provided her the tools to research, ask questions, and more fully understand what she and her family were going through. She is also a 4 time Emmy and 4 time Murrow award winner. Appendix cancer is incredibly rare, affecting 0.03% of people. Christine originally thought she was being treated for routine appendicitis, but after seeking out a second opinion at Memorial Sloan Kettering, her oncologist discovered additional tumor sites on her abdominal lining, making her stage IV. Christine went through some seriously intense chemo regimens, including a nonstop chemo fanny-pack with a pump, and both EPIC and HIPEC chemo, which are intra-abdominal chemotherapy that is super-heated, and then you soak in it for almost two hours before it’s drained. After a recurrence in 2016, Christine is currently in remission. Christine's Facebook MSK Patient Feature - Christine’s Story MSK Patient Feature - When Appendix Cancer Returns   ------  Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

And we’re back with Episode 2 of the Intersection of Cancer and Life! Where we left off, a few weeks after I started the clinical trial drug, I began to feel really terrible. I wasn’t sure what was happening - after all, I have a three-year-old in preschool and it was January, the height of the cold season. Around that time, for whatever reason, I was looking through some of my recent test results. I hadn’t really reviewed them in depth, since there were so many different scans and, honestly, I felt so overwhelmed with the on-boarding process for the clinical trial. I figured that the scans weren’t going to be any different since they were two weeks apart, and my doctors had noted that they were unchanged. And I hadn’t heard anything about the bone biopsy, so I assumed that there was nothing particularly concerning with those as well. Well, I noticed some notes on my bone biopsy pathology report from January 2019 that seemed a little, shall we say, alarming. I mentioned that my cancer was estrogen receptor positive - that means that my cancer is particularly receptive to hormone therapy. That was the reason for having a hysterectomy last August - to remove all of the hormones from my body. As I was reading the bone biopsy report from January, I noticed that my cancer’s estrogen sensitivity had dropped precipitously - from around 95% to close to nothing. Now, this might not seem like a big deal. It may even sound like a good thing - things are changing, right? Except it’s not a good thing. One of the challenges in treatment for metastatic breast cancer is the manner in which it can mutate and therefore render treatments ineffective. There are a number of solid treatment options for metastatic breast cancer - IF the cancer is responsive to the therapy. And cancer that doesn’t have hormone sensitivity isn’t going to be responsive to hormone therapy. And if it’s not going to be responsive to the treatment I’m currently on, what’s going to happen? After I completely freaked the hell out, I started doing some frantic research. And anyone who has been diagnosed by Dr. Google knows that it’s never a good thing. I discovered that mutations in metastatic breast cancer are not uncommon at all - approximately 20-30% of people deal with a mutation that causes a significant shift in the way their disease is treated. This is a HUGE issue in research, and yet, it’s not really talked about - at least, it wasn’t really on my radar. On top of everything else, I had just had a second bone biopsy, as part of the clinical trial protocol, but the pathology results weren’t available yet. My December spiral was nothing compared to the black hole I found myself in during the month of February. A year ago, I had just started my first line of treatment and anticipated the first scans. I was feeling better, and I had a feeling the scans would be ok. This was all part of understanding my new normal. I told myself that I had a long road ahead of me. But this year, after experiencing one failed drug, I feel very different. I’m coming up on 18 months (in May) of life with metastatic breast cancer. For a disease that has a life expectancy hovering around 2-3 years, 18 months feels like I’m starting to walk on thin ice, no longer on solid ground. Time feels like it’s starting to slip away much, much faster. So we waited. We waited for my first set of scans on the clinical trial. We waited for the pathology for the bone biopsy. We waited, and hoped for the best, but expected the worst. I was so sure that my scans were going to show progression, that I was going to be facing yet another new line of treatment, that I didn’t even want to call for my results. When the nurse came on the other end of the line, I steeled myself, ready for the bad news. The scans were stable, she said. You can stay on the trial for another two months. And better yet, the bone pathology showed a much more appropriate estrogen sensitivity. She explained that sometimes the readings can be low if there isn’t a lot of tumors present in the sample. I had been holding my breath for so many weeks, and finally, I started to exhale. I kept repeating the news to myself, in disbelief. Stable. And even better, the bone sample didn’t even have a ton of tumor in it. So now, I have an 8 week (hopefully) lease on life until my next set of scans. If I’ve learned anything over the past year, it’s that things can change in a moments notice. But also, as I learned from this episode’s guest, that those changes can surprise you in ways you never believed possible. My guest today is Nicole Body, a stage 3 sarcoma survivor. She is the creator and author of her website and blog, Sparkly Survivor, where she shares experiences during treatment and post-treatment while sharing words of encouragement on how to live life joyfully at the crossroads of faith and cancer. In July 2017, Nicole was diagnosed with stage 3 Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma. Her gallbladder was failing, and she underwent 4 rounds of chemotherapy to shrink her cancer. Two weeks after her last scan, which still showed sarcoma, she underwent major surgery, with plans to attempt the Whipple procedure. However, after making a 9-inch incision down her abdomen, her doctors couldn't find cancer anywhere. She is nearly a year cancer-free. As she says, it was a miracle. Nicole has found her voice as a writer for the I Had Cancer blog and her cancer story has appeared in the MD Anderson Cancer Center blog, Cancerwise. She hopes to publish the book she just finished writing about her journey soon and strives daily to bring encouragement to others who have battled cancer. ----- Nicole Body is a stage 3 sarcoma survivor, and the creator and author of her website and blog, Sparkly Survivor, where she shares experiences during treatment and post-treatment while sharing words of encouragement on how to live life joyfully at the crossroads of faith and cancer. In July 2017, Nicole was diagnosed with stage 3 Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma. Her gallbladder was failing, and she underwent 4 rounds of chemotherapy to shrink her cancer. Two weeks after her last scan, which still showed sarcoma, she underwent major surgery, with plans to attempt the Whipple procedure. However, after making a 9-inch incision down her abdomen, her doctors couldn't find cancer anywhere. She is nearly a year cancer-free. As she says, it was a miracle. Nicole has found her voice as a writer for the I Had Cancer blog and her cancer story has appeared in the MD Anderson Cancer Center blog, Cancerwise. She hopes to publish the book she just finished writing about her journey soon and strives daily to bring encouragement to others who have battled cancer. Find Nicole online: Blog/Website Instagram Facebook Twitter Email Youtube: Nicole Body’s Cancer Journey Pinterest ------  Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

Welcome back to Season 2 of the Intersection of Cancer and Life. It feels a little crazy to be back behind the microphone again - so much has happened in the last couple of months. When season 1 finished, I had just received my December PET scan results, which weren’t good. The scan showed progression in my bone lesions (translation - the breast cancer cell pockets in my bones that had been kept at bay by my treatment were no longer responding to my treatment, and had spread). This meant that I needed to switch treatments, and fairly fast. It was also the week before Christmas, and my family and I had planned a relaxing week away with my in-laws on their farm. But yet again, cancer had other plans. Fortunately, I suppose, my Oncologist was able to find a clinical trial that she was very excited about, and I was accepted into the trial. I signed the consent forms to participate in the trial on December 21st. It felt fitting that it was the longest night of the year because I found myself in one of the darkest places I had ever known. When we came back from our trip on New Years Eve (and I was a real peach to be around for that whole week, let me tell you), instead of planning a festive get-together to ring in 2019, I spent the majority of the day undergoing more testing - this time, a CT scan and a bone scan - as part of the clinical trial intake. Two days later, more tests: a physical, an EKG, and a meeting with the clinical trial team. A few more days later, a bone biopsy, then finally, I was cleared to start the trial drug. Having not had any prior experiences with clinical trials, I didn’t know what to expect. However, I quickly learned that with these trials, it’s one foot in front of the other, and you’ll know what you know when you know it, and not a moment too soon. In other words, yet another lesson in patience from the breast cancer gods. Fucking patience. I felt like I had been in a holding pattern for close to a month before I was finally able to start the trial drug (as a side note, this is a phase 1B dosing trial, which means that there is no placebo. If that sounds like gibberish to you, don’t worry - it just means that it’s an early stage trial and I’m definitely on the new drug, not a sugar pill or anything) but eventually, I was given the green light by the clinical trial and started the new medication. You might remember from last season, but if you don’t, my first line of treatment was an oral targeted therapy - a drug called Ibrance, in combination with a second drug that blocked hormone receptors, called letrozole. This is a pretty standard treatment for estrogen positive metastatic breast cancer, particularly for those with bone metastases like mine. However, it’s not as common to jump from the first line of treatment to a clinical trial, and, because of this, we had no idea what to expect. In navigating the maze of metastatic breast cancer, today’s interview feels particularly important, especially to me, as I recorded this episode last December, the day after my scan - while I waited for the results that I would find showed progression in my disease. My guest is Susan Rahn, a vehement advocate for both Metastatic Breast Cancer and Medical Aid in Dying. Susan was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer de novo in August 2013, after experiencing back pain that she originally suspected to be a kidney infection. She is a graduate of the Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s Hear My Voice advocacy training and a public speaker. Susan has been meeting with lawmakers about legislation and bills that will positively impact the metastatic breast cancer community and bring Medical Aid in Dying laws to New York State. Currently, Susan is the President of METUP, a direct action advocacy organization founded by Beth Caldwell. METUP pushes to change the landscape of metastatic breast cancer by amplifying the need for improved healthcare access, research, and funding for metastatic disease. Referenced in the Episode: Metup.org A 2694: Proposed Legislation in New York for  Medical Aid in Dying San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Find Susan online: Twitter Facebook Instagram Stickit2Stage4.com ----- Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

Throughout Season one of The Intersection of Cancer and Life, we met some amazing people- people whose diagnosis was a catalyst for incredible advocacy, community building, and even entrepreneurship. Now, in Season 2, we have more fantastic guests whose stories are as dynamic as they are, but we’re also going to dig a bit deeper into those cancer conversations that I mentioned because the intersection of cancer and life isn’t a static place. We don’t stand still, we keep moving forward despite, or maybe because of the places we’ve been.  So welcome to Season 2 of the Intersection of Cancer and Life - thanks for being here with me.  Stay tuned for new episodes starting next Thursday! ----- Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

It's hard to believe this is episode 12 - the last episode of Season 1of the Intersection of Cancer and Life. Thank you all so much for following along and listening to our show. Thank you too, to our incredible guests this season: Nora McMahon, Justin Birckbichler, Marianne Duquette Cuozzo, Robin Browne, Racheli Alkobey, Emily Hopper, Annelise Cohon, Abigail Johnston, Dana Donofree, Wendy Chioji, Annmarie Otis, and today's guest, Ellis Emerson.  When I started this podcast, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I'm not a naturally comfortable speaker - if you've seen my blog, you know I am much more comfortable writing. That said, my single new year's resolution for 2018 was to do things that scared me, that challenged me, and that pushed me outside of my comfort zone. This podcast has been an amazing manifestation of that. I am forever grateful to Mouth Off Network, Pablo Hernandez, Jamie Pham, and Brady Tuazon, for taking a chance on me. We will be back for Season 2 in a few weeks, and I'm really excited for so many of these guests, interviews, and conversations.  I can’t think of a better guest than Ellis Emerson to wrap up Season 1. Ellis is a mother, runner, and cancer survivor who was diagnosed with Stage 3 Melanoma in October 2017, right after her 32nd birthday. After her diagnosis, Ellis did not want to let one second of her life get away from her. In a little over a year, Ellis has thrown the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game, went cliff jumping in Puerto Rico, took a flying lesson in Iceland, and also got married. But most amazingly, in July of 2018, she ran 135 miles across Death Valley California as part of the Badwater Ultramarathon. I’m so excited to welcome Ellis to episode 12, and the season 1 finale of the Intersection of Cancer and life.  Here's where to find Ellis on social media:  Instagram: @littlejenjenthatcould   ------- Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

Episode 11 of the Intersection of Cancer and Life features Annmarie Otis, the founder of Stupid Dumb Breast Cancer. Annmarie was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer in 2012, and Stupid Dumb Breast Cancer is her fierce and unconventional initiative to promote awareness, early detection, and advocacy surrounding breast cancer, with a special focus on how the disease impacts younger people. On behalf of Stupid Dumb Breast Cancer, Annmarie has been featured in area publications, appeared on TV, local radio, and Huff Post Live, and hosts a series of monthly events through various cancer organizations. Since its inception in 2012, Stupid Dumb Breast Cancer has raised and contributed over $750,000 to a variety of breast cancer organizations, including Stand Up to Cancer, Duke Hospital, Wilmot Cancer Center, the Upstate Cancer Center, CancerConnects, Personal P.Ink, and the Maureen’s Hope Foundation. Annmarie communicates regularly with a growing network of patients, their loved ones, and supporters through a variety of social media, where she candidly shares her thoughts and experiences and welcomes others to join the conversation, discover their own strengths and discuss their journeys.  Here's where to find Annmarie on social media: Website: Stupid Dumb Breast Cancer Instagram: @stupiddumbbreastcancer Facebook: @stupiddumbbreastcancer Twitter: @annmarieg4 As I mentioned in the show introduction, my dear friend Rebecca Scheinkman died on Tuesday, December 18th, 2018. Underneath her continuously sunny demeanor, Rebecca was a fierce advocate, raising over $100,000 for breast cancer research through the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Until only a few days before she died, while navigating brain metastases with unfathomable cognitive symptoms, Rebecca continued to fundraise and advocate for metastatic breast cancer research. She is a bright light that will be missed tremendously.  In addition to Rebecca's death, after processing my scan results, I am fired up. There is so much more work to be done with regards to recognition of metastatic breast cancer, and metastatic cancers as a whole. We still live in a world in which one in eight women will face a breast cancer diagnosis in her lifetime, and approximately 30% of those women will develop a metastatic recurrence. These numbers are unacceptable. We do not get to control so many of the things that happen to us in our lives. But we get to control our narratives, our responses, and the paths we choose when we are faced with challenges. As John Donne wrote in 1623, "therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." If you are wondering when the time will be right to move forward, to find space to work for something meaningful, the time is right now. Please consider making a donation to one of the following organizations: Metavivor- to fund metastatic breast cancer research The Cancer Couch Foundation- to fund metastatic breast cancer research Breast Cancer Research Foundation- in memory of Rebecca Scheinkman  METUP- to provide financial support for policy advocacy and structural change  ------- Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

"Fear is darkness, and education is light." -Wendy Chioji Episode 10 of the Intersection of Cancer and Life features Wendy Chioji, a freelance television producer, six-time Ironman, and triathlete, who has tackled everything in her life, including her three cancer diagnoses, with the same motto: "Just say yes."  Wendy's first round with cancer came in 2001 at age 39, when she was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. She underwent chemo and surgery, then participated in a clinical trial of the drug Taxotere. In 2013, Wendy was diagnosed with stage II Thymic Carcinoma, a rare cancer that affects the Thymic gland, an organ that serves as part of the lymphatic system and lies under the breastbone in the upper chest. She underwent chemo and radiation, and then, after a recurrence of the Thymic cancer, began a series of clinical trials. Wendy is not only an incredible advocate for clinical trials but a fantastic source of information about all aspects of the clinical trial process. Not only have these trials extended her life, but Wendy walks us through the ins and outs of how to navigate a clinical trial, the importance of these trials, and debunks many commonly-held myths about clinical trials. In addition, Wendy talks candidly about her life with cancer, the subsequent health challenges that she navigates as a result of her treatments, and her fundraising missions with Pelotonia, an organization that funds clinical trials for the James Cancer Center in Columbus, Ohio.    Links from the show: Clinical Trials Southwest Airlines Medical Transportation Grants FDA Compassionate Use Program    Here's where to find Wendy on social media: wendychioji.com Twitter: @wchioji Instagram: @wchioji -------- Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

**I am doing a Reddit AMA today (12/6) at 9 AM EST!** "Holy shit, I need to make bras." - Dana Donofree Episode 9 of the Intersection of Cancer and Life features an incredible guest: Dana Donofree. Dana is best known as the founder and creator of AnaOno, a lingerie company specifically for women navigating breast cancer. I first met Dana in the spring of 2018 at the Living Beyond Breast Cancer Metastatic Conference in Philadelphia, PA, and was immediately struck with her passion for an unwavering commitment to the breast cancer community.  Dana was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 27 and founded AnaOno out of her own necessity and desire for pretty, sexy, beautiful lingerie. After a bilateral mastectomy with implant reconstruction, her own bras no longer fit and she was certain there must be more than just sports bras and camisoles (as nothing in the traditional lingerie market fit her surgically-altered body anymore). With a degree in fashion design from Savannah College of Art and Design, and a quite successful fashion industry career, she took her 10+ years experience and put it toward designing, launching and growing AnaOno. Dana is very active in the breast cancer community and is involved with several non-profits, including serving on the Living Beyond Breast Cancer board and continuing to be an outspoken advocate for Metavivor. Her story has been featured on USA Today, The Today Show, HuffPost, New York Times, INStyle, and many others. However, she is most proud of being able to make a difference in the lives of women worldwide and is honored to continue to spread her mission of beauty, confidence, and empowerment. Dana and I talked about her diagnosis, the challenges she faced throughout treatment, and how she found herself designing and making bras. We get real about the struggle to navigate the need for both positivities in the face of our challenges and recognizing the harsh reality of life with breast cancer. Dana also talks about the meteoric uprising of AnaOno, including a recent expansion that made AnaOno bras available through Soma Intimates and gives a little teaser about the possibility of another collaboration with Project #Cancerland for the 2019 New York Fashion Week.  UPDATE: The CancerlandXAnaOno show is back for NYFW 2019! The show will be taking place on February 10, 2019, and all proceeds will benefit Metavivor.  Here's where to find Dana on social media:  AnaOno Website Twitter: @AnaOnoIntimates Instagram: @AnaOnoIntimates Facebook: @AnaOnoIntimates YouTube: @AnaOnoIntimates   Note: In the show intro, I stated that Project #Cancerland's website was cancerland.com, which is incorrect. Project #Cancerland's website is projectcancerland.org.    -------- Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

Episode 8 of the Intersection of Cancer and Life is a special episode for me - at the time it airs, it will have been a year since my diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer. In this episode, I talk with Abigail Johnston, a fellow lawyer, mother, and metastatic breast cancer thriver. Before cancer, Abigail was an accomplished lawyer in the central Florida area, practicing for over fifteen years and building a life with her husband and two boys. Once she was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer, Abigail closed her firm to be able to spend more time with her family. Life for Abigail is full of doctors appointments, research, and advocacy within and for the metastatic breast cancer community as well as family time. As part of her advocacy efforts, Abigail started a program called Connect IV Legal Services, in which she connects metastatic cancer patients with lawyers, to help them address legal issues such as advance directives, and will drafting, among other things.  In this episode, Abigail and I mention a few things I want to further explain: Metastatic breast cancer that is diagnosed de novo means that it was never early-stage cancer, and was diagnosed as metastatic before any surgery or treatment has taken place. Both Abigail and I were diagnosed de novo.  We also talk about some legal documents that you may not be familiar with, including Wills, Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy, and living will.  A Will is a document in which you pass on all of your possessions to a person or people after you die. However, a will does not only do that but can dictate things such as the creation of a trust or the guardian for a minor child.  A Health Care Proxy is the document that allows someone to have the power to make medical decisions on your behalf, in particular, if you are incapacitated and cannot do so yourself.  A Power of Attorney is the document that allows someone to make financial and personal needs decisions on your behalf, should you be in a position where you are unable to do so yourself. A Living Will is the document that indicates your preferences for resuscitation and life support, should you be in a position to need them. If you have heard the term “do not resuscitate” - this is the document that can allow someone to have that wish. This document allows people to have a say in how they want their end of life medical care handled, as so often when people are in these positions, they are unable to effectively communicate these wishes.  Disclaimer: This episode has some audio issues at the beginning of the episode.  Here's where to find Abigail on social media: Twitter:@AMJohnston1315 Instagram: @amj1315 Connect IV Legal Services Facebook Page   -------- Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

Episode 7 of the Intersection of Cancer and Life features one of my wonderful college friends, Annelise Cohon. Anna is an education specialist and innovative leader, with more than eight years of professional experience in advancing quality education for all children. She is passionate about the intersection of education and health. She is driven to ensure that all students have the social and emotional support needed to be successful. Shortly after my own cancer diagnosis, Anna reached out to me and shared her own cancer story. Hearing her experience gave me the first beginnings of community in the world of cancer, and she and I have been able to reconnect over our shared health challenges. In this episode, Anna talks publicly for one of the first times about her thyroid cancer diagnosis at age 30, subsequent recurrence the following year, as well as how it has both challenged her and given her the opportunity to find new focus on helping kids who have been impacted by trauma and share her love of yoga and mindfulness with others. In 2015, Anna experienced a panic attack, and at that time, the doctor found a few nodules in her thyroid. After multiple ultrasounds and needle biopsies, she underwent a total thyroidectomy. In April 2016, while Anna and her husband were planning to travel the world for a year, an ultrasound revealed that her thyroid cancer had returned. She underwent another surgery and radioactive iodine treatment, and her trip was canceled. Her recurrence showed her that she was not getting the support that she needed, and she sought out a more specialized, experienced team, teaching her how to be a better advocate for her health. Having her thyroid removed changed a lot of things in Anna’s life and forced her to focus on her health and herself. While the experience was incredibly hard, scary and humbling and she will be on medication for the rest of her life, this experience has pushed her to focus on the things and people that matter most to her. Anna and I had the opportunity to discuss the importance of finding our own voices as both women and patients in order to advocate for our own health needs. We talked about so many of the unexpected turns that life has taken us, and how she has found so much space for herself as a children's yoga teacher. Here’s where to find Anna on social media: Twitter LinkedIn -------- Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com

Episode 6 of the Intersection of Cancer and Life features Emily Hopper, the mama, artist, advocate, and breast cancer survivor behind alternative breast cancer awareness apparel brand, EMPOWERHAUS. She is also the founder of Flatties Unite, the popular Facebook group for women living with fewer than 2 breasts. Emily was diagnosed with stage III triple negative breast cancer at 31 years old, after being misdiagnosed 14 months earlier. Emily has recently completed 13 rounds of IV chemo, a double mastectomy with flat reconstruction, 30 rounds of radiation, and 8 cycles of oral chemotherapy and lives in Wisconsin with her husband and young daughter. Emily and I talked a lot about the challenges of navigating a breast cancer diagnosis with young children, as well as the recent publicity surrounding the flat community, both from Catherine Guthrie's new book FLAT: Reclaiming my Body after Breast Cancer, and an article featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine detailing the rampant sexism in breast reconstruction decisions.  As a special gift to listeners, EMPOWERHAUS is offering 15% off with the code EMPOWER15 - orders need to be in by November 30th in order to assure delivery in time for Christmas.   You can find Emily on social media here: EMPOWERHAUS: Website: www.empowerhaus.co Instagram: @empowerhaus Twitter: @empowerhausco Facebook: @empowerhausco   Flatties Unite: Facebook Group: Flatties Unite Instagram: @flattiesunite Twitter: @flattiesunite   Personal: Website: Mrs. Emily Hopper Instagram: @mrsemilyhopper Twitter: @mrsemilyhopper    ------------ Follow Emily to get the latest updates on the show! Blog: emilyrgarnett.com Instagram: @beyondthepinkribbon Facebook: @beyondthepinkribbonblog Twitter: @emrgarnett Website: theintersectionofcancerandlife.com Mouth Off Network: mouthoffnetwork.com Email: hello@theintersectionofcancerandlife.com