Hello and welcome, breast cancer curious fam! Kat, Aimee, and Babs recorded this episode on July 6, 2023 with Aimee’s sister, Carley. If you're new here, welcome. This is a podcast about two sisters who are now breast cancer survivors, Kat and Babs, as they talk about our experience since their diagnosis.

If you’re here and you know Kat and Babs in real life, know that your support still means the world to them. Thanks for showing up. Because life doesn’t just go back to what life once was before cancer. 

As a disclaimer, this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be taken as medical advice. Always seek the guidance of qualified professionals. 

If you get nothing else from this episode: 

• Remember you are worth every bit of quality care and deserve to ask every question of your care team.

• Celebrate those milestones! 

• If you’re having trouble with insurance, talk about your options with your medical care team AND your HR team if applicable.

In this conversation: 

• B has so many updates to tell the good people, including six ways to life-saving medical care, DIEP flap, insurance trash, and non-cancer things

• B and Kat talk all about Camp Breastie

• #Scandoval, Real Housewives, and all that good content 

My Breasties Podcast Tracks: Full Playlist

References: How Cigna Saves Millions by Having Its Doctors Reject Claims Without Reading Them; The Breasties; Camp Breastie; Resensation; Natera’s Signatera testing; Dena Goldberg

Honorable mentions: capsular contracture, DIEP flap surgery and the DIEP flap coding crisis, nail art, depression, #notsponsored Estranghero Ceramics, Elysian Wellness

Content advisory: I share about breast cancer and my personal experience, which some people may find distressing. 

25-Staying Alive, Just Not With Tea

Hello and welcome, breast cancer curious fam! Kat, Aimee and Babs recorded this episode on January 23, 2023. Your love and support mean the world to us. Thank you!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Always seek the guidance of qualified health professionals. Please and thank you!

If you get nothing else from this episode:

• Check with your cancer care team before taking supplements or drinking teas to ensure these substances don’t counteract your medicines.
• Celebrate those milestones!

In this conversation:

• We’re applauding Babs’ last day of radiation
• Kat does a deep dive into her naturopathic journey
• Babs weighs another mastectomy 
• Aimee comes through with the good content

My Breasties Podcast Tracks: Full Playlist

References: Girls Night In newsletter, Salad Freak, Whole Foods cookbook

Honorable mentions: DIEP flap surgery, Philip, MyChart

Episode 24-You Can’t Wear Jeans Here

Hello and welcome, breast cancer curious fam! Kat, Aimee and Babs recorded this episode on December 19, 2022. Your love and support mean the world to us. Thank you!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Always seek the guidance of qualified health professionals. Please and thank you!

If you get nothing else from this episode:

• Check the References below for websites and resources that we mention in this episode.
• Request a bone scan to benchmark and check your bone density, especially if you’re going through chemo and any hormonal treatments.
• If you’re interested in incorporating natural medicine with more traditional medicine as part of your overall care, a naturopathic doctor could be an option to research. Naturopathic doctors are accredited and go through rigorous training, and you can check your state government website for licensing. Your insurance may cover naturopathic medicine, or you can also ask your provider if they offer a sliding scale as a payment option.
• Try to remember your why and your motivating factors when starting something new, and be gentle with yourself.

In this conversation:

• Aimee sits in the dark as she talks about Excel TikTok, reviews math with Kat and reminisces about eating dough as a child
• Babs is a new tita (Yay! Congratulations, Sweet Cheese B-bestie!)
• Mentioning that you have cancer only once while attending a holiday party
• Babs is 45% done with radiation and she’s feeling way happier these days
• Aromatase inhibitors, tamoxifen, fatigue
• Answering the questions, “What is exercise?” and “Are you ready for the holiday?”
• Growing hair back like a calico cat and babies born with tons of hair
• Naturopathic doctors, testing, and an upcoming New Year cleanse for Kat
• Radiation treatment soundtracks and Spotify wrapped

My Breasties Podcast Tracks: Full Playlist

References: Parents Share Pics of Babies Born with Full Heads of Hair (Bored Panda); 10 Common Myths About Naturopaths (AANMC.org); Hormonal Therapy (BreastCancer.org); Eat Clean, Play Dirty book; Eric Kim, Korean American

Honorable mentions: limb alert bracelets, Excel and pivot tables, public libraries, Eric Kim gochujang cookies; #notsponsored TinyBeans, Elysian Wellness, Sakara, BetterUp, Spotify, Nike Training Club

Episode 23-A Whole New Worry Unlocked

Hello and welcome, breast cancer curious fam! Kat, Aimee and Babs recorded this episode on November 4, 2022. Your love and support mean the world to us. Thank you!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Always seek the guidance of qualified health professionals. Please and thank you!

If you get nothing else from this episode:

• When you’re on medications and going through treatment, be sure to up your intake of water and fibrous foods to help facilitate smooth moves
• Always take the laxative if you’re offered one while in the hospital

In this conversation:

• Babs, Aimee and Kat talk about constipation as a side effect of breast cancer treatment, how everything goes back to GI health, and the horror of taking a BM in public restrooms or under pressure in your own home
• Kat reveals a cardinal rule to relieving your constipation and a fun fact
• Babs talks about her appointments with her medical oncologist, bone health, preparation for radiation, and mediport removal
• They also cover the unleashing the rage of eyebrows gone wrong, the cries of foxes and peacocks, and not the movie with Channing Tatum

My Breasties Podcast Tracks: Full Playlist

Honorable mentions: #notsponsored Gatorade, Squatty Potty, GoodBelly, AFV, Cameo

Episode 22-Click, Click, They’re Removing Your Hooves?

Hello and welcome, breast cancer curious fam! Kat, Aimee and Babs recorded this episode on October 20, 2022. Your love and support mean the world to us. Thank you!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Always seek the guidance of qualified health professionals. Please and thank you!

If you get nothing else from this episode:

• Check the References below for websites and resources that we mention in this episode.
• Breast cancer awareness isn’t enough. Research and community are critically important, as are monthly self-checks at home.
• If you feel like something is wrong, please be encouraged to be persistent and insist on your care, and do what you can - or get someone to help you - to advocate for your needs.
• Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) are more likely to receive a later diagnosis or misdiagnosis, they can experience higher mortality rates because their cancers are generally more aggressive, and they often have to navigate medical bias as a younger person. Breast cancer accounts for 30% of cancers among AYA women, and AYA breast cancer earlier differs biologically from cancer at an older age.

In this conversation:

• Babs and Kat talk about their latest from breast cancer appointments, and chat with Aimee about feeling anxious, menopausal acne, hot flashes, metastatic breast cancer and Babs’ recent radio show fundraiser to support The Breasties and Breast Cancer Research Fund.
• Babs drops a lot of knowledge, they can’t pronounce anything and Kat types loudly.
• Aimee deep dives into the world’s glitter shortage and conspiracy.

My Breasties Podcast Tracks: Full Playlist

References: https://metavivor.org/, BreastCancer.org, Myths and Misconceptions About Metastatic Breast Cancer, https://www.stopbreastcancer.org/, Congress.gov, Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act

The Breasties is an all inclusive nonprofit org that creates community for survivors, previvors, thrivers, and caregivers impacted by breast and gynecologic cancers. Breast Cancer Research Fund is the largest private funder of early stage and stage four breast cancer research worldwide and the highest rated breast cancer org in the United States.

Honorable mentions: Health insurance, mattress cooling systems, bamboo sheets, #notsponsored Mark Cuban and Cost Plus Drug Company, Brooklyn Brewery Non-Alcoholic Pilsner

Hello and welcome, breast cancer curious fam! Kat, Aimee and Babs recorded this episode on October 3, 2022. Your love and support mean the world to us. Thank you!

If you get nothing else from this episode:

• Please report to your medical team anything that feels out of the ordinary when you’re going through active treatment - they’re here to care for you.
• If you feel like something is wrong, please be encouraged to be persistent and insist on your care, and do what you can - or get someone to help you - to advocate for your needs.
• Don’t wax your face before a work meeting.
• Regular follow ups and screenings will help monitor for breast cancer recurrence and you can detect way more with an MRI.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Always seek the guidance of qualified health professionals. Please and thank you!

In this conversation:

• We're thrown off by talking to each other with video on during an audio-only podcast.
• Babs gives us the details about her latest in allergy testing protocols for her breast cancer treatment drugs, what's next for chemo (Adriamycin and Cytoxin), and hair loss.
• Kat can’t remember to take her pills but can remember Cynthia from Rugrats, has a routine bilateral mammogram and talks about the oddities of post-radiation muscle pulling.
• Aimee entertains us with her adorable dog and shares embarrassing stories.

My Breasties Podcast Tracks: Full Playlist

References: Dax Shepard, Armchair Anonymous, Pooped on a Date; BreastCancer.org, Adding MRI or Ultrasound to Mammograms Improves Detection of New Cancers After Lumpectomy for Younger Women; Mayo Clinic, basal temps

Honorable mentions: Nick Kroll, Clorox wipes, mango popsicles, Riverside.fm, mathematicians