Episode summary: A rom-com that thoughtfully addresses death, grief and breast cancer risk? We’re in! Alison, the protagonist in the romance novel “Four Weekends and a Funeral,” is pretending that she was still dating her ex-boyfriend at the time of his death. (It’s complicated.) On top of that, she’s recently undergone a double mastectomy after finding out she a gene variant that puts her at high risk for breast cancer. Author Ellie Palmer, who has the same variant, and Mayo Clinic expert Dr. Jessica Fraker join us to talk about navigating breast cancer risk and life post-mastectomy. 

This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.

We talked with:

• Ellie Palmer is the author of “Four Weekends and a Funeral,” a carrier of the BRCA1 mutation, and a prototypical Midwesterner who routinely apologizes to inanimate objects when she bumps into them. When she’s not writing romantic comedies featuring delightfully messy characters, Ellie’s at home in Minnesota, eating breakfast food, watching too much reality television, and triple texting her husband about their son.
• Jessica Fraker, M.D., is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician with a clinical focus on breast medicine at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Dr. Fraker's clinical practice is focused on the care and evaluation of patients with breast concerns, including but not limited to breast pain, masses, and skin changes, nipple changes, nipple discharge and abnormal imaging. She also sees patients with elevated risk for developing breast cancer and guides decisions regarding screening imaging for early detection, as well as strategies to reduce risk of breast cancer.

Can't get enough?

• Purchase “Four Weekends and a Funeral.”
  • From Bookshop.org.
  • From Amazon.
  • From Barnes & Noble.
• Purchase the Mayo Clinic book “Beyond Breast Cancer,” a supportive, practical guide to navigating life after breast cancer diagnosis and initial treatment.

Got feedback?

• If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at [email protected]. 
• We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
• Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.

The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional for medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.