Marisa sits down with the two women behind the powerful film Love, Danielle—actor, writer, and producer Devin Sidell and executive producer Amy Byer Shainman for an honest, thoughtful conversation about the emotional side of hereditary cancer, identity, healing, and what it really means to rebuild your life after a life-changing diagnosis.

When Danielle, a happily married thirty-something, tests positive for a BRCA1 gene mutation, she learns that this puts her at a very high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Thanks a lot, DNA.

She struggles to carry on with daily life working at her bakery with her husband Pat and hanging out with her well-meaning but clueless friends—while watching her older sister Amy undergo chemotherapy for breast cancer. Danielle begins to face the weight of a life-altering decision: whether to preemptively remove her “ticking time bomb” breasts and reproductive organs before cancer has a chance to strike.

Her decision-making process is layered with flashbacks to a complicated childhood, anesthesia-induced dreams, and difficult confrontations with her recovering alcoholic mother and self-absorbed television-star father. Ultimately, Danielle must learn how to prioritize her health, her future, and herself.

You can stream Love, Danielle on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and YouTube, or purchase a DVD copy.

The film is also available for educational licensing through SWANK.com.

Love, Danielle is currently being utilized by conferences and educational settings and is often paired with live Q&A sessions with Devin Sidell and Amy Byer Shainman for patient and provider education and empathy training.

To license the film, visit SWANK.com and request a quote.

Devin Sidell is an actor, writer, and producer who received her B.A. from Princeton University before returning to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film, television, and theatre. She has appeared on Malcolm in the Middle, The O.C., NUMB3RS, Ray Donovan, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, NCIS, Mayans MC, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and in Rob Zombie’s feature film 31 (Official Selection, Sundance Film Festival). Devin is also a recurring sketch performer on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

A BRCA1 mutation carrier with a family history of breast and ovarian cancers, Devin chose to undergo both a preventative double mastectomy and preventative hysterectomy/oophorectomy in 2017 — earning her the label of “previvor.”

Amy Byer Shainman is a BRCA1 carrier, previvor, advocate, author, and film producer dedicated to educating and empowering individuals and families affected by hereditary cancer syndromes. Known as BRCA Responder, she is the executive producer of the award-winning films Love, Danielle and Pink and Blue: Colors of Hereditary Cancer, and the author of the award-winning medical memoir Resurrection Lily: The BRCA Gene, Hereditary Cancer & Lifesaving Whispers from the Grandmother I Never Knew. Amy brings clarity, compassion, and visibility to the hereditary cancer community through storytelling and lived experience.

Follow the film and its creators:

• Film: @lovedanielle.film
• Amy: @BRCAresponder
• Devin: @devin.sidell www.devinsidell.com
• Website: www.lovedaniellefilm.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ovarian cancer risk changes the way you think about your body and your future in ways that reach far beyond a medical chart.

In this episode, Marisa shares the deeply personal story behind one of the hardest decisions she has ever had to make. She opens up about choosing a salpingectomy to reduce her ovarian cancer risk while protecting her hormones, her long-term health, and her quality of life.

She walks through the appointment that left her gutted, the information that completely changed her plan, and the doctors who helped her slow down instead of rush into life-altering surgery. She also speaks honestly about the emotional weight of making permanent decisions around fertility, menopause, and your body while still healing from everything your body has already been through.

This decision affects so much more than risk reduction. It can change timelines, future plans, and even what you thought your life might look like.

This is not a medical lecture.

It is a real conversation about choice, grief, relief, second opinions, and choosing a path that honors both your life and your body.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’ve never really loved New Year’s Eve. Even as a kid, it always made me feel a little sad, like I could feel time moving before I really understood what that meant. And after my diagnosis, that feeling changed into something deeper. Suddenly, a new year wasn’t about becoming better or fixing myself. It was about being here. Still breathing. Still holding my kids. Still getting another chance at a life I once wasn’t sure I would have.

In this episode, I open up about the moment I realized that even after surviving, I was still quietly postponing my life...waiting for after surgery, after recovery, after the next scan, and after the fear calmed down, while life was happening all around me.

We talk about what it’s really like to live with BRCA, genetic mutations, and hereditary cancer risk. How your relationship with your body changes. How time feels louder. How joy can start to feel risky. And how easy it is to stay in survival mode long after the bravest choices have already been made.

If you’ve ever looked “fine” on the outside but felt like you were still living in the middle of everything on the inside… this episode is for you.

You’re not behind.

You’re healing.

And you don’t have to wait for “after” to start living.

This is your permission to choose life — right now. 🤍

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three days before Christmas in December 2022, my world shifted.

In this episode, I share what it was really like to receive heavy medical news during the holidays, before there was a plan, answers, or clarity. Just fear, uncertainty, and the pressure to keep showing up while the rest of the world was celebrating.

This conversation isn’t just about one diagnosis. It’s about navigating medical uncertainty during the holidays...whether you’re waiting on results, facing a genetic mutation, preparing for preventative surgery, recovering from treatment, or sitting in that uncomfortable in-between where nothing is clear yet.

I talk about the shock of unexpected test results, hearing difficult news confirmed out loud, and the loneliness that can exist even when you’re surrounded by people. About smiling through gatherings while your mind is somewhere else. About carrying something heavy while trying to protect the joy around you.

If this season feels harder than it looks, this episode is for you. We talk about giving yourself grace, letting the holidays be different, saying no when you need to, and protecting your peace when everything already feels like too much.

You’re not doing the holidays wrong.

You’re just navigating something really hard — and you’re not alone. 🤍

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’re diving into the often-unspoken emotional and mental health layers of a BRCA or cancer diagnosis, the anxiety, grief, fear, and mental load that can linger long after the medical conversations end.

I’m joined by Laura, a licensed psychotherapist in New York and New Jersey and a National Certified Counselor, who works closely with women navigating trauma, anxiety, grief, physical illness, self-esteem struggles, religious and spiritual concerns, and relationship challenges. Laura has a special passion for supporting previvors—individuals living with increased hereditary cancer risk, including BRCA carriers—and understands the unique emotional toll that comes with knowing your risk before illness ever appears.

Together, we talk about why these feelings are so common, why they make sense, and how women can begin to process the invisible trauma that often accompanies a diagnosis or genetic discovery. This conversation is validating, grounding, and a reminder that your emotional experience deserves just as much care as your physical health.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, or unsure why this journey feels heavier than you expected—this episode is for you.

✨ Connect with Laura:

Instagram: @healinginstrides

Website: https://www.healinginstridestherapy.com/

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Lauren Yerkes shares the life-altering moment that reshaped everything: being diagnosed with Stage 2B Triple Negative Breast Cancer in April 2022, just three days before her 38th birthday. She later learned she was also BRCA2 positive, adding another layer to an already overwhelming journey. What followed was a season of fear, resilience, and transformation that she never could have prepared for.

Lauren opens up about the shock of her diagnosis, the emotional weight of facing such an aggressive cancer at a young age, and how treatment changed her physically and mentally. But she also takes us into the unexpected part of her story, the part that became her purpose.

After finishing treatment, Lauren created Post Swim, a post-mastectomy swimwear brand designed to support women who are healing, rebuilding confidence, and learning to love their bodies again. What began as her personal struggle grew into a mission to help survivors feel seen, supported, and comfortable in their skin.

This conversation is honest, warm, and deeply inspiring. If you’ve ever wondered how Post Swim came to be—or how someone finds purpose inside the hardest chapter of their life — this is an episode you won’t want to miss. And as a special thank-you to our listeners, Lauren is offering 20% off your Post Swim order with the exclusive code LIVINGWITHBRCA.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I sit down with Tanner Roe, a 32-year-old flight attendant from San Diego whose life changed the moment she heard the words “you have breast cancer.” Diagnosed with Stage 1B breast cancer and currently in active treatment, Tanner has become a source of strength and honesty in a season most of us can’t imagine.

Through humor, vulnerability, and a willingness to share the parts people don’t always talk about, Tanner has found her own way to navigate the fear, the heaviness, and the uncertainty, while giving herself full permission to feel every hard moment along the way. She shares her journey openly in hopes of helping others feel seen, understood, and less alone.

In this conversation, Tanner opens up about:

• The moment her diagnosis changed everything
• What active treatment has looked and felt like
• How she finds moments of humor amid the hard
• Allowing herself to process the emotional weight of it all
• How listening to your intuition could quite literally save your life
• What intimacy looks like during treatment

To follow Tanner’s journey, find her on Instagram at @Tbroe11.

For more on her cold-capping experience, her Penguin case study is available here:

https://penguincoldcaps.com/user-stories/tanners-cold-capping-story/

This episode is real, raw, and full of the kind of strength you can feel. Tanner’s story will stay with you long after you listen.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Marisa opens up about the early symptoms; she tried to rationalize the pain, the moments she was doubled over, and the day she saw blood in her stool and knew something was seriously wrong. She shares the raw truth about how easily she could have ignored the signs… and how that one decision to listen to her intuition changed everything.

You’ll hear her walk through her colon cancer diagnosis, the shock of discovering she carried the BRCA2 gene mutation, and how understanding her genetics helped her take back control of her health and her future. This episode is a reminder of how important it is to notice repeated symptoms, trust your gut, and speak up even when it feels uncomfortable.

You’ll also hear about the emotional side of advocating for yourself, the fear, the second-guessing, the frustration when providers dismiss concerns, and the courage it takes to say, “No, something isn’t right.”

Throughout the conversation, Marisa shares what early detection actually looks like across hereditary cancers.

She also discusses how many women struggle to access genetic testing through traditional providers and shares JScreen as a resource for those seeking clarity without barriers.

Through www.jscreen.org, listeners can order an at-home saliva kit, return it easily, and have it analyzed through Myriad Genetics’ gold-standard hereditary cancer panel, which includes BRCA1, BRCA2, and over 60 genes connected to cancers. A genetic counselor reviews results with you so you understand exactly what they mean for your life and your family.

Benefits of JScreen:

– No clinic wait-times

– No need to find your own prescriber

– Post-test genetic counseling

– Access to trusted, high-quality testing

– Easy for relatives to get tested too

– The right test with the right interpretation

The program fee is $49, and listeners can use promo code BRCAandBeyond10 for $10 off. Insurance is billed afterward, and many people pay $0 out-of-pocket. A $249 self-pay cap is available for those with high deductibles or who don’t meet traditional “criteria” for testing.

But at the heart of this episode, beyond any program or test, is a simple truth:

Listening to your body matters. Your genes matter. And early detection truly can save your life.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After months of discomfort, expanders, and emotional exhaustion, the day finally came, exchange surgery. In this episode, I share what it was really like: the calm I felt heading into the operating room, waking up without the hard weight of expanders for the first time, and all the things no one tells you about recovery.

It wasn’t perfect...there was swelling, bruising, and that strange “in-between” feeling of adjusting to a new body again, but this time, I knew the process, the restrictions, and the rhythm of healing. I even found moments of humor, peace, and perspective that made me realize just how far I’d come.

From the quiet after surgery to the unexpected laughter along the way, this episode is for anyone navigating the “after” part of their BRCA or reconstruction journey.

I also share how you can connect with me and our growing community, whether you want to talk, share your story, or even join me as a guest on the podcast.

Because healing isn’t just about recovery — it’s about rediscovery. And sometimes, it starts with a laugh, a scar, and a story that reminds you you’re not alone.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this raw and honest episode, I share what happened after my nipple-sparing double mastectomy, the days of drains, the strange world of tissue expanders, and the mix of fear and faith that followed. From the relief of having my drains finally removed, to the panic attack I had during my first fill in the Holland Tunnel, this episode pulls back the curtain on what recovery really feels like.

You’ll hear the truth about expanders, the tightness, the tingling, the emotional toll of living in a body that doesn’t yet feel like your own, and the small, quiet moments of progress that begin to rebuild you from the inside out.

This isn’t just about surgery. It’s about learning to trust your body again, finding peace through faith, and realizing that healing isn’t just physical, it’s emotional, spiritual, and deeply personal.

If you’re navigating your own BRCA journey, facing surgery, or supporting someone who is, this episode is a reminder that you’re not alone in the fear, the discomfort, or the slow rediscovery of who you are becoming.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.