This episode fellow breast cancer fighter, Emily comes on to share her story. It is amazing to hear how she tackled her diagnosis. She contacted me on Instagram and told me that she appreciated the But You Don't Look Sick podcast but that she couldn't​ relate to having a caregiver there all the time, to have a husband there for support, or even a partner in general. I wanted her to come on the podcast to further that conversation.

This episode I go all in with the details of radiation. Things I did to prep my skin, products I used, and what it is like to go through treatment. I also talk about going in for my exchange surgery, that ended up happening a lot sooner than I anticipated. How I choose my implant size, and what my next steps in treatment looked like.

Finally, it was time for the big surgery, my bilateral mastectomy. In this episode, I am talking about the preparation for surgery, the ins and, outs of surgery itself, and recovery. I also go into detail about the next steps after there was residue disease found in my lymph nodes.

This is a tough episode! Going back to the months leading up to my double mastectomy. I knew from the moment I had my first biopsy that if it was cancer, I wanted a bilateral mastectomy. I didn't know all the ins and outs of the surgery, but I knew in my heart that this was the right choice for me mentally. Reliving those months is hard, it brings up emotions I didn't have then but am realizing now. There is nothing easy about this surgery, not everyone around you will understand what is going on. What matters most if how you feel, how I felt, and how to feel confident in that.

In this episode, I am talking about my last three rounds of chemo. Just when I thought I had experienced the worst of my side effects, I was thrown for a loop. I feel like my last three rounds of chemo really tested me mentally and physically. As a family, we really had to rally together and make it to the end of chemo treatments without possibly losing our minds.

Episode 8 features guest Kim Angell, a breast cancer warrior. I first found Kim's blog when I was newly diagnosed and searching for women my age fighting breast cancer. I quickly followed her on Instagram, and have connected with her on so many levels. She is incredibly open and raw with her emotions, she has been through so much throughout her cancer journey and I am so happy she is here to spread the support and knowledge to the breast cancer community! Also talking about the new Breast Cancer Healthline app, designed for survivors to connect with one another, provide resources, and have live discussions.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer, have you heard of it? Do you know what to look for? I had never heard of IBC in the grand scheme of getting diagnosed. I met Lindsey and she shared her story with me and I realized how much I didn't know about IBC. I figured if I didn't know even as a newly diagnosed cancer patient, how many others had never heard of this form of breast cancer? Lindsey talks about symptoms, treatments, and her experience.

Kicking off breast cancer awareness month with real women behind the color pink! Rach DiMare from the blog RD'S Obsessions shares her journey from being diagnosed to life after treatment. Rach is one of the first women I connected with after my diagnosis, and she has been so helpful and supportive along the way. I am so happy that she is here to share her insight!

The first couple of months of treatment were a slightly dark time for me. I didn't know how to feel about my physical changes, I didn't know how to act, and I didn't know how to process everything that was going on. What I did know was that I didn't need any added stress from people in my life. I needed to rid my life of the negative weight, in order to see things more positive. This episode takes you through some of that, and how to feel okay about putting yourself first!

This episode really dives into the need for help throughout cancer treatment, not just physically but mentally. I had such a hard time asking for help, and then there was guilt associated with accepting help. I learned so many things going through this process that I wanted to share my thoughts​, looking back.