She was 29 years old. No family history. No warning signs. She found it herself in the shower — and it changed everything.

Claire was diagnosed with breast cancer at 29, went through a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and eight years on and off Tamoxifen — all while teaching first grade, freezing her eggs, getting married, and becoming a mom to three kids. She lived 11 and a half years of clear scans and a full, beautiful life.

Then last Christmas Eve, it came back. Stage 4. Metastatic. Liver and bones.

And Claire's response? "It's just a little road bump."

This episode is one of the most honest, funny, and genuinely hopeful conversations about metastatic breast cancer you will ever hear. Claire is the host of Perky Bits — a blog and podcast she started in 2014 to document her journey in real time — and she holds absolutely nothing back.

What we cover:

• Finding a golf ball-sized tumor in the shower at 29 — and what happened next

• How Claire worked as a first grade teacher throughout chemo and radiation

• Why she froze her eggs before starting chemotherapy — and had three healthy children

• The GI symptoms that started in July 2024 that nobody connected to cancer for months — and the critical warning signs metastatic survivors need to know

• Getting the call on Christmas Eve that it had spread to her liver and bones

• What it actually feels like when treatment starts working — and her tumors start shrinking

• How she talks to her young kids about her treatment without terrifying them

• The connection between stress and recurrence — and what she wishes she'd managed differently

• Why stage 4 is not what it used to be — and the women thriving 15+ years out

• The unexpected blessings cancer gave her — including the line she ends every speaking engagement with: "Thank you, cancer."

• Where Perky Bits came from — and the story of the older gentleman who had to hold her breast with gauze for an hour post-biopsy (you can't make this stuff up)

Important message for every survivor: Claire's metastatic diagnosis showed up as GI symptoms — bloating, distension, constipation, diarrhea — not a breast lump. Your mammograms matter. But so does listening to your body everywhere else.

Connect with Claire:https://www.instagram.com/claireperkybits/ Listen to Perkybits here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perkybits-riding-the-waves-of-life-intro/id1890866013?i=1000759385674

Connect with Jen:

Community: Not Today Cancer — The Inner Circle GET BrocElite: Mara Labs supplements - Use code NotTodayCancer for 20% off Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jendelvaux/ Email me: [email protected]

What actually happens on diagnosis day — not the version you tell people later, but the real one? The fear, the disbelief, the weird human moments that happen right alongside the most terrifying news of your life?

In this episode, Jen sits down with her husband Darren for one of the most honest conversations they've ever had on the podcast. Jen was diagnosed with ER/PR+ breast cancer. Darren has been fighting Grade 4 Astrocytoma brain cancer — and is still here, defying every statistic. Together, they go back to diagnosis day and talk about what they wish they knew, what they'd do differently, and what they'd say to each other — and to you — if they could go back.

This episode is not heavy. It's honest, it's real, and yes — it's funny. Because sometimes that's the only way through.

What we cover:

What diagnosis day actually looked and felt like for each of them — the unfiltered version

The things they did in those early days they'd absolutely tell themselves NOT to do (the 2am Google spiral, anyone?)

The one thing each of them would tell themselves if they could go back

How to trust your instincts when the medical system feels overwhelming

What it looks like to build a support system that actually holds you

The moment cancer stopped feeling like something happening TO them and started feeling like something they were navigating TOGETHER

If you're in the middle of a new diagnosis — this episode is for you. Share it with someone who needs it. Tag us @jendelvaux so we can cheer you on.

Nothing in this episode is medical advice. Always consult your physician or oncology team before making any decisions about your treatment.

Connect with Jen:

Community: Not Today Cancer — The Inner Circle GET BrocElite: Mara Labs supplements - Use code NotTodayCancer for 20% off Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jendelvaux/ Email me: [email protected]

You've probably heard stories about women who get diagnosed and "bounce back." But what does it actually look like when a stage three triple negative breast cancer diagnosis tears your entire life apart — and you have to rebuild from scratch as a single mom?

In this episode, Jen sits down with Sarah Beaver — stage three triple negative breast cancer survivor, mindset and resilience speaker, podcast host of Creating Sunshine, and a woman who walked away from 27 years in corporate America to step fully into her purpose.

Sarah takes us back to the moment she found her lump through self-exam, the agonizing wait between imaging and diagnosis, and what it was like to hear the words "you have cancer" on January 3rd, 2025. She opens up about telling her two young daughters (one of whom scooted away thinking it was contagious), making the bold decision to take a leave of absence instead of pushing through chemo while working as a senior manager at Costco, and completely overhauling her family's nutrition during treatment.

Jen and Sarah go deep on advocating for yourself when a surgeon's plan doesn't feel right, fighting insurance companies for an out-of-network reconstructive surgeon, getting second opinions, and trusting your gut — even when everyone around you is telling you to "just do what the doctor says." Sarah shares how she chose a double mastectomy with DIEP flap reconstruction (no implants, no expanders) and the emotional reality of seeing her body for the first time after surgery.

They also talk about the identity shift that hits after treatment ends — the "now what?" that nobody prepares you for — and Sarah's free, accessible tools for healing: journaling, meditation (she's 220+ days in a row on Insight Timer), accepting help, and creating "sunshine moments" with her daughters.

If you're in the thick of treatment, freshly cancer-free, or somewhere in between — this one is going to remind you that you don't have to do this alone, you are allowed to slow down, and the woman you become on the other side might just be the best version of you yet.

Connect with Sarah Beaver:

My podcast Creating Sunshine Podcast My Instagram @itssarahbeaver My website creatingsunshine.net

Connect with Jen:

Community: Not Today Cancer — The Inner Circle GET BrocElite: Mara Labs supplements - Use code NotTodayCancer for 20% off Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jendelvaux/ Email me: [email protected]

Medical menopause after a breast cancer diagnosis is nothing like the gradual kind. When your ovaries are shut down with Zoladex injections or removed through surgery, your estrogen doesn't decline over years — it drops by up to 90% overnight. And most women are sent home with a pamphlet and a six-week follow-up.

In this episode, Jen shares her personal experience — four months on Zoladex injections followed by a bilateral oophorectomy — and breaks down everything your doctor didn't have time to explain: what medical menopause actually does to your body and brain, why it hits so much harder than natural menopause, and every strategy she uses to get through it.

What we cover:

• Why medical menopause is so different from natural menopause — and why the symptoms are more intense

• The full symptom picture: hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and atrophy, joint pain, brain fog, sleep disruption, bone loss, hair changes, and the mood shifts nobody warns you about

• Why your mood changes are not a character flaw — and what's actually happening in your brain chemistry

• Diet as medicine — what to add (phytoestrogens, anti-inflammatory foods, fiber, protein) and what to reduce (sugar, alcohol, processed foods)

• Exercise — the specific types that protect bone density, support mood, and reduce cardiovascular risk

• Vaginal estrogen — the research most women have never seen, including the 2023 JAMA Oncology study (49,237 patients) and the 2025 PubMed meta-analysis (24,060 patients), and how to bring this conversation to your doctor

• Supplements that actually help: magnesium, Vitamin D3+K2, Omega-3s, ashwagandha

• Sleep — how to set your bedroom up for success and protect the one thing that affects everything

• Mindset, emotional support, journaling, and when it might be time to talk to your doctor about more support

Research mentioned:

• 72% of breast cancer survivors experience hot flashes and night sweats more severe than women without cancer — Endocrinology Advisor

• Over 70% of postmenopausal breast cancer survivors face genitourinary syndrome of menopause — AUA News 2024

• JAMA Oncology 2023 (49,237 patients): vaginal estrogen users showed 23% LOWER breast cancer mortality risk

• PubMed meta-analysis 2025 (24,060 patients, 8 studies): vaginal estrogen not associated with increased recurrence — odds ratio 0.48

• Abrupt surgical menopause associated with more significant mood symptoms — MGH Center for Women's Mental Health

Resources + links mentioned:

• Not Today Cancer Inner Circle (weekly Thursday calls — all virtual): [JOIN HERE]

• Magnesium Breakthrough by Bioptimizers

• Protein powder (third-party tested with Icelandic Spirulina): [Use HELLO10 for $10 off]

• Hair toppers — DM Jen on Instagram @jendelvaux for info

• Jen's Blueprint: jendelvaux.com/blueprint

Disclaimer: Nothing in this episode is medical advice. Jen is sharing her personal experience and research. Always consult your physician or oncology team before making any changes to your treatment or supplement protocol.

In this episode, Jen sits down with osteopathic physician and women's health expert Dr. Paige to do a deep dive on peptides—with guardrails. They break down what peptides actually are in simple language, how they work as signaling molecules in the body, and why they're more of a "cherry on top" than a shortcut when foundations like sleep, nutrition, blood sugar, and muscle aren't in place.

They also unpack the hype around microdosing GLP‑1—why some women are using it for energy, body composition, metabolic health, and even after breast cancer—and what the emerging research and clinical experience really show so far. Jen shares her own experience microdosing GLP‑1 under Dr. Paige's care after a breast cancer diagnosis, and they discuss how insulin, inflammation, cardiovascular health, and brain health all intersect here.

You'll hear a candid conversation about:

• What peptides are and how they differ from hormones.

• Why so many women in perimenopause and menopause are curious about peptides for energy, weight, and inflammation.

• The dangers of online buying, "peptide stacking," and DIY dosing from TikTok, discount sites, and gray‑market vials.

• The difference between FDA‑approved drugs, reputable compounded medications, and unregulated "research" peptides sold directly to consumers.

• What microdosing GLP‑1 really means, potential benefits, and what's still unknown.

• Why blood work, testing, and your personal "health philosophy" matter before starting any peptide.

• A green / yellow / red framework for women with a history of breast cancer: which peptide patterns feel more comfortable, which require extreme caution, and which are a hard no outside research settings.

If you've ever thought, "Should I be on a peptide? Am I missing out?" this is the episode you listen to before you inject anything into your body. Connect with Dr. Paige:

Website: www.gozawellness.com IG https://www.instagram.com/goza.wellness https://www.instagram.com/dr.paige.do Free Hormone and Peptide Guide! https://signaturepc.ac-page.com/wrwr-hormone-peptide-guide

Connect With Jen:

• Instagram: @jendelvaux

• BrocElite — 20% off with code NOTTODAYCANCER: mara-labs.com/nottodaycancer

• Join the Not Today Cancer Inner Circle: JOIN HERE

• Join the FREE Not Today Cancer here: REQUEST TO JOIN HERE

• Learn more: My WEBSITE

• EMAIL ME: [email protected]

Leave a Review:

If this episode gave you something today, a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts takes 30 seconds and helps more women find this show. Jen reads every single one.

Natalie Frey is 38 years old, a homeschooling mama, woman of deep faith, and my kind of person — fully crunchy. In November 2024 she was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer. She didn't abandon who she was when the diagnosis hit. She leaned in harder — to her faith, her holistic practices, her community. She finished treatment in October 2025 and is now doing the real work of healing.

Follow Natalie on Instagram: @themomwifeandchristlife — DM her anytime, she responds and will help however she can.

Join my FREE Not Today Cancer community on Facebook: Click here to join

BrocElite — 20% off with code NOTTODAYCANCER: mara-labs.com/nottodaycancer

What We Cover

• How her cancer was discovered at a pap smear — not a mammogram or self-exam

• What lobular breast cancer is and why it hides on imaging (1 in 5 breast cancer cases is lobular)

• Her staging: anatomical 3A, prognostic 1B, grade one multifocal tumors

• Why she waited 6–7 weeks before starting chemo to do her due diligence

• The detox tools she kept up during chemotherapy — with her oncologist's blessing

• The little-known tip: requesting an extra liter of saline after your infusion

• Her four pillars of post-treatment healing: sleep, stress, exercise, and diet

• Healing osteopenia naturally

• The blessings she can now see on the other side

Resources & Links

Nothing shared here is medical advice. Always consult your oncologist before starting or changing any protocol.

Natalie's Shop: shopmy.us/shop/themomwifeandchristlife — everything is linked there

Sleep

• CURED Serenity Gummies — takes the edge off, relaxes you (sleep is a bonus side effect)

• CURED Dream Gummies — fall asleep, stay asleep, restorative sleep

• Discount code: THEMOMWIFEANDCHRISTLIFE for 15% off your first order

• Magnesium glycinate — nightly

Detox Bath (used weekly during chemo — same day as infusions)

Equal parts of each, water as hot as you can bear, 20 minutes minimum, then rinse:

• Magnesium Flakes

• Aztec Indian Healing Clay

• Baking Soda

Other Detox Tools

• Ionic Foot Bath (~$120)

• Castor Oil Pack on Liver — Queen of Thrones brand (Amazon) — 4–5x per week

Skincare During Chemo

• Nu Skin Lumi Spa — used every evening, credits this with keeping her skin healthy through chemo

• Luminance Skincare — non-toxic, gentle enough during treatment

• Discount code: NATALIE for 15% off

Radiation Skin Care

• Miaderm Fragrance-Free — used 2–3x daily; apply immediately after treatment (never before), one tube lasted 6.5 weeks

• Discount code: RELIEF15F for 15% off

• Boiron Calendula Cream — used this until Miaderm arrived

Hair Regrowth

• Nu Skin Collagen — oncologist approved 2 weeks after last infusion; Natalie credits it with fast regrowth (also great for skin)

Scriptures That Carried Natalie Through

• Isaiah 41:10

• Jeremiah 29:11

Connect

• Natalie: On IG @themomwifeandchristlife — DM her, she will respond

• Jen: [email protected]

• Not Today Cancer podcast: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Goodpods

• Community: Not Today Cancer — The Inner Circle

Loved this episode? Leave a 30-second review — it helps more women find this community. Share this with your person. You know who needs it.

Most cancer couples talk about the hard stuff behind closed doors. Today, Jen and her husband Darren say it out loud. Two cancer diagnoses, one marriage, and the most honest conversation they've ever recorded together.

In this episode Jen is joined by her husband Darren — who is living with Grade 4 Astrocytoma brain cancer and defying statistics every single day — for a raw, real conversation about what cancer actually does to a relationship.

What You'll Hear in This Episode:

• What it's like when both people in a marriage are fighting cancer at the same time

• The role reversals, the fear, and the conversations most couples avoid having

• Intimacy after cancer — the honest conversation nobody is having publicly

• The research-backed reason your relationship can literally affect your survival odds

• What cancer took from Jen and Darren's marriage — and what it gave them that nothing else could

Stats Referenced in This Episode:

• Median survival for Grade 4 brain cancer: 12–18 months. Less than 10% of patients survive five years — MD Anderson Cancer Center

• Being married is associated with better cancer survival outcomes — in some cancers, the survival benefit of marriage is larger than the published survival benefit of chemotherapy — Journal of Clinical Oncology

About Darren: Darren Delvaux is Jen's husband and a Grade 4 Astrocytoma brain cancer survivor who has defied every statistical expectation. He joins the Not Today Cancer podcast periodically to share the perspective no one else can — what it looks like to love someone through cancer while fighting your own battle at the same time.

Connect With Jen:

• Instagram: @jendelvaux

• Join the Not Today Cancer Inner Circle: (JOIN HERE)

• Get the Blueprint: jendelvaux.com/blueprint

Mentioned in This Episode:

• The Not Today Cancer Blueprint — Jen's complete system for rebuilding life after a breast cancer diagnosis: jendelvaux.com/blueprint

Leave a Review: If this episode gave you something today, a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts takes 30 seconds and helps more women find this show. Jen reads every single one.

Everyone talks about surviving cancer. Nobody talks about what comes after. In this episode, Jen gets honest about the emotional, physical, and identity shifts that happen when treatment ends — and why finishing treatment didn't feel like the finish line everyone said it was.

If you've ever felt like you were expected to just be grateful and move on — this episode is for you.

What You'll Hear in This Episode:

• Why the day treatment ends can feel like the hardest day — not the best one

• What the "survivorship cliff" is and why so many women fall off it silently

• The research-backed truth about scanxiety — and why it doesn't get easier with time

• How to grieve the woman you were before cancer without guilt

• Why "you're so strong" can be the most isolating thing someone says to you

• The non-toxic living shifts and integrative health habits Jen added when the appointments stopped

• A permission slip for every woman who isn't fine — even years later

Stats Referenced in This Episode:

• Nearly 50% of women with breast cancer experience depression, anxiety, or both in the first year after diagnosis — British Medical Journal

• Between 1 in 3 and 2 in 3 cancer survivors experience moderate to severe scanxiety — and research shows it does not fade with time — Psycho-Oncology Journal

• 1 in 4 cancer patients will experience clinical depression — American Cancer Society

Connect With Jen:

• Instagram: @jendelvaux

• Join the Not Today Cancer Inner Circle: JOIN HERE

• Join the FREE Not Today Cancer here: REQUEST TO JOIN HERE

• Learn more: My WEBSITE

• EMAIL ME: [email protected]

Leave a Review:

If this episode gave you something today, a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts takes 30 seconds and helps more women find this show. Jen reads every single one.

In this episode, I'm joined by David Roberts and Dr. John Gildea, co-founders of Mara Labs, for a powerful conversation about how breast cancer changed their lives and led them to create a mission-driven supplement company rooted in science.

David shares how his wife, Maura, was diagnosed with breast cancer and how that journey pushed them to look beyond conventional options and explore an integrative path. Dr. John Gildea shares how his own wife's diagnosis years earlier led him deeper into cancer research, natural compounds, and the mechanisms that may support the body in a meaningful way.

We talk about sulforaphane, broccoli sprouts, curcumin, inflammation, detox pathways, microplastics, stress, and why reducing your toxic burden matters. This conversation is full of both heart and science, and I know it will leave you thinking differently about what real support can look like after a diagnosis.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by supplements, confused by conflicting information, or like you needed more empowering options in your healing journey, this episode is for you. Use my discount code and shop Mara Labs here: 20% off - NotTodayCancer

In this episode, we cover:

• How Mara Labs was born from two families impacted by breast cancer

• The story behind David's wife, Maura, and the mission that continues through this company

• Dr. John Gildea's background in cancer metastasis research

• What sulforaphane is and why it gets so much attention

• The difference between broccoli, broccoli sprouts, glucoraphanin, and sulforaphane

• Why Mara Labs focused on creating a stabilized form

• How sulforaphane may support inflammation, detoxification, gut health, and brain health

• Why curcumin and sulforaphane are two of their top foundational supplements

• The role stress may play in health and healing

• Why lowering toxic burden matters after a diagnosis

• Thoughts on estrogen metabolism, inflammation, and common supplement questions

• Their perspective on berberine, blood sugar, sleep, and GLP-1 support

• Simple changes someone can start making right away after a diagnosis

A few key takeaways:

• You do not have to change everything overnight

• Lowering stress matters just as much as improving nutrition

• Clean food, movement, and reducing exposure to everyday toxins can make a real difference

• Not all supplements are created equally

• The most powerful companies are often built from personal mission and lived experience

Resources mentioned:

Mara Labs supplements - Use code NotTodayCancer for 20% off ***** Im currently taking: Broccoli Plus, CurcElite & BerberElite Connect with Mara-Labs Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/themaralabs/

• Email Me – [email protected]

If this episode encouraged you, send it to a friend, share it to your Instagram stories, and tag me so I can see what resonated most.

What should you actually eat after a breast cancer diagnosis?

In this deeply personal and practical episode, Jen Delvaux shares exactly what she eats in a day as a breast cancer survivor...and how her entire relationship with food changed after her diagnosis.

Five years ago, Jen went from eating for convenience to eating for cellular support, hormone balance, gut health, and long-term healing. In this episode, she breaks down her simple "Healing Bowl Method" and explains how building meals around plants, fiber, healthy fats, and clean protein became one of the most powerful ways she supports her body.

Joined by her husband Darren, Jen also shares the emotional side of changing her lifestyle after cancer and how small, consistent changes can help survivors feel empowered instead of overwhelmed.

This episode includes her exact smoothie bowl, power salad, and dinner bowl, plus simple meal prep strategies to make healthy eating realistic and sustainable.

🔗 Resources & Support

• MIDI Health: Schedule your virtual appointment here

• Join Not Today Cancer the Community, the Community

• Triple Boost Protein – my go-to clean, hormone-safe protein. Use HELLO10 for $10 off

• Fiber Gummy – shop.joinmidi.com (Use Code JEND for 35% off)

• AnaOno – Intimates for breast cancer survivors → [ANAONO]

• My NON-TOXIC Favorites Guide – jendelvaux.com/jensfavs

• Daily Cortisol – shop.joinmidi.com (Use Code JenD for 35% off)

• Free Download – Cancer-fighting vegan recipes → [RECIPES]

• Favorite Tea – Third party, organic tea crystals

• Email Me – [email protected]