Test Those Breasts ™️

What happens when three specialists are almost certain something isn’t cancer, but your gut tells you to keep asking questions?

In this episode, Jamie sits down with Krista Brown, MS, RN, oncology nurse navigator, breast cancer survivor, and cancer prevention advocate for a powerful conversation about hereditary breast cancer risk, genetic testing, early detection, and patient self-advocacy.

After learning that she carried an ATM genetic mutation, Krista began increased breast screening and started planning a preventive mastectomy. When an MRI revealed an abnormality, she was initially advised to wait and follow up. Even after multiple specialists reassured her that it was almost certainly not cancer, Krista couldn't shake the feeling that she needed more answers.

She advocated for herself and requested a breast biopsy  It was Stage 1A breast cancer.

Krista and Jamie talk about hereditary cancer risk, genetic testing Genetic mutations, early detection, second opinions, prevention, lifestyle, and why advocating for yourself can be difficult, even when you're a nurse.

They also explore one of Krista's most important messages:

“Don't confuse being healthy with being invincible.”

This conversation is a powerful reminder that breast cancer  prevention isn't about perfection. It's about knowing your risk, knowing your family history, getting appropriate screenings, asking questions, and becoming an active participant in your own healthcare.

Instagram: @cancer.prevention.rn
https://www.instagram.com/cancer.prevention.rn/

LinkedIn: Krista Brown
https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-brown-b71956249/

Test Those Breasts®
https://testthosebreasts.org

Find it early. Change the outcome.®

This episode is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice.

In Part Two of my conversation with Krystal, we continue her breast cancer survivor story and explore what life after breast cancer can really look like, the plot twists keep coming. 

Krystal opens up about dating after cancer, fertility, miscarriage, finding love, becoming a mom again, and the devastating experience of losing a dear friend to metastatic breast cancer. Then, what was supposed to be a breast reconstruction revision led to an unexpected discovery: remaining breast tissue and another breast cancer diagnosis.

We talk candidly about breast reconstruction, DIEP flap surgery, body image, scanxiety, self-advocacy, and the emotional toll of being expected to stay positive or become a “beacon of hope” when you're struggling yourself.

Krystal also shares why she eventually stepped away from nonprofit leadership, how Plot Twist: Still Alive became another way to connect through humor and honesty, and what she's creating next with Happily Epic After.

This conversation is raw, funny, emotional, and very real, because surviving breast cancer doesn't mean you have to “get over it.” You may be changed by what happened to you, but you still get to decide what comes next.

In this episode:

• Life after breast cancer: dating, fertility, motherhood and finding love 
• Another breast cancer diagnosis
• DIEP flap reconstruction and body image
• Scanxiety, toxic positivity and self-advocacy after breast cancer 
• Humor as a coping mechanism
• Knowing when it's time to choose yourself
• Plot Twist: Still Alive
• Happily Epic After

Content note: This episode includes candid conversations about cancer, miscarriage, grief, reconstruction, abuse, mental health and adult language.

CONNECT WITH KRYSTAL & RESOURCES

Plot Twist: Still Alive
Website: www.plottwiststillalive.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/plottwiststillalive
Facebook: www.facebook.com/share/1DDDaLCAQj/

Pink Warrior Advocates
Breast cancer support, financial assistance, care kits, support meetups, and restorative tattoo assistance.
www.pinkwarrioradvocates.org

Dr. Chris Schneider | Austin Face & Body
www.austinfaceandbody.com/our-providers/dr-chris-schneider/

Happily Epic After
Retreats and adventures supporting women after cancer and other life-changing experiences.
www.happilyepicafter.com

Finding HER Again Retreat | October 23–25 | Texas Hill Country
Applications for this retreat are closed, but cancer survivors can complete the Find Your Epic Profile to learn about future retreats and adventures. Sponsorships are also available to help warriors attend at no cost.

Find Your Epic Profile:
www.happilyepicafter.com/find-your-epic-adventure-profile

Three-time cancer survivor. Nurse. Mom. Chaos coordinator. Podcast host. And a woman who is absolutely not interested in sugarcoating cancer.

In Part 1 of Episode 129, Jamie sits down with Krystal with a K, host of Plot Twist: Still Alive, for a conversation that is raw, hilarious, emotional, occasionally profane, and very, very real.

Krystal’s cancer journey began when she was just three years old. Decades later, at 32, newly divorced, raising two young children and fresh out of nursing school, she found a lump in her own breast. She would eventually learn that the radiation that helped save her life as a child may have contributed to her breast cancer years later.

Krystal talks about the fear and anger, but also the absurdity and humor she found along the way—from BreastFest, where she shaved her head before cancer could take her hair, to $35 Amazon wigs with names, accents and entire backstories.

Underneath the laughs is a powerful conversation about breast cancer in young women, using your voice, knowing your body, pushing back when something doesn’t feel right, setting boundaries around toxic positivity, and refusing to accept “you’re too young” as an answer.

And perhaps the most Krystal line of the episode:

“If I’m too much, go find less.”

Because when it comes to your healthcare, sometimes you have to be too much.

Part 1 closes with Krystal meeting Jen, a fellow young breast cancer warrior whose friendship would introduce her to advocacy, volunteering and a community she didn’t even know she needed.

And that's where we leave you, because Krystal with a K has a whole lot more plot twists coming in Part 2.

• Childhood cancer and the treatment that saved Krystal’s life
• Finding her own breast lump at 32
• Double mastectomy, Oncotype testing and chemotherapy
• Breast cancer in young women and why “you’re too young” isn’t good enough
• Learning to use your voice and be “too much”
• Toxic positivity and boundaries

Plot Twist: Still Alive
Website: www.plottwiststillalive.com
Instagram: @plottwiststillalive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DDDaLCAQj/
Email: [email protected]

Pink Warrior Advocates
www.pinkwarrioradvocates.org

Happily Epic After
www.happilyepicafter.com

Website: www.testthosebreasts.org
Support our work: www.testthosebreasts.org/donate/

What happens when breast cancer is found early, but the health journey is far from over?

In this episode of the Test Those Breasts® Podcast, Jamie sits down with Myra Marangi, a DCIS breast cancer survivor, lifelong dancer and fitness instructor whose survivorship journey has included reconstruction, lymphedema, unexplained pain and mobility issues, inflammatory myositis, and most recently, a ruptured breast implant. Myra shares the years-long process of searching for answers and learning to advocate for herself when she knew something wasn’t right.

Jamie and Myra also talk candidly about breast reconstruction choices, the importance of researching your options and your surgeon’s experience, and how overwhelming it can be to make life-changing decisions while newly diagnosed. Myra’s advice? “Do your homework. Do your homework thoroughly.”

In this episode:

• Finding breast cancer because of a change in the other breast
• Navigating reconstruction and unexpected health challenges
• The importance of researching reconstruction options and surgical expertise
• Speaking up when something doesn’t feel right
• Why survivorship isn’t always a straight line
• Myra’s work giving back through Dance for Hope

Connect with Myra:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/love.life.myram/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyraSMarangi

Find it early. Change the outcome.®

This episode shares personal experiences for educational and awareness purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

In Part 2 of my conversation with Mara and David Langer, we continue their story by talking about what it really takes to navigate breast cancer treatment, and what happens when treatment ends.

Mara shares practical advice from her own experience with chemotherapy, including the fear of that first treatment and the extraordinary experience of receiving chemotherapy while pregnant. David offers his perspective as a partner and caregiver, including the importance of communication, staying present, asking for help, and remembering that caregivers need support, too.

We also talk about knowing your body, understanding your family health history, advocating for yourself, and seeking another opinion when something doesn’t feel right.

And then we get into something that isn’t talked about nearly enough: life after treatment. Mara shares why survivorship can bring its own uncertainty, the importance of resources like Cancer Community Clubhouse, and why there isn’t always a return to “normal.” Sometimes it’s about learning to live in a new normal, and finding gratitude and presence along the way.

Facebook: facebook.com/mblanger
Instagram: instagram.com/mblanger2
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marablanger

Cancer Community Clubhouse — A Northern Nevada cancer survivorship center offering support, connection, education, and resources for people affected by cancer, including survivors, care partners, and loved ones. Mara specifically recognizes Natalie and her team when discussing the importance of support after active treatment ends.

Website: www.cancercommunityclubhouse.org

Test Those Breasts — Find additional breast health and cancer resources under the Resources tab.

Website: www.testthosebreasts.org

Find it early. Change the outcome.

What would you do if you were diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant?

In this powerful first installment of our two-part conversation, Jamie sits down with two-time breast cancer survivor Mara Langer and her husband, David, to share their extraordinary journey through not one, but two, breast cancer diagnoses.

Mara opens up about growing up with a strong family history of breast cancer, how that shaped her decisions about screening and prevention, and the life-changing moment she discovered a new lump while pregnant with her second child, even after having a bilateral mastectomy.

Together, Mara and David discuss the fear, uncertainty, and difficult decisions they faced, including navigating cancer treatment during pregnancy, leaning on one another through every step, and the importance of community support throughout their journey.

This episode is a powerful reminder that breast cancer impacts more than just the person diagnosed, it affects entire families, and no one should have to walk through it alone.

• Mara's incredible journey through two breast cancer diagnoses.
• Why understanding your family history matters.
• What it was like to undergo breast cancer treatment while pregnant.
• David's perspective as a husband and caregiver.
• How communication strengthened their marriage during one of life's greatest challenges.
• The importance of accepting help and building a strong support system.
• Why community can make all the difference during a cancer diagnosis.

Be sure to join us next week for Part 2, where Mara and David share practical advice on early detection, self-advocacy, family health history, survivorship, and what they wish every patient and caregiver knew from the very beginning.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mblanger

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mblanger2/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marablanger/

🌐 Website: https://testthosebreasts.org

🎧 Subscribe to the Test Those Breasts® Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.

💗 Follow us on social media for breast health education, survivor stories, and resources that empower you to recognize warning signs, understand your risk, and advocate for your health.

Find it early. Change the outcome.

What role can technology play in helping detect breast cancer earlier?

In this episode, Jamie sits down with Bob Foley and Brendan Foley to discuss the evolution of breast imaging, the importance of dense breast awareness, and how innovations like automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) and artificial intelligence (AI) are helping improve early detection.

Together, they explore:

• Bob's role in developing groundbreaking breast imaging technologies
• Why dense breast tissue matters
• The limitations of mammography for some women
• How ABUS and AI support earlier detection
• Why younger women need to know their breast health
• The importance of self-advocacy and listening to your body
• Why community education plays a critical role in early detection

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @myevewellness
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanmpfoley/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MyEveWellness

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @QViewMedical
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-foley-3738103/

Eve Wellness

• www.myevewellness.com

QView Medical

• www.qviewmedical.com

• ABC: https://abc7news.com/post/san-francisco-ultrasound-clinic-using-fda-approved-ai-to-help-detect-types-of-breast-cancer-faster/14644197
• CBS: https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/ai-powered-breast-screening-helps-women-detect-breast-cancer-early/
• KRON 4: https://youtu.be/_nRvlAY3s6M?si=S_oRa3n76lzK9dlB

QView Medical

• https://www.itnonline.com/content/qview-medical-announces-fda-pma-approval-3-d-automated-breast-ultrasound-cad

GE ABUS

• https://www.itnonline.com/content/fda-clears-somo%E2%80%A2v-automated-breast-ultrasound-abus-system

Learn more about Test Those Breasts® at https://testthosebreasts.org.

In this episode of Test Those Breasts, Jamie sits down with Kia Lee, a Stage III breast cancer survivor, author, speaker, and survivorship mentor who helps women navigate the emotional and psychological challenges of life during and after cancer.

Kia shares her diagnosis at age 38, her treatment journey, and how cancer ultimately led her to a new purpose—helping other women heal beyond the physical. Together, Jamie and Kia discuss advocacy, survivorship, setting boundaries, finding purpose, and why healing is about so much more than finishing treatment.

Whether you're newly diagnosed, in survivorship, or supporting someone you love, this conversation offers hope, perspective, and encouragement.

• Kia's Stage III breast cancer journey
• Advocating for yourself during treatment
• Why survivorship is more than physical healing
• Finding purpose after cancer
• Supporting women through the emotional side of survivorship

🌐 Website: kia-lee.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
📸 Instagram: @LighthouseSurvivor
🎵 TikTok: @kialee_lighthouse
💼 LinkedIn: Kia-Lee
📰 Substack: kialeelighthouse.substack.com

📖 Lighthouse: The Path Through Cancer – The Power of Becoming
https://kia-lee.com/lighthouse-the-path-through-cancer-the-power-of-becoming/

📝 Free Reflection Guide
https://kia-lee-lighthouse.kit.com/259c635299

🌐 https://testthosebreasts.org
📸 https://www.instagram.com/test.those.breasts
🎵 https://www.tiktok.com/@testthosebreasts
▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@TestThoseBreasts

Surviving breast cancer is only the beginning. For many survivors, the emotional, mental, and physical healing continues long after treatment ends.

In this episode, Jamie sits down with Crystal Yang, RN, Board Certified Nurse Coach and co-founder of Perky, to explore the often-overlooked challenges of survivorship. Crystal shares how nurse coaching provides a safe, supportive space for breast cancer survivors to process life after treatment, navigate identity shifts, improve relationships, prioritize their well-being, and create a personalized path toward healing.

Whether you're struggling with loss of identity, intimacy, anxiety, lifestyle changes, or simply wondering, "What's next?" after treatment, this conversation offers hope and practical guidance.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What nurse coaching is and how it differs from therapy
• Why survivorship can be one of the hardest parts of the breast cancer journey
• How coaching empowers survivors to take ownership of their health and well-being
• The importance of being truly seen and heard
• How Perky is helping survivors not just survive, but thrive

Website
https://helloperky.com

Book Your Complimentary Discovery Coaching Session
https://helloperky.com/nursecoaching

Phone
(210) 712-9765

Email
[email protected]

Instagram
@weareperky

If you haven't listened to my first conversation with Crystal and Courtney from Perky, be sure to check it out!

YouTube:
https://youtu.be/2sIOeeAV_Hc?si=XJoGZILW4j0t54o2
▶️ Watch the previous Perky episode on YouTube

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone navigating life after breast cancer. Every conversation helps bring hope, healing, and education to more survivors.

Remember: Early detection saves lives. Healing doesn't end when treatment does.

In this episode of Test Those Breasts, Jamie sits down with fellowship-trained breast radiologist, Navy veteran, and founder of MammoLink, Dr. Ryan Polselli, for an important conversation about the future of breast cancer screening, access, and education.

Ryan shares how his frustration with the traditional screening model led him to create one of Florida’s fastest-growing mobile breast imaging companies — bringing mammography directly to workplaces, schools, and communities to eliminate barriers and save lives.

Together, Jamie and Ryan discuss:

• Why nearly 50% of eligible women skip annual mammograms
• The biggest barriers making breast cancer screening harder than it should be
• Why mobile mammography alone is not enough — and what truly makes screening patient-centered
• How Mammolink is partnering with school districts and organizations to improve access
• The dangerous misinformation around mammograms “causing cancer”
• Why ultrasound should never replace mammography
• The truth about dense breasts and supplemental imaging
• The concerning rise of breast cancer in younger women (ages 35–40)
• Whether it’s time to reconsider the recommended age for screening
• Why annual screening matters — and what can happen when you delay, even by one year
• The insurance and policy implications of the new USPSTF biennial screening recommendations

This conversation is packed with practical education, myth-busting, and a fresh perspective on how we can improve outcomes through earlier detection and better access.

One of the biggest takeaways:
Mammograms detect cancer. They do not cause it.
And when paired with education and supplemental imaging when needed, they save lives.

🌐 Website: Ryan Polselli
🚐 Mammolink: Mammolink
📘 Facebook: Facebook – Dr. Ryan Polselli
💼 LinkedIn: LinkedIn – Dr. Ryan Polselli
📸 Instagram: Instagram – @ryanpolselli
🐦 X: X – @rpolsel