We are joined this week by Daniella (@drdanig) who discusses significant hurdles throughout her cancer treatment including IVF, navigating disability insurance, and our AYA tale as old as time…doctors not listening to her. Daniella explains to the listeners how it is normal, and treacherous, when your body heals faster than your mind.

May your outlook be positive and your scans be negative!!

 

Megan and Sam

Find Dani's bio on our socials!

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Phone Number: 720-892-6669

 

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Chiara is back with us this week on Tits Up to discuss a non profit that is near and dear to her heart, b-present. b-present is a phenomenal organization that is geared toward helping the caregivers, friends, and family of cancer patients. Since there is currently no ‘girlfriend’s guide to cancer support’, b-present fills that void! If you or a loved one is struggling with how to be the person that your cancer-y loved one needs, b-sure to check this fantastic organization out! We share what we wished others knew when we were diagnosed, how different people can fulfill different roles for us, and how badly we want to make sure those around us are caring for themselves as well.

Please visit the links below, and share them, and this episode, with your closest circles.

Stay classy, Cancerland!

 

Megan and Sam

 

LINKS:

B-present Website: https://b-present.org/

Supporter Roadmap: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/8cd6ac77cb.html

We seem to always think of the big days: surgery day, infusion day, ‘shaved our head’ day. But what about the smaller, consistent, and game changing therapies to help your body heal, clear your lymph system, regain range of motion, and calm your angry damaged little nerves?

This week, occupational therapist, Heather Rasmus from Empower Lymphatic Therapy joins us to discuss occupational therapy after cancer treatment. Heather explains to us why someone would want/need to go to an occupational therapist during and after cancer treatments, and what treatment looks and feels like. Heather walks us through the myriad of cancer related side effects that can be worked on and healed through consistent work with an occupational therapist and where to find an occupational therapist in your area.

 

Our Loudest Message: Find and meet with your occupational therapist BEFORE treatments so you don’t struggle as much AFTER treatments.

All the breast,

 

Megan and Sam

empowerlymphatictherapy.com

This week, we are joined by the vibrant and ever lovely, Chiara! Chiara walks us through her experience over the last 3.5 years living with Stage 4 breast cancer. We discuss self advocacy within the medical realm, navigating other’s emotions surrounding your diagnosis, National Parks, dating, and the greatest gift of all…love. That must be why Megan says “I love it” 4,586 times throughout the episode *eye roll* 

 

Loudest Message: Until you’re dying, you’re still living…so go LIVE!!! Chase the things that bring you joy.

Below are links to topics discussed and organizations to contribute to.

 

Talk soon, lovelies,

 

Megan and Sam

 

 LINKS:

Oligometastatic:

https://www.breastcancer.org/types/metastatic/oligometastatic (https://www.breastcancer.org/types/metastatic/oligometastatic)

Metavivor:

https://www.metavivor.org/

BCRF:

Bcrf.org

ABCD (After Breast Cancer Diagnosis):

https://abcdbreastcancersupport.org/

Young Survivors Coalition:

https://youngsurvival.org/

Have you heard of MDMA therapy? What about Ketamine? EMDR? Psilocybin? Have you wondered if you are a good candidate for these alternative therapeutic methods to overcome depression and trauma? Are you scared of drug assisted therapy? All the questions you have about these alternative therapeutic methods and more are discussed today in our episode with Dr. Sarah Long, Psy.D., CEDS. 

 

Sarah Long is a licensed clinical psychologist, and she has been working in the world of alternative methods of therapy for some time. She guides us through how these alternative methods work on the brain, what outcomes to expect, who is a good candidate, and what to look for in a provider.

 

Our loudest message,

You are already outside of your comfort zone after being diagnosed with cancer. Might as well stay on the outside of it and pursue ways of healing you never dreamed of.

 

Flashing that Cancer Card every day,

 

Megan and Sam

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We are back this week, by popular demand, with friend of the show and LPC, Blair!!

Blair walks us through the basics of trauma. Apparently there are big ’T’ and little ’t’ traumas. Who knew?!  We discuss symptoms of trauma, triggers, how it affects us and those around us, and how to start working through the mess that is our lives after/during cancer. Just…so much helpful info.

Blair directs us to the following resources:

    0.    National Suicide Hotline - 988

    0.    National Hope Hotline - 1-800-442-4673

    0.    The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van Der Kolk, M.D.

    0.    Great places to start looking for therapists are PsychologyToday.com (http://PsychologyToday.com), calling your insurance and asking for a list of providers that take your insurance, and calling your primary care physician to give you referrals or to discuss medications.

 

Our loudest message from this episode: Work on your box breathing, damn it!!

 

The horrors persist…but so do we,

 

Megan and Sam

This week on ‘Tits Up’, Megan and Sam invite the lovely and hilarious, Sara McKinney. We discuss friend groups, pets, having young children during cancer treatment, job changes, and much more! Sara leads us down a winding path of thoughts, emotions, realizations, and every day implications that cancer has on your life. Also, Sara introduces us to two amazing non-profits (links below); Casting for Recovery and Fostering Love Rescues!

https://castingforrecovery.org/ (https://castingforrecovery.org/)

https://fosteringloverescues.org/ (https://fosteringloverescues.org/)

Our loudest message from this episode: Friend groups are essential, pets are the best, and nature is healing. So, love on your friends, cuddle your pets, and get your ass outside…even if you are just staring at the sky and trees.

Surviving…holding out for thriving,

Megan and Sam

***

Ahhhhh…Feelings. This week on ‘Tits Up’, Megan and Sam have a bit of a bitch session regarding body image, dramatic meltdowns, regrets about decisions we made, and many other thoughts that you all have likely had as well. Megan’s menopause forgets basic things like the name of the movie ‘Inside Out’ and her favorite author, Oscar Wilde. Sam explains the difference between a ‘new normal’ and becoming a completely different person after diagnosis. We also learn that NO ONE is good at taking their tamoxafin/aromatase inhibitors. As always, it is a raw, uncensored, and somewhat salty view on the lives we now lead as AYA cancer survivors.  

Our loudest message from this episode: All paths through cancer are valid paths. We’re all just doing our best. No matter how big of a mess you are, you are normal.

Not Dead Yet,

Megan and Sam

***

First, a *trigger warning*. We will be discussing end of life planning.  

This week on ‘Tits Up’, we meet with Courtney. Courtney is a mama to three kiddos (all born post-treatment) and still on maternity leave for her 3rd! She is a two time breast cancer survivor, and a hell of a good attorney. Courtney specializes in end of life planning. We discuss wills, trusts, tax evasion (jk…sorta), and advanced directives. She explains everything you need to know about getting your affairs in order whether it is necessary immediately, or it is just something on your mind. She also shines a light on a myriad of issues that are usually not considered by people prior to creating end of life documents.

Our loudest message from this episode: You don’t know what you don’t know!…and don’t be afraid of attorneys! They can be pretty helpful and nice, sometimes.

Benignly,

Megan and Sam

***

This week on ‘Tits Up:

Lisa Wingrove from Fearless Foods joins us this week to debunk a lot of the myths out there regarding food and cancer occurrences. We ask as many questions as we can regarding sugar, vegetarian diets, organic vs. non organic foods, alcohol, and many others that have been plaguing our minds since our diagnosis. Hot take: Sugar does not cause cancer!

You can find Lisa on instagram at @fearlessfoodeats and on her website at fearlessfood.health.

Our loudest message from this episode: Be careful where you get your information!!

Stay hydrated, Queens,

Megan and Sam

If you would like to be featured on an episode, please leave us a voicemail with a story or anecdote of your own personal cancer experience, a request for topics to be discussed during upcoming episodes, advice for other listeners, or a general suggestion for the podcast. Our phone number is: 720-892-6669.

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