Where I am right now

This week's episode is a little different, and one I've been looking forward to sharing.

For the first time, I'm sitting down with another breast cancer survivor who is now five years in remission. While I'm still navigating treatment myself, she has already walked the road I'm on, and together we have an honest conversation about what life looked like before cancer, the day everything changed, treatment, survivorship, and what life is really like five years later.

We talk about the parts of breast cancer that don't always get discussed: the fear, the unexpected challenges, the moments that made us laugh, the things people say that aren't always helpful, and the hope that exists on the other side of treatment.

Whether you're newly diagnosed, in the middle of treatment, years into survivorship, or supporting someone you love, I hope this conversation reminds you that you're not alone, and that there is life beyond cancer.

Thank you for listening to Where I Am Right Now.

In this episode of Where I Am Right Now, I'm sharing my experience after completing all 19 rounds of radiation treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer.

I talk about what daily radiation was actually like, the skin changes I experienced, the fatigue that surprised me, and how my body is healing now that I'm a few weeks out from treatment.

I also dive into life on Kadcyla, including the side effects I've been experiencing so far, from body aches and appetite changes to neuropathy, insomnia.

If you're preparing for radiation, currently going through treatment, or simply following along on my cancer journey, I hope this episode helps you feel a little less alone.

In this episode, I’m talking about the part of cancer treatment that feels quieter… but somehow still consumes your entire life.

I’m currently 6 out of 19 rounds into radiation, and I wanted to share what this phase has actually been like physically, mentally, and emotionally. From the daily routine of radiation, to the exhaustion that slowly builds, to feeling like life is supposed to be “normal” again when you’re still very much in it.

This episode is about the emotional weight of continuing treatment after you thought the hardest part might be over, and learning how to keep showing up anyway.

6 down. 13 to go.

In this episode, I asked a simple but deeply meaningful question in one of my breast cancer support groups:

“What is one thing you would tell yourself when you were just starting this journey?”

The responses… they were honest, raw, and comforting. The kind of words you don’t always hear from doctors or even the people closest to you, but the ones that come from women who have actually lived it.

Today, I’m reading through those answers.

If you’re newly diagnosed, I hope this feels like a hand to hold.

If you’re further along, you might hear something that takes you right back… or something that reminds you how far you’ve come; just know that you’re not doing this alone.

After finishing six rounds of chemo, I thought I was stepping into a lighter part of treatment, but the journey isn’t over yet.

In this episode, I’m sharing what it felt like to start my first round of Kadcyla, the targeted chemo I’ll be on for the next year. I talk about what my symptoms have been so far. and I explain a bit about what Kadcyla actually is and what makes it "targeted" chemo.

This phase looks different and I’m learning how to navigate it in real time.

If you’re entering a new stage of treatment or adjusting to the “in-between,” this one’s for you. And to add, it always seems like there's IN BETWEEN throughout this cancer journey, seems enervating ending.

In this episode, I’m sharing my pathology results after surgery, and being completely honest about how it felt hearing them.

After going through chemo and even having an MRI that showed no visible tumor, I really believed I was heading toward a certain kind of outcome. But my pathology told a different story.

There was still cancer present.

I’m talking about what that moment was like, why I don’t think we’re always fully prepared for results that fall somewhere in the middle, and how I’ve been processing that emotionally.

I’m also sharing what this means for my treatment moving forward, including why I’ll be starting Kadcyla and how the Katherine Trial plays a role in that decision.

If your results haven’t looked the way you hoped, or you’ve found yourself in that “in-between” space, this episode is for you 

This episode is about the part no one really prepares you for… the waiting.

I’m sharing my experience going through surgery, from the day of, to the early days of healing, and what it’s felt like physically and emotionally to slow down after everything.

But more than anything, I’m talking about this in-between space… the time after surgery where you’re just waiting for pathology results and your mind doesn’t stop.

The what-ifs, the hope, the fear, the lack of control… it’s all here.

If you’re in this part of the journey too, you’re not alone

This week feels like a turning point. (Posting a little late due to issues)

I’m heading into surgery , a lumpectomy, sentinel node removal, and having a benign mass removed, and at the same time, I’ve stepped into a new phase of treatment after my first Phesgo injection without chemo.

Everything feels… different.

In this episode, I’m talking about where I am right now, the mental space before surgery, the weird in-between of “not done but not where I was,” and what it felt like to walk out of treatment and not feel completely wrecked for the first time in months.

It’s honest, a little all over the place, and exactly where I am in this moment.

n this episode I’m talking about a major milestone in my cancer journey; finishing chemotherapy.

On Tuesday I completed my final round of chemo. It’s a moment I’ve been working toward since the beginning of my diagnosis, and while it feels surreal to say it out loud, it’s also a mix of emotions.

While finishing chemo is a huge milestone, my journey isn’t over yet. Next comes surgery, radiation, and continuing targeted therapy.

This episode is a moment to pause, reflect, and acknowledge how far I’ve come , while also looking ahead to the next steps in healing.

If you’re going through something similar, I hope this conversation reminds you that you’re not alone.

After navigating chemo, medications, and everything that comes with a cancer diagnosis, I’ve started experiencing heart rhythm changes that have left me feeling anxious, confused, and honestly… scared at times. I talk about atrial ectopics, AV block, high vagal tone, the “about to faint” feelings, and what it’s like when your heart doesn’t beat the way you expect it to.