The Intersection of Cancer and Life, Episode 11: Annmarie Otis

Episode 11 of the Intersection of Cancer and Life features Annmarie Otis, the founder of Stupid Dumb Breast Cancer. Annmarie was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer in 2012, and Stupid Dumb Breast Cancer is her fierce and unconventional initiative to promote awareness, early detection, and advocacy surrounding breast cancer, with a special focus on …

The Intersection of Cancer and Life, Episode 8: Abigail Johnston

Episode 8 of the Intersection of Cancer and Life is a special episode for me - at the time it airs, it will have been a year since my diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer. In this episode, I talk with Abigail Johnston, a fellow lawyer, mother, and metastatic breast cancer thriver. Before cancer, Abigail was …

Will It Get Better?

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I thought my world had ended. I think back to the young woman lying on the cold table, undergoing a breast biopsy, sobbing into her hospital gown. I was afraid I was going to die. When I received my metastatic diagnosis several weeks later, I wandered around …

In Sickness and in Health

Over the summer, Christian and I attended a beautiful wedding- the first trip we were able to take alone together both since my breast cancer diagnosis and since Felix was born. As we sat in the dappled afternoon sun, listening to the voices of two of our close friends pledging their vows to each other, …

The Intersection of Cancer and Life, Episode 4: Robin Browne

Episode 4 of the Intersection of Cancer and Life features Robin Browne. Robin is 31 years old, a stage IV breast cancer survivor, and a regular contributor to Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls website. She's also the cohost of the podcast “That’s the Spirit” and is fascinated by all things spooky and dark. She has one …

Welcome to The Intersection of Cancer and Life!

Welcome to The Intersection of Cancer and Life, a podcast about what happens when cancer, and life, put you on the road you never expected to travel. On this podcast, I talk to survivors, thrivers, and supporters about what life really looks like with cancer - the good, the difficult, and sometimes the really ridiculous. …

Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day

Today, October 13th, is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. However, for me, every day since November 28, 2017, has been metastatic breast cancer awareness day. Each day, I live with metastatic breast cancer, and it permeates almost everything I do, from medication timing to dietary restrictions, to talk of medical bills to future vacations and …

Announcing…

The Intersection of Cancer and Life, a podcast that talks about the lives we rebuild after a cancer diagnosis. It's not the road we ever expected, but it's one hell of a journey. This podcast has been many, many months in the works, and I am so incredibly excited to finally share it with the …

Final Notes on My Hysterectomy

It's been five weeks since my hysterectomy, and I can still say that my recovery has been much better than expected. I have had no complications up to this point, and physically, I don't really feel like I just had surgery. I was surprised at how minimally invasive the laparoscopic surgery really was, and my …

Waiting

In the car, on the way to my first oncology appointment, I had what, in hindsight, could only be seen as a mental dissociation. I spun out of control, unable to grasp my cancer diagnosis, completely convinced this was all an elaborate mistake. My brain was stuck in a cycle of deep denial, and I …