The Breast Podcast

Forgiveness is a subject you may have heard a lot about in Sunday School as a kid, but how does it apply to healing? On the frontier of some fascinating research on forgiveness and health, Dr. Toussaint comes to us from Luther College. Dr Toussaint is a psychologist, professor, and researcher whose work places a special emphasis on how forgiveness impacts the body's ability to heal. In this episode, Loren discusses some common misconceptions surrounding the subject of forgiveness and teaches...

Kim Fredrickson knows how tough life can be. That's why she advocates for a compassionate approach to ourselves. A breast cancer survivor who faces a terminal diagnosis as a result of her cancer treatment, she personally has had to face and come to peace with her own limits. Coupled with her years of focusing on self-compassion as a Marriage and Family Therapist, Kim brings us some much needed words of wisdom about how to be kind to yourself even when you feel like you least deserve...

Your treatment is over, you’ve rung the chemo bell, you’ve survived breast cancer… What do you do when you still feel terrible? What do you do if you still feel depressed? Deborah Beaumont, APRN and Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, is on The Breast Podcast this week to drop some hard truths. Deborah addresses aspects of both physical and psychological care that women tend to neglect after they’ve finished breast cancer treatment. It’s normal to feel abnormal after cancer, and she...

Cathy Leman is back! Registered Dietitian, fitness instructor, public speaker, breast cancer survivor, writer, risk reduction strategist - Cathy wears so many hats it’s tough to pick one sometimes. This time Cathy is focusing on the subject of body image. Whether you’ve struggled with body image issues in the past or are struggling with the effect that cancer and cancer treatment has on your body, Cathy has strategies that help women cope. She shares some of them with us in this interview,...

This week, The Breast Podcast has a sit-down with Heidi Kelly, a breast cancer survivor turned handbag designer whose life took a radically different path after her diagnosis and treatment. Between her second and third surgery, Heidi decided to turn her hobby of designing handbags into a lifestyle, and now she uses her design skills and artistic talent to give back to other organizations in the breast cancer community.

The Breast Podcast interviews author and breast cancer survivor Gigi Pandian. When Gigi was diagnosed with breast cancer, she decided to make some radical changes to her life, from throwing herself into mystery writing to embracing an almost vegan lifestyle. Many women struggle with finding a "new normal" in their lives after a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Gigi was kind enough to share her story and her strategies with us, as well as her sources of inspiration for her bestselling...

What do you do when all your images of either breast reconstruction or flat chests after a mastectomy are sterile, clinical images? Perhaps you visit The Breast and the Sea, a photography project celebrating the beauty of women impacted by breast cancer: both those who reconstruct and those who do not. Today we interview co-founder Rebecca Pine about her choice to go flat and why she co-founded The Breast and the Sea. She is passionate about empowering women with the freedom to step away...

Diagnosed with stage 3A ILC in 2015, Kelly Nemecek is a survivor who has just passed three years since her diagnosis. As an admin of the massive Facebook community Breast Cancer Sisters, Kelly has made it her mission to ensure that all breast cancer patients, no matter where they are in their journey, have a safe space to talk to people who understand. She discusses the formation of the group, how to use both online and offline support structures when you're struggling, and how she learned...

The Breast Podcast host Casey talks to prophylactic mastectomy patient and human force of nature Tina Ruark-Baker. After choosing to undergo a prophylactic mastectomy due to genetic risk and a history of cysts, Tina took issue with the lack of options most surgeons offered breast reconstruction patients. Tina eventually chose a surgeon who introduced her to an emergent technology--AeroForm by AirXpanders. She has been thrilled with her AeroForm experience. In fact, she has made it her...

Cathy Leman, a registered dietitian, talks about breast cancer nutrition. She discusses her own breast cancer journey as well as dispels common myths and misconceptions about what constitutes a "good" post-cancer diet. Cathy has over 20 years as a dietitian and personal trainer. She has also worked in eating disorder rehabilitation and encourages her patients to develop relationships with food that are both physically and mentally healthy.

ITC welcomes Rhonda M. Smith, who talks about moving forward and shares her personal story about her site: Breast Cancer Partner.

In this episode of The Breast Podcast, we welcome survivors Melanie Nix and Angela Williams. These two women not only share their journey as 10 year survivors, but also discuss awareness and racial disparity in the fight against breast cancer in the African American community.

Dr. Regina Hampton, a breast surgeon and co-founder of Breast Care For D.C., talks with ITC Podcast Nation about African-American women and the fight against breast cancer.

Doreen Puglisi is the founder of The Pink Ribbon Program: http://www.pinkribbonprogram.com/ In this episode Doreen shares her personal story as a breast cancer survivor, and helps us understand how to find a "new normal" moving forward after treatment and breast reconstruction.

"Do not give up. The beginning is always the hardest." Doreen Puglisi, the founder of The Pink Ribbon Program, joins The Breast Podcast for a great discussion on finding that "new normal".

The Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act, or Women’s Health Act of 1998. The Breast Cancer Patient Education Act (BCEPA) of 2015. What did these two pieces of legislation do to help women with a breast cancer diagnosis? Let's hear from a company that helped change policy.

What starts as an idea becomes a life changing innovation. What does that mean for you? It certainly means if you need tissue expanders, your options are being expanded (pun intended). Kathy Kelley, Senior Director, Clinical Affairs at AirXpanders, talks freedom and control.

Do you want to hear the latest breast reconstruction innovation? Scott Dodson, CEO and Executive Director of AirXpanders joins The Breast Podcast to talk about the first major innovation in tissue expanders in over 40 years, the AeroForm.

So many decisions to make so quickly. When should you start to think about breast reconstruction? Is immediate or delayed reconstruction a better choice? Terri Coutee has "been there...done that," so who else would be better to talk about immediate and delayed reconstruction? Terri had a positive experience with delayed DIEP flap breast reconstruction. Now, her time is spent educating women on breast reconstruction after a mastectomy through her blog, Facebook page and foundation.

This is the conclusion of our discussion with Dr. Sarah A. McLaughlin a surgeon at the Robert and Monica Jacoby Center for Breast Health at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville Florida.