Rachel Mehl
The Best I Can
My guest on this episode is Rachel Mehl. She was first diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma in February 2016, followed by a recurrence of not only ductal carcinoma but also a rare form of breast cancer, metaplastic breast cancer. Rachel was then diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in her lung. We talked about her diagnoses, course of treatment, and the decision she made to create her own healing path.
Kelly Thomas
40 and out!
My guest on this episode is Kelly Thomas. She was 33 years old when diagnosed with stage 3, triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma in January 2018. Kelly shared her story behind the pink ribbon from finding her lump, diagnosis, and treatments. We also talked about the differences between being diagnosed at a young age versus later in life and how those who are diagnosed before the age of 40 are then kicked out of the adolescent and young adult (AYA) support groups once the patient turns 40.
Jennifer MacKenzie:
Never the Same
Jennifer MacKenzie, a 3-year breast cancer survivor, joined me on the podcast today to share her story behind the pink ribbon. Jennifer was diagnosed with stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma at the age of 35. she talked about her diagnosis, treatments, and struggling with coming to terms that her life would not return to what it was before cancer. Jennifer also talked about the lack of support for parents who become the primary caregivers for young adult cancer patients/survivors.