We are kicking off the Behind the Bra Good Series with Wendy Nielsen, a registered dietitian, photographer, and CrossFit athlete from St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Wendy was diagnosed with DCIS breast cancer in September of 2018 at the age of 40. Having watched her mom navigate a breast cancer diagnosis 13 years earlier, Wendy opted to have a double mastectomy in order to forgo other treatment options. 

It took a while for her to come out of the dust of her diagnosis, and through two surgeries, Wendy admits she was mostly living in survival mode, thinking that she'd forget all about this time of her life once it was all over. But as we've heard from most of the women in our programs, the emotional effects of a diagnosis last a lifetime. 

In this first episode of the GOOD series, Wendy discusses all the good that has come from receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, her growing relationship with her family and learning the meaning of self-care. To hear more about the good, tune in to the Behind the Bra Podcast 2.0: The GOOD Series. And to learn more about Wendy's story, check out episode 20 of the Behind the Bra Podcast.