Breast Cancer Stories is about what happens when you have breast cancer, told in real time. Whether you’ve just been diagnosed with breast cancer or love someone who has, this podcast is here to help you through the shock of diagnosis and treatment.
After her mother died, Dr. Tita Gray found a lump and called her doctor at UCLA, but the earliest appointments were two months out. She frantically called around for a doctor who could get her in ASAP for a biopsy. Luckily, St. Mary's in Long Beach got Tita in right away, but the news wasn't good. When Tita later saw her oncologist at UCLA, they found more cancer than expected and recommended immediate aggressive chemo. In season 3 of Breast Cancer Stories, Tita shares her story in real time as she navigates a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis, undergoes aggressive chemo and immunotherapy, and ultimately chooses to go flat following a double mastectomy.
Season 2
The second season follows Natasha Curry, a palliative care nurse practitioner at San Francisco General Hospital. Natasha was in Malawi on a Doctors Without Borders mission in 2021 when her husband of 25 years announced in a text message that he was leaving. A few months later when she discovered an almond-sized lump in her armpit, she did everything she tells her patients not to do and dismissed it, or wrote it off as a “fat lump." One painful biopsy later, Natasha found out she had cancer; in one life-changing moment, the nurse became the patient.
Season 1
The first season of Breast Cancer Stories follows Kristen Vengler, a 56 year old single empty nester in San Diego, from her diagnosis of hormone positive breast cancer through chemotherapy, double mastectomy & breast reconstruction, radiation, and whatever happens after that. In 2020, Kristen moved from Austin to San Diego to start her life over after a life-shattering workplace trauma. A few months later she had that terrifying moment in the shower we all hope we never have.
Connect with us
Breast Cancer Stories is an all-time Top 10 Medicine podcast on Goodpods.
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Breast Cancer Stories is about what happens when you have breast cancer, told in real time. Whether you’ve just been diagnosed with breast cancer or love someone who has, this podcast is here to help you through the shock of diagnosis and treatment.
After her mother died, Dr. Tita Gray found a lump and called her doctor at UCLA, but the earliest appointments were two months out. She frantically called around for a doctor who could get her in ASAP for a biopsy. Luckily, St. Mary's in Long Beach got Tita in right away, but the news wasn't good. When Tita later saw her oncologist at UCLA, they found more cancer than expected and recommended immediate aggressive chemo. In season 3 of Breast Cancer Stories, Tita shares her story in real time as she navigates a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis, undergoes aggressive chemo and immunotherapy, and ultimately chooses to go flat following a double mastectomy.
Season 2
The second season follows Natasha Curry, a palliative care nurse practitioner at San Francisco General Hospital. Natasha was in Malawi on a Doctors Without Borders mission in 2021 when her husband of 25 years announced in a text message that he was leaving. A few months later when she discovered an almond-sized lump in her armpit, she did everything she tells her patients not to do and dismissed it, or wrote it off as a “fat lump." One painful biopsy later, Natasha found out she had cancer; in one life-changing moment, the nurse became the patient.
Season 1
The first season of Breast Cancer Stories follows Kristen Vengler, a 56 year old single empty nester in San Diego, from her diagnosis of hormone positive breast cancer through chemotherapy, double mastectomy & breast reconstruction, radiation, and whatever happens after that. In 2020, Kristen moved from Austin to San Diego to start her life over after a life-shattering workplace trauma. A few months later she had that terrifying moment in the shower we all hope we never have.
Connect with us
Breast Cancer Stories is an all-time Top 10 Medicine podcast on Goodpods.
Day 295: The Trauma Has Made Me Softer [Natasha Curry, RN, NP]
Breast Cancer Stories
32 minutes
2 years ago
Day 295: The Trauma Has Made Me Softer [Natasha Curry, RN, NP]
Natasha adjusts to post-treatment daily life, continuing with hormone blockers and finally seeing a mental health professional. While working with less fortunate patients who don't have mittens or cold caps, Natasha looks back with gratitude on how privileged her treatment experience was. At work, she finds herself pushing patients much harder to advocate for themselves around symptom management and advises them not to accept puking and feeling like crap the whole time. Cold weather leads to cold feet which leads to worrying about the onset of neuropathy. She experiences a constellation of odd side effects including tingling, arrhythmia, jacked up taste buds, hot flashes that may or may not mean anything and wonders about the cause. Is it from the hormone blockers? Menopause? Aftereffects of chemo?
In this final episode of Season 2, she finally gets in to see a therapist and wishes it had been possible from the beginning.
Going back and listening to episodes of the podcast reminds her how far she's come and although she’ll always be terrified, it has opened her heart in a way she’s thankful for and there is a way it’s made her softer.
Thank you to all who have listened to Natasha’s story. We hope her real-time story has helped you and welcome your notes, thoughts, and feedback.
We’ll be back soon with some special episodes, including a long awaited Kristen update and some incredible special guests. To stay in touch with what we’re doing, the newsletter is the best place to get real time updates. Subscribe at https://breastcancerstories.substack.com/subscribe
If you have just been diagnosed, and are interested in telling your story from beginning to end on our podcast, send us a note on our website at breastcancerstoriespodcast.com
Your support is crucial to continuing our mission, which is simply to help those with breast cancer and the people who love them through the shock of diagnosis and treatment.
**About Breast Cancer Stories** Breast Cancer Stories follows Natasha Curry, a palliative care nurse practitioner at San Francisco General Hospital, through her experience of going from being a nurse to a patient after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Natasha was in Malawi on a Doctors Without Borders mission in 2021 when her husband of 25 years announced in a text message that he was leaving. She returned home, fell into bed for a few weeks, and eventually pulled herself together and went back to work. A few months later when she discovered an almond-sized lump in her armpit, she did everything she tells her patients not to do and dismissed it, or wrote it off as a “fat lump."
Months went by before Natasha finally got a mammogram, but radiology saw nothing in either breast. It was the armpit lump that caught their attention. Next step was an ultrasound, where the lump was clearly visible. One painful biopsy later, Natasha found out she had cancer; in one life-changing moment, the nurse became the patient.
This podcast is about what happens when you have breast cancer, told in real time.
Host and Executive Producer: Eva Sheie Co-Host: Kristen Vengler Editor and Audio Engineer: Daniel Croeser Theme Music: Them Highs and Lows, Bird of Figment Story Editor: Mary Ellen Clarkson Assistant Producer: Hannah Burkhart Cover Art Designer: Shawn Hiatt
Breast Cancer Stories is a production of
Breast Cancer Stories
Breast Cancer Stories is about what happens when you have breast cancer, told in real time. Whether you’ve just been diagnosed with breast cancer or love someone who has, this podcast is here to help you through the shock of diagnosis and treatment.
After her mother died, Dr. Tita Gray found a lump and called her doctor at UCLA, but the earliest appointments were two months out. She frantically called around for a doctor who could get her in ASAP for a biopsy. Luckily, St. Mary's in Long Beach got Tita in right away, but the news wasn't good. When Tita later saw her oncologist at UCLA, they found more cancer than expected and recommended immediate aggressive chemo. In season 3 of Breast Cancer Stories, Tita shares her story in real time as she navigates a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis, undergoes aggressive chemo and immunotherapy, and ultimately chooses to go flat following a double mastectomy.
Season 2
The second season follows Natasha Curry, a palliative care nurse practitioner at San Francisco General Hospital. Natasha was in Malawi on a Doctors Without Borders mission in 2021 when her husband of 25 years announced in a text message that he was leaving. A few months later when she discovered an almond-sized lump in her armpit, she did everything she tells her patients not to do and dismissed it, or wrote it off as a “fat lump." One painful biopsy later, Natasha found out she had cancer; in one life-changing moment, the nurse became the patient.
Season 1
The first season of Breast Cancer Stories follows Kristen Vengler, a 56 year old single empty nester in San Diego, from her diagnosis of hormone positive breast cancer through chemotherapy, double mastectomy & breast reconstruction, radiation, and whatever happens after that. In 2020, Kristen moved from Austin to San Diego to start her life over after a life-shattering workplace trauma. A few months later she had that terrifying moment in the shower we all hope we never have.
Connect with us
Breast Cancer Stories is an all-time Top 10 Medicine podcast on Goodpods.
