Episodes

Between esophagitis (thanks, radiation) and a mysterious lump that turned out to be fat necrosis from reconstruction, the post-cancer medical drama continues. But instead of spiraling, Kristen went full “eat, pray, ground yourself”—ditching Prozac cold turkey after forgetting it on a trip, attending back-to-back retreats in India and Australia, and healing her body by standing barefoot in the dirt. An unusual treatment in Tasmania left her pain-free, and a spontaneous visit to Australia turned i...

Returning to life cancer-free hasn’t been easy, but Tita stays positive and isn’t letting anything take her spirit down. Her chest is healing, and she doesn’t feel like any less of a woman without breasts. Rather, it reminds her that she's alive and...

When she first looked down after her double mastectomy, Tita didn’t panic. But adjusting to life without a bra has been strange. Nothing could prepare her for the emotions of losing a part of her body. But her tumor is gone, and no cancer was found...

Tita's finally starting to feel like herself again after six grueling months of chemo. With no more nausea, she can actually enjoy pizza and pasta without feeling sick.Her mastectomy is coming up soon, and her oncologist is calling for radiation....

Tita's latest MRI shows her tumor is shrinking. She's planning a butterfly tattoo after her double mastectomy to symbolize her metamorphosis. She shares what keeps her strong and optimistic: a job focused on helping others and a supportive circle of...

Tita’s white blood count drops so low she has to reduce her chemo infusions to every other week. Zarxio injections and immunotherapy help keep it in a healthy range.The new schedule extends her treatments through May, leaving her mentally drained....

Feeling worse than usual and suspecting her chemo dosage might be too high, Tita asks her doctor for another mammogram and ultrasound to check visually for signs of cancer.Dismayed to find out she needs two more months of chemo than expected, she...

After her second triple infusion of chemo, Tita is feeling worse than ever—no appetite, headaches, achy joints, the whole side effect shebang.The silver lining is that her oncologist can no longer find the lump. She checks herself regularly, hoping...

Triple negative breast cancer means aggressive chemo, and for Tita, dealing with everyone else's worry on top of it is too much.  With her first chemo session completed, she's determined not to let cancer overshadow her gratitude for the good things...

Following the loss of her mother and some traumatic family drama that came with it, Dr. Tita Gray discovered a lump in her breast.Scared but determined, she moves quickly to get a biopsy and finds out she has breast cancer. Further scans show it’s...

The results of Kristen's PET scan showed two lymph nodes lighting up, one in the gastro-hepatic area of her abdomen and the other in the lining of her esophagus.While it could just be inflammation, Dr. Ali wants her to see a gastroenterologist but...

After a fiasco in Escondido involving multiplying rodents and toxic air quality, Kristen’s on the move again. The pulmonologist found ground glass lungs and an enlarged heart, then Dr. Ali found an enlarged lymph node between her liver and stomach...

About to turn 60, Natasha is in a dark place thinking of other things that can go wrong with her health if she’ll have to go it alone. Even though a routine MRI is clear, she obsesses about cancer spreading to other areas that aren’t being checked....

5 months after her DIEP flap reconstruction surgery, Alicia returns with an update. Although the original plan was to do a DIEP flap on both sides, it didn’t turn out that way and she still has an expander on the other side.Still unsure what to do...

With the BRCA mutation and a family history of breast cancer, the “clock” started ticking for Alicia with biannual screenings at age 30. She tried to keep up with the screening schedule, but had young children and decided to go to nursing school. Nine...

Natasha’s port is out and is huge, resembling a miniature computer mouse. She still believes getting a port was the best decision she’s ever made and now that it’s gone, she can wear her old clothes again. While she enjoys living alone and is back...

In this episode of Cancer U Thrivers, hear Kristen’s interview with author, speaker, entrepreneur, and patient advocate Andrea Wilson Woods on her podcast Cancer U Thrivers.Kristen walks Andrea and her audience through her experience with stage 3...

After a hard fall, Kristen breaks several ribs and at a scan to check for a ruptured implant, the radiologist sees a Skittle-sized spot near her breast implant just in time for the two year anniversary of her diagnosis.On the heels of a brand new...

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...

After a scan shows a 1.2 cm nodule on her thyroid, Natasha goes for a biopsy which comes back with complicated results. Not wanting any more surgery or radiation right now means there’s a difficult decision to make. Three and a half weeks of...

The radiation oncologist sends Natasha to a psycho-oncologist (did you know that was a thing?) because her antidepressants aren’t working, making self-care too hard. This forces her to confront the mental health struggles caused by the abrupt end of...

Natasha is given three options for radiation treatment, but it’s a challenge since everyone has been making decisions for her up to this point. She decides on three and a half weeks of radiation to the breast and the lymph nodes in the armpit. Down to...

It’s been two weeks since Natasha’s lumpectomy and because no evidence of cancer was found during surgery, she has been declared “cancer free” by her surgeon. The day of surgery was long and a little emotional from the anesthesia, but recovery has...

After Natasha and friends travel to Mexico to celebrate the end of chemo, it’s her turn to catch COVID which delays her lumpectomy surgery for a week. Her nerves are shot from constant fear of the unknown. Because there’s nothing visible on her most...