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What does it really mean to support your body during and after breast cancer treatment?

In this episode I am joined by returning guest Dr. Amy Comander and Meg McSherry, a breast cancer patient under Dr. Comander's care, for a thoughtful conversation about lifestyle medicine and breast cancer survivorship. Together, we explore the very real physical and emotional toll of treatment, including fatigue, weight gain, loss of taste, joint pain, hot flashes, sleep disruption, and the fear of recurrence.

Dr. Comander explains how lifestyle medicine offers an evidence-based, whole-person approach to survivorship, grounded in six key pillars: physical activity, nutrition, restorative sleep, social connection, stress resilience, and reducing risky substances. She also shares how questions from patients led her to create the PAVING the Path to Wellness Program, now offered in group format to support breast cancer survivors with trusted, practical guidance.

Meg offers an honest patient perspective on going through intensive HER2-positive breast cancer treatment, how hard it was to focus on nutrition and movement in the middle of chemotherapy, and how the PAVING program helped her feel more empowered as she moved toward survivorship.

You do not have to do everything perfectly to support your health after a breast cancer diagnosis. This episode is a reminder that survivorship is not about perfection. It is about rebuilding with evidence-based tools, compassion, and community.

Resources:

Paving the Path to Wellness

https://www.pavingwellness.org/

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• Discover FREE programs, support groups, and resources from SurvivingBReastCancer.org!
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Body Image After Breast Cancer: Reclaiming Identity, Intimacy, and Confidence

Long after surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation end, many people find themselves navigating complex questions around identity, confidence, femininity, intimacy, and what it means to feel at home in their body again.

Host Laura Carfang is joined by Susan Smaellie, a certified holistic sexuality educator, and Anna Jensen, a breast cancer survivor and advocate, to explore the emotional and psychological impact of breast cancer beyond the clinical experience.

Together, they discuss how survivorship can influence body image, relationships, sexuality, and sense of self and why these conversations are essential, yet often overlooked in traditional medical settings.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How breast cancer impacts body image and self-identity
• The emotional and psychological effects of treatment
• Why conversations about sexuality and intimacy are often missing in cancer care
• The connection between physical healing and emotional healing
• Fear of recurrence and how it can show up years after diagnosis
• The importance of community in survivorship
• The role of vulnerability in healing
• How cultural expectations shape how women process illness
• Finding meaning and growth after cancer
• Resources for connection and support

About Our Guests

Susan Smaellie is a certified holistic sexuality educator and social worker who focuses on helping individuals understand the interconnected relationship between mind, body, and emotional wellbeing.

Anna Jensen is a breast cancer survivor and advocate who shares her lived experience to help others feel less alone in their survivorship journey.

Resources Mentioned

Image Reborn Foundation
Retreats and educational programs supporting emotional healing after breast cancer

SurvivingBreastCancer.org
Free programs, expert-led education, support groups, and community for individuals impacted by breast cancer

Support the show

Latest News:

• Become a Breast Cancer Conversations+ Member! Sign Up Now.
• Join our Mailing List - New content drops every Monday!
• Discover FREE programs, support groups, and resources from SurvivingBReastCancer.org!
• Enjoying our content? Please consider supporting our work.

Love the episode? Send us a text!

What happens when breast cancer leaves behind more than physical scars?

In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, Laura sits down with Dr. Jim Jackson to explore the hidden emotional impact of cancer, including medical trauma, PTSD, fear, triggers, and healing. Dr. Jackson is a licensed psychologist, neuropsychologist, and Director of Rehabilitation and Recovery at Vanderbilt’s Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship Center, where he works with people facing life-threatening and chronic medical conditions.

Together, Laura and Dr. Jackson unpack why the experience of breast cancer can feel traumatic long after diagnosis or treatment begins. They discuss how medical trauma can develop not only from cancer itself, but also from the difficult encounters, procedures, scans, uncertainty, and dismissive moments that can leave a lasting emotional mark. Dr. Jackson explains why he prefers the term medical trauma over medical PTSD, noting that people may experience PTSD, but also anxiety, depression, OCD, and a wide range of other emotional effects.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What medical trauma is and why the term matters
• The difference between medical trauma and medical PTSD
• How breast cancer can trigger fear, anxiety, and emotional distress long after diagnosis
• Why caregivers and loved ones can experience trauma too
• The importance of dignity, humanity, and being truly heard in healthcare
• Dr. Jackson’s upcoming book, Reclaiming Your Life from Medical Trauma

Support the show

Latest News:

• Become a Breast Cancer Conversations+ Member! Sign Up Now.
• Join our Mailing List - New content drops every Monday!
• Discover FREE programs, support groups, and resources from SurvivingBReastCancer.org!
• Enjoying our content? Please consider supporting our work.