BRCA & Beyond

In this episode we’re diving into the often-unspoken emotional and mental health layers of a BRCA or cancer diagnosis, the anxiety, grief, fear, and mental load that can linger long after the medical conversations end. I’m joined by Laura , a licensed psychotherapist in New York and New Jersey and a National Certified Counselor , who works closely with women navigating trauma, anxiety, grief, phys...

In this episode, Lauren Yerkes shares the life-altering moment that reshaped everything: being diagnosed with Stage 2B Triple Negative Breast Cancer in April 2022, just three days before her 38th birthday. She later learned she was also BRCA2 positive , adding another layer to an already overwhelming journey. What followed was a season of fear, resilience, and transformation that she never could h...

In this episode, I sit down with Tanner Roe , a 32-year-old flight attendant from San Diego whose life changed the moment she heard the words “you have breast cancer.” Diagnosed with Stage 1B breast cancer and currently in active treatment, Tanner has become a source of strength and honesty in a season most of us can’t imagine. Through humor, vulnerability, and a willingness to share the parts peo...

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Marisa opens up about the early symptoms; she tried to rationalize the pain, the moments she was doubled over, and the day she saw blood in her stool and knew something was seriously wrong. She shares the raw truth about how easily she could have ignored the signs… and how that one decision to listen to her intuition changed everything. You’ll hear her...

After months of discomfort, expanders, and emotional exhaustion, the day finally came, exchange surgery. In this episode, I share what it was really like: the calm I felt heading into the operating room, waking up without the hard weight of expanders for the first time, and all the things no one tells you about recovery. It wasn’t perfect...there was swelling, bruising, and that strange “in-betwee...

In this raw and honest episode, I share what happened after my nipple-sparing double mastectomy, the days of drains, the strange world of tissue expanders, and the mix of fear and faith that followed. From the relief of having my drains finally removed, to the panic attack I had during my first fill in the Holland Tunnel, this episode pulls back the curtain on what recovery really feels like. You’...

The days leading up to my preventative double mastectomy felt like living in slow motion. Every bedtime routine, every hug with my boys, every glance in the mirror carried a weight I can’t fully describe. I prayed. I cried. I tried to hold onto ordinary moments, knowing life would never feel the same. In this raw episode, I take you into those final days before surgery, the surreal walk into the o...

When you’re BRCA positive, one of the hardest moments comes when you’re standing at the crossroad: Do I keep going with surveillance, or do I choose preventative surgery? Both options are heavy. Both come with fear, loss, and uncertainty. In this episode, I share how I prayed desperately for clarity, and how God answered with signs I couldn’t ignore. Two women, two conversations, one day… and sudd...

When you test positive for a BRCA mutation, one of the hardest questions you’ll ever face is this: Do I live under constant surveillance, or do I undergo surgery before cancer ever arrives? In this raw and unfiltered episode, Marisa opens up about standing at that exact crossroad — and the fears, doubts, and sleepless nights that came with it. She shares what it was like to live scan-to-scan, the...

When I got the call telling me I tested positive for BRCA2, my world stopped. I was sitting in my car, expecting to hear “everything’s fine,” and instead I was handed words that changed my life forever. In this episode, I open up about that moment, the fear, the anger, and the impossible choices that followed—and what it really feels like to live with a BRCA diagnosis. This is the episode I wish I...

In this first episode of BRCA & Beyond, I open up about the journey that brought me here — from an unexpected colon cancer diagnosis to discovering I carry the BRCA2 gene mutation. I share the fears, decisions, and moments that forever changed my life, and why I felt called to create this podcast as a safe, honest space for women navigating the same path. This is my story, my why, and the begi...