Tits Up - AYA Breast Cancer Podcast

Hello Everyone! In case you missed it...we are taking a break! Not to worry, it is not a forever break. We are working on content and working to balance our personal lives' as well. We absolutely love the community we are creating here and can't wait to see what it blossoms into. Thank you for all of your loyalty and listens, please go back and listen to some of your favorite episodes or share the...

We are joined this week by the beautiful, honest, and raw Christina Miner. Christina explains her experiences and difficulties while going through breast cancer and reconstruction, and how she dealt with the ever increasing hurdles while keeping her faith and sense of humor at the forefront.   Christina also has a podcast called ‘Our Scars Speak’ which you can find here: https://www.cminerllc.com/...

We are joined again by the lovely and brilliant Lisa Wingrove, our resident oncology dietician (@fearlessfoodeats) who explains to us the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and how it works with your body to keep cancer tamped down, or away completely. Lisa comes at her recommendations from a science based perspective, while also understanding and allowing for the fact that we are all human and we...

The hosts flip the script this week to discuss the other side of Sam’s baby announcement…Megan’s choice to have a hysterectomy and freeze her eggs. It is wild to have to make a life changing decision at 35 years old. We discuss whether or not Megan regrets her decision, what feelings she has around never being able to carry a child in her own body, and many other feelings and thoughts that many of...

This week on Tits Up, Sam gives us a life update and a big announcement. Takeaways from this episode are as follows: ⁃ Everyone’s cancer experience is different from the next person’s; ⁃ We don’t always know what our bodies are going to do; ⁃ and Happiness comes at unexpected times and in unexpected ways. Keep living your life, sort out your individual priorities, and find ways to thrive in whatev...

We are joined again by Heather Rasmus, occupational therapist, to dive deeper into lymphedema and other lymphatic issues that may occur during and after cancer treatment. The lymphatic system is an under discussed and under appreciated part of our bodies, but oh so important to our overall health and well-being. Heather discusses compression garments (www.lymphedemaproducts.com (http://www.lymphed...

We are so lucky to be joined this week by Katie Doble. Katie may not have had breast cancer, but she was diagnosed as an AYA with ocular melanoma and has become something of a celebrity in the AYA cancer space. Katie talks to us about clinical trials, estate planning after diagnosis, marriage after diagnosis, what to say to a (young) cancer patient, setting boundaries, and her #cancerperks.   Belo...

Megan and Sam take this week to ask each other a number of questions about their take on their cancer ‘JouRneY’ and how their views and attitude regarding cancer treatment, recovery, scars, and their bodies have changed over time. Things change. We change. It all changes.   Doing our best, Megan and Sam Socials   Instagram: -       @titsup_podcast   Facebook: -       Tits Up – Podcast -       Tits...

No parent wants to have to tell their children that they have cancer, but how are you supposed to have those conversations in productive, informative, and healthy ways with your children who may differ greatly in age and development? How do we not screw them up?! Thankfully, we have Jane Irvine MA, LPC, NCC with us this week to discuss having these difficult conversations with your kiddos. Dr. Iri...

Ladies and Gentlemen...Friends and Family... Please excuse us the next two weeks as we get things prepared for you. We have so many exciting new episodes planned so please stay tuned. Self Care is important, Megan and Sam

We are joined this week by Daniella (@drdanig) who discusses significant hurdles throughout her cancer treatment including IVF, navigating disability insurance, and our AYA tale as old as time…doctors not listening to her. Daniella explains to the listeners how it is normal, and treacherous, when your body heals faster than your mind. May your outlook be positive and your scans be negative!!   Meg...

Chiara is back with us this week on Tits Up to discuss a non profit that is near and dear to her heart, b-present. b-present is a phenomenal organization that is geared toward helping the caregivers, friends, and family of cancer patients. Since there is currently no ‘girlfriend’s guide to cancer support’, b-present fills that void! If you or a loved one is struggling with how to be the person tha...

We seem to always think of the big days: surgery day, infusion day, ‘shaved our head’ day. But what about the smaller, consistent, and game changing therapies to help your body heal, clear your lymph system, regain range of motion, and calm your angry damaged little nerves? This week, occupational therapist, Heather Rasmus from Empower Lymphatic Therapy joins us to discuss occupational therapy aft...

This week, we are joined by the vibrant and ever lovely, Chiara! Chiara walks us through her experience over the last 3.5 years living with Stage 4 breast cancer. We discuss self advocacy within the medical realm, navigating other’s emotions surrounding your diagnosis, National Parks, dating, and the greatest gift of all…love. That must be why Megan says “I love it” 4,586 times throughout the epis...

Have you heard of MDMA therapy? What about Ketamine? EMDR? Psilocybin? Have you wondered if you are a good candidate for these alternative therapeutic methods to overcome depression and trauma? Are you scared of drug assisted therapy? All the questions you have about these alternative therapeutic methods and more are discussed today in our episode with Dr. Sarah Long, Psy. D., CEDS.    Sarah Long...

We are back this week, by popular demand, with friend of the show and LPC, Blair!! Blair walks us through the basics of trauma. Apparently there are big ’T’ and little ’t’ traumas. Who knew?!  We discuss symptoms of trauma, triggers, how it affects us and those around us, and how to start working through the mess that is our lives after/during cancer. Just…so much helpful info. Blair directs us to...

This week on ‘Tits Up’, Megan and Sam invite the lovely and hilarious, Sara McKinney. We discuss friend groups, pets, having young children during cancer treatment, job changes, and much more! Sara leads us down a winding path of thoughts, emotions, realizations, and every day implications that cancer has on your life. Also, Sara introduces us to two amazing non-profits (links below); Casting for...

Ahhhhh…Feelings. This week on ‘Tits Up’, Megan and Sam have a bit of a bitch session regarding body image, dramatic meltdowns, regrets about decisions we made, and many other thoughts that you all have likely had as well. Megan’s menopause forgets basic things like the name of the movie ‘Inside Out’ and her favorite author, Oscar Wilde. Sam explains the difference between a ‘new normal’ and becomi...

First, a *trigger warning*. We will be discussing end of life planning.   This week on ‘Tits Up’, we meet with Courtney. Courtney is a mama to three kiddos (all born post-treatment) and still on maternity leave for her 3rd! She is a two time breast cancer survivor, and a hell of a good attorney. Courtney specializes in end of life planning. We discuss wills, trusts, tax evasion (jk…sorta), and adv...

This week on ‘Tits Up: Lisa Wingrove from Fearless Foods joins us this week to debunk a lot of the myths out there regarding food and cancer occurrences. We ask as many questions as we can regarding sugar, vegetarian diets, organic vs. non organic foods, alcohol, and many others that have been plaguing our minds since our diagnosis. Hot take: Sugar does not cause cancer! You can find Lisa on insta...

This week on ‘Tits Up: Megan and Sam discuss Cancerversaries. Is it morbid to ‘celebrate’ something like cancer milestones? How does one properly commemorate accomplishments like staying alive? We come up with ideas for tattoos, yummy things to eat on your Cancerversary, and   ways to check in with yourself year after year. Our loudest message from this episode: There is nothing wrong with memoria...

This week on ‘Tits Up’, we meet with Jess. Jess is a new mama to a beautiful baby girl and currently going through active treatment. She walks us through her struggles, her joys, and her advice regarding being a new parent, keeping a tiny human alive, and trying to remain healthy and sane herself. Our loudest message from this episode: Build your village! Just over here doing our best, Megan and S...

This week on ‘Tits Up’, we invite our husbands on to discuss their feelings, routines, advice, and sometimes failures, as a caregiver. It’s a healthy mix of couples therapy, self deprecating humor, and insightful comments from the comfortable perch of hindsight. Our loudest message from this episode: Caregivers - Find a routine, no matter how mundane, communicate until you can’t communicate any mo...

This week on ‘Tits Up’, we take a step back and discuss comments that people make to cancer patients/survivors that often just…hit the wrong way. We also hammer home some gnarly statistics that reinforce the need to stay on top of your health and on top of the health of other young women around you. Our loudest message from this episode: Deep breaths, people often do not understand the weight thei...

This week on ‘Tits Up’ we are joined by the baddie flattie herself, Miss Emily! Emily chose to have an aesthetic flat closure for her reconstruction and she walks us through the considerations that went into her decision to go flat and life after treatment. Thank you, Emily, for sharing with us what it means to feel ‘whole’ again after feeling broken. Our loudest message from this episode: Find a...