Dr. Tali Lando Aranoff is a a full time pediatric ENT surgeon, a mom of 3 young girls and a breast cancer survivor. Her story began when she felt a lump in her breast the night before her father was due to have surgery for a malignant brain tumor. On today’s episode, she talks about the journey that ensued, how she decided on her course of treatment, her experience of being a wife, mother and physician while going through cancer treatment and the effects it had on her life both during and after treatment. Her book, Hell and Back: Wife & Mother, Doctor & Patient, Dragon Slayer, is a raw and honest account of what breast cancer treatment is really like. It will make you both laugh and cry. During our conversation, she discusses why she wrote the book and what the world of publishing is really like. Although there are so many incredible breast cancer books out there, go read hers– you won’t be disappointed!

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Follow Dr. Aranoff: Website | Book | Facebook | Instagram

Follow Dr. Teplinsky: Twitter | Instagram

Support Interlude: Women’s Cancer Stories with Dr. Teplinsky. If you’re enjoying the show, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts (iTunes). If you liked this episode, please share with your friends and family!

If you are interested in being a guest on the show, please e-mail me at interludecancerstories@gmail.com. 

Kate Crawford was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer (stage 4) when she was 28 years old. She was later found to have Li-Fraumeni syndrome which predisposed her to getting breast cancer. She is a mom to three children and when she was diagnosed, she created a “Mommy Bucket List” of all the things she wanted to do and experience with her children. She is a huge advocate for metastatic breast cancer research and through hosting lemonade stands, has raised nearly $80,000 for breast cancer research with her family. On today’s episode, we talk about the importance of advocating for yourself, how she is truly living (and not just existing) with metastatic breast cancer, her choice on undergoing mastectomy but not breast reconstruction, going through cancer treatment as a young mom and finally, the importance of giving yourself the grace to heal and recover without feeling guilty about it.

Subscribe and Listen on Apple Podcasts |Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher

What we talk about on today’s episode/great resources:

Lotsa Helping Hands

Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (rare, inherited disorder – also check out my episode with Ingrid Kolstoe, who was also diagnosed with a rare cancer- low grade ovarian serous carcinoma)

Gotta Make Lemonade

Follow Kate: Website and Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Follow Dr. Teplinsky: Instagram |Twitter

Support Interlude: Women’s Cancer Stories with Dr. Teplinsky. If you’re enjoying the show, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts (iTunes). If you liked this episode, please share with your friends and family!

If you are interested in being a guest on the show, please e-mail me at interludecancerstories@gmail.com. 

Dr. Jennifer Driscoll was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 39 years old. She had left medicine six months prior to her diagnosis to spend more time with her young children. She was taking her daughter out to lunch to celebrate the first day of kindergarten when she got the call telling her she had breast cancer and life changed forever. Jennifer is a writer and and on today’s episode, we talk about how she wrote one of her books during treatment, how writing was an outlet for her, and what she is working on next. We discuss so many important topics — how to tell your children you have been diagnosed with cancer, radiation fatigue, chemo brain, book publishing and the “warrior” mentality of breast cancer treatment. Finally, she talks about finding support, what it’s like being on the other side as a patient rather than a physician and how it is so important to never feel alone.

Subscribe and Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher

What we talk about on today’s episode/great resources:

BRCA Mutations: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing

How to tell a child that a parent has cancer

Jennifer’s Books on Amazon

Follow Dr. Driscoll: Website | Facebook | Instagram

Follow Dr. Teplinsky: Instagram | Twitter | Valley Medical Group

Support Interlude: Women’s Cancer Stories with Dr. Teplinsky. If you’re enjoying the show, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts (iTunes). If you liked this episode, please share with your friends and family!

If you are interested in being a guest on the show, please e-mail me at interludecancerstories@gmail.com. 

“I think you have to be your own advocate and if something doesn’t feel right…you have to go find other options.” 

Tina Conrad is a 43 year old woman who was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer when she was 37 years old and had just gotten married. She had a double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and is now on treatment with tamoxifen and Zoladex. She is a 5 year cancer survivor, a runner and a yogi, an incredible writer and so much more. She also started her own podcast called DJBreastCancer which is essentially A Girlfriend’s Guide to Breast Cancer. She shares her journey in hopes of helping others. On today’s episode, we talk about so many important topics including the benefits of movement and exercise during chemotherapy, working during treatment (and identifying who your advocate is), going through menopause at such a young age, how to heal and move forward and finally the incredible breast cancer community on social media.

Subscribe and Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher

What we mention on this episode/great resources:

The benefits for ovarian suppression in premenopausal breast cancer

Yoga during breast cancer treatment

Working during cancer treatment

Follow Tina Conrad: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Website and Podcast

Follow Dr. Teplinsky: Instagram | Twitter | Valley Medical Group | LinkedIn

Support Interlude: Women’s Cancer Stories with Dr. Teplinsky. If you’re enjoying the show, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts (iTunes). If you liked this episode, please share with your friends and family!

If you are interested in being a guest on the show, please e-mail me at interludecancerstories@gmail.com. 

“Chemo took a huge toll on my body. I just didn’t feel like me anymore…I felt and definitely looked like a completely different person.”

Krista Campbell is a 31 year old woman who was diagnosed with stage 2A estrogen receptor positive breast cancer when she was 29 years old. On this episode, we talk about the difficulties she had in obtaining a mammogram due to her young age, her decision to undergo a bilateral mastectomy, experiences with breast reconstruction, and the effect that her treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, anti hormone therapy with Lupron and letrozole) had on her relationships, body image, and family planning.

Subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify |  Google Play | Stitcher

What we mention on this episode/great resources:

Living Beyond Breast Cancer

LIVESTRONG Fertility Program

MonaLisa Touch

Breast reconstruction options

Pregnancy after breast cancer: the POSITIVE Study

Exercising during cancer treatment

Follow Krista: Instagram | Facebook

Follow Dr. Teplinsky: Instagram | Twitter | Valley Medical Group

Support Interlude: Women’s Cancer Stories with Dr. Teplinsky. If you’re enjoying the show, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts (iTunes). If you liked this episode, please share with your friends and family!

If you are interested in being a guest on the show, please e-mail me at interludecancerstories@gmail.com. 

“Take it one step at a time. Get your team together. That includes your friends, family — who is going to be there.”

Amanda Blauvelt is a hairstylist who was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at age of 32. She had chemotherapy, surgery and radiation and she thought she was in the clear until she was diagnosed with a second triple negative breast cancer. She talks about her experience with treatment the second time around, how she is thriving through chemotherapy, and her diagnosis of a BRCA gene mutation. She also shares some really helpful expert advice about how to take care of your scalp once hair falls out during chemotherapy.

Subscribe and Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher

What we mention on this episode/great resources:

Valley Hospital Breast Center

FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered

FDA approves atezolizumab for triple negative metastatic breast cancer

Information about BRCA 1/2 gene mutations

Zentangle Method

Follow Amanda: Facebook | Instagram

Follow Dr. Teplinsky: Twitter | Instagram | Valley Medical Group

Support Interlude: Women’s Cancer Stories with Dr. Teplinsky. If you’re enjoying the show, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. If you liked this episode, please share with your friends and family.

If you are interested in being a guest on the show, please e-mail me at interludecancerstories@gmail.com. 

“The biggest surprise of all was how hard it was after I was done with treatment and to try to struggle back to a sense of normal.” – Katie Kashmanian

Katie is a middle school principal and was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in 2014 right before she was supposed to travel to China to adopt her son. Despite the fact that she had to go through aggressive chemotherapy, her oncologists told her “go get him!” — and she did.

In this episode, Katie talks about how she coped with her diagnosis and treatment, how she dealt with the aftermath and how she is spreading the word about inflammatory breast cancer. I hope you enjoy our conversation!

What we mention on this episode:

All about inflammatory breast cancer

Inflammatory breast cancer program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Importance of clinical trials in cancer treatment

Support Interlude: Women’s Cancer Stories with Dr. Teplinsky. If you’re enjoying the show, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts (iTunes). If you liked this episode, please share with your friends!

Listen & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Stitcher  | Google Play