Breast Cancer Conversations

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Somewhere between the diagnosis and the last appointment, most of us stopped breathing all the way down. Not on purpose. The body braces, the jaw clenches, the shoulders come up — and then treatment ends, everyone tells you congratulations, and nobody mentions that your nervous system never got the memo that the emergency is over.
In this episode, host Laura Carfang sits down with Brett Aldrich — Ayurvedic health counselor, breathwork facilitator, and former social services practitioner specializing in trauma awareness and domestic violence — for a conversation about what it takes to feel safe in your body again after cancer treatment.
Brett talks about the five elements of Ayurveda not as a rulebook but as a way of reading yourself: what you need today may not be what you needed yesterday, and women in particular are changing constantly. She's candid that she doesn't practice it perfectly, that she still drinks coffee, and that "one thing can change everything" — because the alternative, a total lifestyle overhaul on top of everything else you're carrying, is a plan nobody can keep.
Laura brings the questions our community actually asks: what do you do when your digestion has been wrecked by treatment? When your estrogen has been deliberately taken to zero and you're grieving what that costs your bones and your brain? When you're the busy mom with pickup and drop-off and aging parents and a job, and a seven-day retreat is a fantasy? And what about all the supplements on social media promising to cleanse and fix you?
Then the conversation turns to breath — and this is the part worth staying for. Brett explains the mechanics plainly: how a full diaphragmatic breath moves the diaphragm against the organs, how the vagus nerve connects the throat to the heart, lungs, and gut, and why the felt sense of safety is the precondition for everything else. When the body feels safe, there's space to heal.

About the guest:
Brett Aldrich is an Ayurvedic health counselor and breathwork practitioner and facilitator based in Maine. Her background is in yoga and in social services, where she worked in trauma awareness and domestic violence support before moving into holistic and Ayurvedic care. She works with clients in person and virtually through her practice, Seed the Spirit (seedthespirit.com).
Disclosure: Brett offers consultations through her private practice, including a free 20-minute introductory call. SurvivingBreastCancer.org received no payment for this episode.
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When you're living with breast cancer, the medical team treats the cancer — but who takes care of everything else? The fear that won't quiet down at 2 a.m. The diarrhea you're not sure is "bad enough" to call about. The FMLA paperwork, the school pickup, the light bill, the strange grief that shows up right when everyone expects you to feel grateful.
In this episode, host Laura Carfang sits down with Dr. Julia Frydman, palliative care physician and medical director at Thyme Care, and Dr. Stephanie Broussard, director of social work at Thyme Care, to talk about what whole-person cancer support actually looks like — at every stage, from newly diagnosed through survivorship and metastatic disease. Together they unpack how a proactive, interdisciplinary team of nurses, social workers, and physicians closes the gaps that so often get missed, meeting people where they are, on their schedule, whether that's a text, an after-hours call, or simply someone to talk to.
Julia and Stephanie share how structured, evidence-based check-ins catch symptoms early (before a small problem becomes an ER visit), how they screen for the emotional distress patients often don't realize they're carrying, and why the transitions in a cancer journey can feel like the rug being pulled out from under you. They tackle one of the biggest misconceptions in cancer care head-on: palliative care is NOT hospice — it's added support at any age and any stage. And they get honest about the things we rarely make space for: the ambivalence of "no evidence of disease," the grief that lives alongside the gratitude, financial toxicity, caregiver burnout, and the particular weight carried by those living with metastatic breast cancer, for whom treatment never ends.
This is a warm, practical conversation about being seen, being heard, and knowing you don't have to endure it all alone.
In this episode:
Why "you don't know what you don't know" is one of the biggest barriers in cancer care
Proactive check-ins and patient-reported outcomes: catching symptoms before they escalate
When a symptom is clinically significant — and when it's okay to manage it at home
Emotional distress vs. depression and anxiety: what's normal adjustment, and what needs support
The grief-and-gratitude paradox of survivorship, and making space for both
Fear of recurrence, "no evidence of disease," and the symptom burden that follows patients
How a nurse/social-work triage team coordinates with your oncology team (not around it)
Mental health escalation in action — from a routine call to real-time support
Financial toxicity, social needs, and caregiver support
Who can access Thyme Care, insurance partnerships, and 50-state licensing
Metastatic and life-limiting breast cancer: bearing witness and living with uncertainty
The truth about palliative care: it adds, it doesn't take away
Outcomes: higher satisfaction, improved symptoms, fewer avoidable hospitalizations, and expanded access to palliative care
About the guests:
Dr. Julia Frydman is a palliative care physician and medical director at Thyme Care, where an interdisciplinary team provides whole-person support to people living with cancer as an extra layer alongside their oncology care.
Dr. Stephanie Broussard, DSW, is director of social work at Thyme Care, leading its clinical and non-clinical social support teams, with a background in oncology, palliative care, and behavioral health.
About the show: Breast Cancer Conversations is produced by SurvivingBreastCancer.org, a nonprofit providing evidence-based education, emotional support, and well-being resources to everyone touched by breast cancer — at every stage. All of our programs are virtual, online, and 100% free, with a global reach. Learn more at survivingbreastcancer.org.
This episode is for educational and emotional-support purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please talk with your own care team about your symptoms and treatment. Eligibility for Thyme Care depends on your insurer, employer, or provider — check their website to see if you're covered.
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If this episode resonated with you, we invite you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
You can also click the link in the show notes that says "Love this episode? Send us a text" to share feedback.
Messages are completely anonymous.
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Palliative care is one of the most misunderstood parts of cancer care. Many people hear the term and think it means hospice, end-of-life care, or giving up. But palliative care, also called supportive care, can be offered alongside active cancer treatment and is focused on improving quality of life.
In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, we hear from Kacie Flaherty, Joyce Garber, Paula Bouckhuyt, Hillary Stackpole, and Aimee Hoes, who are living with metastatic breast cancer about their unique experiences with palliative care.  Some were offered it early. Some had to ask for it. Some learned about it from other patients. Others are still trying to access the support they need.
Together, we explore what palliative care really looks like: pain management, side effect support, emotional care, medication questions, care coordination, and whole-person support.
This episode is a powerful reminder that palliative care is not about giving up. It is about helping people live with more comfort, support, dignity, and quality of life.
Resources: 
Listeners looking for a palliative care provider can search the Palliative Care Provider Directory through GetPalliativeCare.org.
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Listener Feedback
If this episode resonated with you, we invite you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
You can also click the link in the show notes that says "Love this episode? Send us a text" to share feedback.
Messages are completely anonymous.
If you would like us to follow up directly, please include your email address in your message so we can respond.
Latest News: 
Join our Mailing List - New content drops every Monday! 
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When many people hear the words "clinical trial," they immediately think of a last resort.
But that's one of the biggest misconceptions in breast cancer care.
In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang sits down with Dr. Ada Waks, breast medical oncologist and clinical investigator at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, to demystify clinical trials and explain how they are shaping the future of breast cancer treatment.
Dr. Waks cares for patients across all stages of breast cancer while leading clinical research that helps develop tomorrow's treatments. Together, Laura and Dr. Waks discuss how clinical trials work, who they are designed for, and why patients should consider asking about them much earlier in their treatment journey.
In this episode, you'll learn:
 What a clinical trial actually is 
 The difference between Phase I, II, and III trials 
 Randomized vs. blinded clinical trials 
 Why clinical trials are not just for patients who have run out of treatment options 
 How new breast cancer drugs become FDA-approved 
 What informed consent really means 
 How patient safety is protected 
 Why clinical trial participants often receive additional monitoring and support 
 How to find clinical trials that may be right for you 
 The future of personalized breast cancer treatment 
Whether you're newly diagnosed, living with metastatic breast cancer, navigating survivorship, or supporting a loved one, this episode provides an accessible introduction to one of the most important—and most misunderstood—aspects of cancer care.
About Today's Guest
Dr. Ada Waks is a breast medical oncologist and clinical investigator at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She divides her time between caring for patients with breast cancer and leading clinical research focused on developing safer, more effective, and more personalized treatments. Dr. Waks also co-directs Dana-Farber's breast oncology clinical trials program, helping bring innovative therapies from the laboratory to patients.
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If this episode resonated with you, we invite you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
You can also click the link in the show notes that says "Love this episode? Send us a text" to share feedback.
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If you would like us to follow up directly, please include your email address in your message so we can respond.
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When you're diagnosed with breast cancer, your first thought is often survival.
But what about everything that comes after?
For many young adults diagnosed with breast cancer, questions about fertility, family planning, hormone health, identity, and future possibilities quickly become part of the conversation. Yet too many patients never learn about their options until after treatment has already begun.
In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, Laura Carfang sits down with Kara Bendle, RN, MSN, CPN, CNL, Fertility Preservation and Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) Program Manager at Cleveland Clinic, to discuss why fertility conversations matter from the very beginning of a cancer diagnosis.
Together, they explore:
• When fertility preservation conversations should happen
• How breast cancer treatments can affect fertility and hormone health
• The difference between fertility preservation and family building
• Egg freezing, embryo preservation, and ovarian tissue preservation
• The emotional impact of infertility and loss of choice
• Dating, relationships, and family planning after cancer
• Fertility considerations for hormone-positive breast cancer patients
• Insurance barriers and access to care
• Why patients deserve information—even when options are limited
• The importance of keeping future possibilities open
This conversation goes far beyond fertility. It explores identity, grief, survivorship, and the power of informed decision-making after a breast cancer diagnosis.
Whether you are newly diagnosed, in treatment, navigating survivorship, or supporting someone you love, this episode offers compassionate and practical guidance for understanding your options and advocating for your future.
Love this episode? Send us a text through the link in the show notes. Messages are completely anonymous. If you'd like a response, include your email address so we can follow up directly.
Support the show
Listener Feedback
If this episode resonated with you, we invite you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
You can also click the link in the show notes that says "Love this episode? Send us a text" to share feedback.
Messages are completely anonymous.
If you would like us to follow up directly, please include your email address in your message so we can respond.
Latest News: 
Join our Mailing List - New content drops every Monday! 
Discover FREE programs, support groups, and resources from SurvivingBReastCancer.org! 
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