Living Our Breast Lives

Welcome to the first episode of 2024!

Join LOBL founder, Wren, for this special episode with guest speaker, Adiba Barney, as they discuss a miraculous journey through surrogacy, a nine year thrivership having Metastatic Breast Cancer, the challenges of divorce post-diagnosis, METAvivor insights, and the empowering tale of starting a new life as a single mother. This episode is packed with passion, knowledge, experience, vulnerability, thrivership, and so much love! 

ALSO! Living Our Breast Lives’ upcoming instagram segment, featuring Adiba herself, is underway! It’s time to Pay it Forward! Beginning March 1st, LOBL’s newest segment, Pay it Forward, will take the stage as 31 Metastatic Breast Cancer Thrivers who’ve gained valuable lessons over the years share their wisdom, advice, and most importantly, their firsthand experience living with MBC. All in hopes to making the beginning stages of coping with this disease easier for those newly diagnosed. It takes a village! 

Thanks for listening, and remember; when life hands you cactuses, make margaritas, and ALSO, don’t forget to live your breast lives! ————————————————————————

Living Our Breast Lives Information:  

Instagram: @livingourbreastlives

Founder: Wren @wren_morr on instagram

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METAvivor Research & Support:

Instagram: @metavivor

Facebook: METAvivor Research and Support Inc.

Donate to Stage IV Research: donate.metavivor.org

MBC Travelers Group: 

Instagram: @mbc_travelers

Facebook: MBC Travelers Nonprofit Participants

Adiba Barney’s Information: 

Email: Adiba.barney@gmail.com

Instagram: @adibabarney

Facebook: Adiba Barney

Book: When Life Hands You Cactuses, Make Margaritas 

It's the holiday season again, friends! Join Wren for this solo episode as her feelings and emotions take center stage, survivors guilt is prevalent, gratitude is beaming, and she holds nothing back in addressing the heartache that accompanies every piece of bad news for the Metastatic Breast Cancer community.

We must remember and continue to tell ourselves, THEIR STORY IS NOT OUR STORY.

Be very grateful for those sitting around your Thanksgiving and/or Christmas tables this 2023 holiday season... not everyone is experiencing this same gift

Instagram:

@livingourbreastlives

Donate to Stage IV Research:

donate.metavivor.org

March is Triple Negative Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so what better time to feature an mTNBC thriver who just celebrated their FIVE year cancerversary! 

On this episode of Living Our Breast Lives, join Wren and Cait for this exceptional interview with guest speaker and fellow MBC thriver, Cheryl, as they discuss what it's like for a physician to be diagnosed with metastatic triple negative breast cancer. This informative and very touching episode will have you feeling a certain type of way as we portray the many eye opening moments and hardships that come with a physician having to unexpectedly receive care from others rather than give it.

Key Moments:

- Listen as Cheryl discusses what it was like to navigate her initial diagnosis and treatment plan as both the patient and physician  - Listen as Cheryl talks about whether being a physician made the overall diagnosis experience harder or easier for her  - Listen as Cheryl discusses whether her perspective changed on certain things once the roles shifted and she became the patient

  Cheryl has advocated alongside other black female physicians to bring awareness to cancer awareness, screening, treatment, and research for black patients. Listen as she discusses why improving cancer care in the black community is so important. 

You wil not want to miss out on this episode! It will leave you feeling inspired, vulnerable, aware, and most importantly, informed!

Thank you for listening and for your continued support and HAPPY LISTENING! Your cohosts, Wren & Cait _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Living Our Breast Lives Information:

Instagram: @livingourbreastlives Email: livingourbreastlivespodcast@gmail.com Where Can I Donate?

Donate to Stage IV Research: donate.metavivor.org

bcrf.org

Happy October 13th! It is officially MBC DAY! Join Wren and Brittany as they get LOUD as they discuss the dreaded "Pinktober" along with an entire episode on the many raw truths of Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness. Help us share this episode to EDUCATE EDUCATE EDUCATE! Share with your family, share with your friends, share with whomever, lets just get this important information out there to the public for once and for ALL! 

Join Brittany and her special guest, Carla Dempsey as they discuss spiritual healing with focus on Reiki! Be on the look out for the many "ah ha" moments! Healing from cancer or other conditions may not always come from medication alone, but also from integrative therapies such as Reiki, Acupuncture, and so much more. If you have never heard of, or are curious about how Reiki can help, this is an episode you don't want to miss! Find a location that offers Reiki near you, and help become the best version of yourself, both inside and out! 

Find all of Carla's information on her website! 

transformwellnesscenter.net

Find us on Instagram: @livingourbreastlives

Let's say it all together, VAGINA!!!!!! Join Wren and Brittany as they discuss the physical, mental, and emotional challenges of a sex life with cancer. Learn about the importance of vaginal health, how to get there if it is lacking, and ways to help. Additionally, hear from Wren regarding what fertility treatments are like for a young cancer patient who wants to freeze their embryos before starting chemotherapy. Enjoy this very personal, yet lighthearted episode about how its never too late to get back to the sex life you envision for yourself regardless of the circumstance! 

Welcome to your blissful thirties! So we THOUGHT! Join Wren and Brittany as they go behind the scenes and discuss what its like to have cancer in your thirties. Expect light hearted, fun, informative, but most importantly, eye opening, to say the least. Being diagnosed as an AYA (adolescent young adult) cancer patient is complicated and messy, don't miss out on this opportunity to hear the many truths that come with an early aged diagnosis. 

We're back! Join Wren & Brittany for this very emotional, YET highly educational episode after taking a 2.5 month long break! Listen to Brittany as she shares details about her most recent scans and find out the reason for a much needed podcast break. Listen to the very different perspectives as we continue to discuss the unpredictability of MBC and how important a sisterhood really is when dealing with the rollercoaster of emotions this disease continuously brings.

METAvivor Donation Link:

https://www.metavivor.org/take-action/donate/

Join Wren and Brittany as they discuss the importance in knowing when to take a break! Emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion is real! It's time for you to put yourself first, take care of your well being, and start looking at acknowledgment as a form of strength, not weakness! Whether it's a diagnosis, caregiving, parenting, or even one's work load, it's important to note that there are many benefits to taking a break and removing yourself from an environment that's causing you more harm than good. Happy listening! 

Join Wren and Brittany in episode five as they discuss where their deep gratitude for life comes from! Sometimes we go to the typical, roof over my head, food in my belly, clothes on my back, as things we are grateful for. We're not saying this is surface level gratitude because those are indeed things everyone should be thankful for, but let's think of gratitude as it can go much deeper.

Take a moment to sit in silence. Think about your life. Ask yourself, "Who am I? How did I become this person? Where am I at in my life? How did I get to this very moment?" 

When you sit with your thoughts, you can discover the depths of where your gratitude begins, how everything you are, everything you will be, has come from somewhere, from something, and from someone. 

https://www.metavivor.org/take-action/campaigns/lightupmbc/

https://www.facebook.com/metavivor/

https://instagram.com/livingourbreastlives

We all know no one is guaranteed another second. Wren and Brittany talk about how an illness can make that more of a reality for you. There is an emphasis on the importance of time and making the most of every second you are given because the time we have should never be taken for granted.

"Imagine if you wake up every day with 84,600 dollars in your bank account. And every day, at the end of the night, it's gone whether you wasted it or not. And then the next day you get another 84,600 dollars. You would do everything in your power to spend it. Because you know the next day you are getting 84,600 dollars. You don't want to leave anything there. You'd make the best of it, right? You get 84,600 seconds. Why waste time? It doesn't carry over to the next day. It doesn't earn interest. Take every day and every moment and make something of it. Make something positive." 

https://www.metavivor.org/take-action/campaigns/lightupmbc/

https://www.facebook.com/metavivor/

https://instagram.com/livingourbreastlives

It’s October 13th, which means Wren and Brittany are celebrating Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day! Don’t forget to live stream #LightUpMBC through Metavivor where you will hear inspiring stories told by our beautiful MBC community and even better, view the illuminated global landmarks lit up in pink, teal, and green! *The MBC ribbon colors* This event not only raises awareness for MBC, but also raises funds that go entirely to MBC research so more lives can be saved! Today’s episode will also focus on advocacy where Wren and Brittany will give you the necessary tools to successfully become your very own advocate. Health should be your main priority- if something feels off, ACT on it!

https://www.metavivor.org/take-action/campaigns/lightupmbc/

https://www.facebook.com/metavivor/

https://instagram.com/livingourbreastlives