The Pink Ribbon Roller Coaster

Your DNA plays a large part in how you react to medications and, ultimately, how your body reacts during treatment and beyond. Today, host Sarah talks with Samantha Socco, Medical Science Liaison at GeneSight, about pharmacogenomics  - and what all breast cancer patients should know.

Host Sarah McLean continues the conversation with Traci Owen of Intimate Pathways Center for Sexual Health, covering issues that many women face during and after breast cancer treatment.

Host Sarah talks with oncology nurse and certified sexual counselor Traci Owen about the astounding percentage of women (80%!) who experience intimacy issues during and after breast cancer treatment. It's a topic people don't often talk about - but Traci is out to change that and help women get back to a healthy relationship with themselves and their partners.

If you experienced dental issues during or after breast cancer treatment, or are just starting down the road to treatment and would like to educate yourself about potential problems, this is for you. We talk with dental professional Kaylee about how she treats patients who have experienced breast cancer treatment and some of the things you should know.

You may have heard the term "HER2-Positive" in your own diagnosis or a family members'. But what does it mean in terms you can actually understand? Project31 breast nurse navigator Jennifer Harrod explains.

Project31 Breast Nurse Navigator Jennifer Harrod talks with co-host Jane Wilson about which risks are modifiable and which are not. Tune in for some great information and tips on what you can do and what you should be thinking about. To see the original video, visit the Project31 YouTube channel.

So you've been diagnosed with breast cancer. Now how do you talk to your kids about it? Hosts Jane and Jennifer share a little about their experiences and offer some tips for others facing what can be a very difficult conversation. Breast cancer or any kind of cancer ... it helps to be prepared.

We all know we should be diligent about screenings and prevention, but are there other things you should be thinking about? Breast nurse navigator Jennifer talks with host Jane about some important tips and facts that all women, high-risk or not, should know.  

No doubt about it. It's a real fear and "scan-xiety" is no joke. So how do you move forward without letting every routine doctor visit and every yearly check-up send you into panic mode? Let's talk about it.  

Listen in as host Jane Wilson talks with breast nurse navigator Jennifer Harrod about some of the questions she gets most often from women going through treatment or who have just been diagnosed.  

Host Sarah talks with Amanda, who was 8 months pregnant when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She shares about her feelings hearing the news, how it affected her as she began chemo just after giving birth, and now... what her perspective is five years later.  

Listen as hosts Sarah and Becki share some time with Norma Goff - a retired nurse, talented actress, speaker, breast cancer survivor, mother, wife, and woman of unrelenting faith. She shares her story and the many things she learned and experienced along the way.  

It's easy to say those vows, but it gets a lot more complicated a few years - and a breast cancer diagnosis - down the road. In this episode, Project31 co-founders Steve and Sarah McLean continue their series on topics so relevant to couples struggling to make it through this roller coaster. Today's discussion on commitment is a big one for many of us. Listen in as they share their experience and offer encouragement!  

Hosts Becki and Sarah talk with the ever-joyful TerJuana about her diagnosis just two weeks after she married her husband, and her perspective throughout the journey.  

Hosts Becki and Sarah talk with Dr. Nicole Sharp Cottrell, a board-certified and fellowship-trained breast surgical oncologist at INTEGRIS Breast Surgery in Oklahoma City. Listen in as she covers many of the FAQs breast cancer patients have - and pick up important information if you are just starting down the road to surgery.

Project31 co-founders Sarah and Steve McLean dive into episode 2 in their series on the issues surrounding marriage and intimacy during and after breast cancer. This week, they talk about expectations and how they can be very different for each partner throughout this experience, often leading to major difficulties if not confronted.  

Project31 founders Sarah and Steve McLean have been through 2 bouts with breast cancer - the first one when they were barely one year into their marriage and in their 20s. Now, more than 20 years later they have a unique perspective on how breast cancer can affect a marriage and both love to talk with and encourage others, sharing some of the things they've learned along the way. Steve has a heart for working with husbands of breast cancer patients and helping them navigate their way through their unique challenges and feelings as well. Tune in for some insightful discussion!    

Host Becki of Project31 talks to her friend Cynthia about the importance of having "that" friend when you're going through the breast cancer journey.  

Hosts Sarah and Becki share a conversation with survivor and professional musician Julie Clifford, who reflects on how she was able to find comfort and healing throughout her diagnosis and treatment.  

This week, Sarah shares some time with guest Lindsay - who was diagnosed at 35 with breast cancer and is now living with metastatic cancer, as it has spread to her bones and brain. She shares how she's found purpose in the experience, a peace with the reality, and a way to continue to have open, honest conversations with her 10-year-old son.  

Trauma is a word we hear a lot - but do we really know what it means and how it occurs? And can a cancer diagnosis cause a trauma response? Today, hosts Jane and Sarah talk with guest Angie Ridings, who is a breast cancer survivor as well as a licensed professional counselor with a special focus on trauma. She shares her story and tells us a little about some of the ways a medical diagnosis can lead to trauma and how therapies such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can help.  

Beth, a captain for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, has spent her life being the strong one in every situation. The one people lean on for help. So when she was hit with a sudden breast cancer diagnosis at 40, she had to learn what it meant to let people help her for a change. She shares her story of continuing to work as an officer throughout treatment and the inspiration she's found now that she's on the other side of things.  

Join us as Sarah talks with Krista and Ryan Price, who found out they were having their first baby....and then found out Krista had breast cancer. They share their story of the feelings, the treatment, the surgeries, the tears, and how they came through it all together, now with a healthy baby boy in the family.  

Hosts Becki and Sarah talk with fellow survivor Necy about the not-often-talked-about feelings that come with making it through the diagnosis and treatment and still not feeling like you're "ok". Hear a little about what they found to be the keys to healing the emotional and spiritual wounds that leave scars, too.

In this episode, we hand the mics over to the guys and let them talk about their experiences throughout their wives' battles with breast cancer. We hear from four men, all at different stages in the experience - two who are many years out, onee going through it now, and one whose wife was diagonsed while pregnant. It's a side of the story we don't often hear, and one that we are very focused on at Project31.

Hosts Becki and Sarah speak with the founders of Fahrenheit Mentoring and discuss the value of mentors in our lives.  

Pelvic floor physical therapist Christina Wright has spent many years helping women deal with pelvic floor issues - and there are many! Especially after cancer treatment, women experience difficulties and often run into frustration trying to find any sort of help. But it doesn't have to be that way! Tune in as hosts Sarah and Jane learn all kinds of great information from Christina.  

Physical therapist Paige Sims specializes in working with breast cancer patients. In this episode, she shares with hosts Sarah and Becki some of the many ways physical therapy can be targeted specifically for women before, during and after treatment to help reduce and even eliminate many of the difficulties patients face, including lymphedema.

Christina Wright is a physical therapy specialist with a heart for breast cancer patients. In this episode, she talks with hosts Sarah and Jane about the reality of pain, what it's all about, and how we can deal with it. Join the conversation for some very interesting insights on this very real and sometimes very mysterious part of life.  

Sarah, Jane, and Becki continue the conversation on the things they wish they'd known when they were first diagnosed. Listen in for great insights and personal stories of the big and small decisions that can have lasting effects you may not think about until years down the road.

In the middle of everything else that happened in 2020, Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer and jumped on the roller coaster of trying to figure out life with treatments and surgery and medical bills along with everything else that comes along with life for her, her husband and two small children.

Hindsight is always 20/20.... but when you're dealing with your health, body image, sexuality, intimacy, and confidence as a woman ... there's a lot at stake. In this, the first in a series of things you need to know, we hear from three different women who offer three different perspectives on surgery decisions and what they wish they had known before making decisions at the beginning of their breast cancer journeys.  

Jane and Sarah are back after a break due to Covid restrictions and are talking prepping for the holidays when there's family, travel, meals, breast cancer, and more to deal with! Believe it or not, this can still be a time of peace and thanksgiving. Tune in for some encouraging words.  

Wellness advocate Nicole Hatten joins hosts Sarah and Jane to discuss the many toxins in the products we use every day and how they can affect our health and livelihood - and yes, even contribute to cancer rates. She shares helpful tips on clean products as well as the benefits of essential oils. Great information for all of us, cancer or not!  

There's no way around the financial impact of breast cancer treatment. It can affect families in so many ways. But there IS help - and sometimes it's just a matter of knowing who and what to ask. Our guest, Ellen Wardlaw, is a nurse navigator and helps lots of patients through the process. She shares some insightful tips and encouragement with hosts Sarah and Jane. Music by Seth Wright: sethwrightmusic.com    

Today's show explores the benefits of Eastern medicine - specifically, acupuncture, and how it can help ease many of the issues women often deal with during and after treatment. We talk with Dr. Seneca Dewbre about her acupuncture practice and the healing art of this ancient science.  

Hosts Jane and Sarah continue from part 1, with more scriptures and prayer for hope and healing. This is a few short minutes of no script or agenda - just a time to slow down, reflect and take time to remember the strength and hope we can find in God's Word.

During this busy, often chaotic time of year, hosts Jane and Sarah take a few minutes to slow down, breathe, and reflect on the healing power of God's words. If you're in need of comfort, hope, restoration, or just a moment in solitude, this is for you. It's less than two minutes - because we are all busy! - but our hope is that it can change the course of your day.  

Join Sarah and Jane this week as they talk to Ellen, a local RN who has been involved in the care of many of our Project31 ladies, but who is also just full of passion and knowledge. She talks with us about what to expect, the things people ask most often, and more. You'll find this one chock-full of great information!  

Kendra Scott is more than a national jewelry and accessory retail store - the company's founder is a passionate advocate for women fighting breast cancer and her company has become a significant contributor to the cause on many levels. Today our host, Jane, speaks with one of the Oklahoma City-based representatives of Kendra Scott about the company's many initiatives nationwide and how they're making a difference in the lives of patients and their families.

We talk all about the breast cancer experience from the patient's perspective, but what's it like to be the husband or caregiver, sitting in the waiting room just ... waiting? Steve McLean, husband of Project31 founder Sarah McLean, joins us and shares a little about his feelings and fears at the time and what he wishes he would have known at the time. Guys - listen in!

Attorney Venessa Donchin specializes in insurance law and she joins Sarah and Jane for an in-depth and very informative discussion on the claims process, why claims often get denied, what you can do about it (more than you think!) and when to seek help.

Our guest on this episode is physical therapist Paige Sims. She has a special heart and talent for helping breast cancer patients work through the many types of pain that can be the unexpected lingering effect of cancer and its treatment. Many women are told that living with pain and discomfort is just their "new normal" and they should just learn to cope with it. Paige disagrees - and she's helped many women reach new levels of healing they never thought possible.

We all process experiences differently through the filter of our own emotional makeup. Personality tests can tell us a lot about ourselves, but when a blow like breast cancer comes along, you might wonder if you even know who you are anymore. You thought you understood yourself, but nothing like this has ever hit you. One of our favorite guests, licensed professional therapist Tiffany Fuller, joins us to talk through some of these issues and how we can work our way through.

You may have heard about proton therapy and wondered if it's an option for you during breast cancer treatment. If so, how does it differ from traditional radiation? Should you ask your doctor about it? We'll find out all the facts as our special guest, Dr. Storey of Oklahoma Proton Center shares with hosts Sarah and Jane.

You know those people who always seem to be having fun? Who just exude happiness and positivity? Well, that's Delana. And that was even Delana as she went through cancer. She talks with host Jane Wilson about her thoughts as she was trying to process the news, how she found Project31, and why she came back even after she showed up at her first meeting and was the only one there!

School teacher Beth Harper joins us this week to share her story about diagnosis and treatment and how she was open and honest with her students throughout the experience. She found that talking about it openly encouraged others and helped her get through the rough days, too. To all that know her, Beth is a daily example of positivity and grace - taking the time to praise God even during the darkest moments.

Project31 leader Amy Stewart shares her story about her diagnosis, her sister's diagnosis, and how she found a sisterhood she never knew she needed.

Our friend Ellen, a nurse navigator, joins us again today to talk about the financial burden that comes along with breast cancer. There are more resources and options than you realize - and so often it just comes down to simply not asking the right questions because we don't know we can. Listen in for some great information.

Our special guest Ellen is a nurse navigator and has a real heart for breast cancer patients. She walks us through some of the terms you may hear at the time of diagnosis and as you're considering different treatment options.

Hosts Jane and Sarah talk a little bit about hosting a support group with a big focus on not acting like a support group! They started with a single location and now host 11 groups in different locations throughout Oklahoma every month. The hope is to reach into every state, every corner, every place where there is a survivor who needs a group of sisters who get it.