Baddie Ambassadors and Metastatic Thrivers, Michelle & Deb represented FTBOU in Philly at Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s Thriving Together Metastatic Breast Cancer Conference held April 28-30. It was a weekend filled with education, advocacy and community. Connections were made as Baddies stopped by the For The Breast Of Us table in the exhibit hall. They were able to score some swag, sign up for a giveaway and learn all about FTBOU. We had many allies stop by as well, eager to learn about how to be better accomplices to communities of women of color. 

Deb attended the session, Ask The Expert: Diet, Physical Activity and Sleep with renowned nutritionist, Rachel Beller, MS, RDN and integrative oncologist, Pallav K. Mehta, MD. Topics covered nutrition, exercise and sleep. Dr. Mehta also discussed the importance of sleep hygiene because hormonal treatments may affect sleep. Under six hours of sleep impacts one’s overall health. Meanwhile, Rachel discussed super foods with an emphasis on increasing fiber to 35 grams a day for a healthy gut and weight management. She said pay attention to fiber sources making sure they come from natural wholesome foods.

Topics also covered concerns of weight gain and weight loss from younger and older patients. “Weight loss does not mean cancer gets worse.” In other words, it’s okay to lose weight if you do it in a healthy way. However, long term fasting is not good for you or for cancer. Dr. Mehta continued on to say,  “. . . know the extent of your metastases before engaging in high impact exercises.” He also spoke about oncology certified personal trainers that you can find on the American Council on Exercise (ACE) website.   

The Baddies’ caregivers also came through! Harold and Joel took over the exhibit table so Michelle & Deb could attend the Coping With Grief session with Kelly Grosklags. Kelly discusses the grief process that comes with anticipatory grief or preparatory grief. It starts the minute you get diagnosed. Your grieving period begins before death. Kelly explains that anticipatory grief is forward thinking…future worry, anxiety, sadness, anger. You can experience all these feelings at once. You can be grieving something that has already happened and grieving something that you are anticipating. That is when you need extra support. You can be angry and hopeful. You can be grateful and upset.

She also spoke about secondary losses, cumulative loss and the feelings that arise when we lose members of the MBC community. We may need a lifetime to grieve these. It is important to name these losses. Kelly also addressed survivors’ guilt. You can feel empathy and sadness for your friend and all the while feel joyful for yourself. Learn more at https://conversationswithkelly.com/

Deb’s Takeaways: 

It was important for me to attend this conference because it was focused on metastatic breast cancer. I knew it would be a blessing in my life to meet others going through the same diagnosis. As an advocate it was important for me to attend and be able to learn new information, represent FTBOU and give that resource out to other women of color. My favorite part of the conference was being able to meet fellow baddies Michelle, Keneene and Terlisa in person. Michelle is a natural born leader and I enjoyed watching her connect with others as we shared information about FTBOU. Her forward thinking energy is inspiring.

I learned a lot from the sessions I attended but the in person conversations with baddies fueled my soul. I also enjoyed sharing my perspective and learning from other women of color during Sunday’s Shared Voices panel. I felt seen and heard. The conversations I engaged in were healing and inspiring. It’s about connection and learning from each other and that was everywhere at the LBBC conference.

Michelle’s Takeaways: 

I felt I was finally surrounded by individuals that understood what living with metastatic breast cancer felt like. I started this journey as a 36 year old diagnosed with Stage 1 TNBC and within two years my Stage 1 changed to Stage IV. Things are truly different now. When the word “curable” is removed from conversations with your medical team and now the focus is “quality of care” it forces you to look at life very differently. So being in a room with others just like me, shows me I am not alone in this fight. To be surrounded with my Baddie sisters in love and unity, is the village I need in this journey.

The breakout sessions focused on grief, palliative care and dance party; reclaiming your body made the experience more than just a cancer conference, it reminded everyone we are more than our illness. Most importantly my husband, Harold had the opportunity to be a part of a focus group of caregivers. It is important to highlight our caregivers and how cancer affects the entire family. He was also able to network and connect with other men who are caregivers. This was my first time at the conference but it won’t be my last, looking forward to next year.

Why Getting Involved Matters

Baddies, Thrivers, and Survivors should get involved because it’s important to be heard and speak your truth. There are so many ways to get involved, whether it be through sharing a post, writing a blog, or participating in a podcast, sharing your insight can be cathartic and beneficial to others. Your story may help another woman going through this. No one should go through this alone and always remember you’re never alone, For the Breast of Us is here for you Queen!!!