Happiness Found

Walking with Westy- Special Episode-How to Support Someone With Cancer

In this episode, I share the truth about what cancer patients really need and what we wish people understood when they’re trying to support us. I talk about the well-intended phrases that can hurt, the emotional and physical reality behind the scenes, and the long, life-changing process that continues long after treatment ends. You’ll learn what to say, what not to say, and how to genuinely show up for someone going through the hardest season of their life. Whether you’re supporting a friend, partner, coworker, or family member, this episode will help you love them in the ways that matter most.

Walking with Westy- Episode 9- Preparing for Treatment

In this episode, I open up about the strange and heavy in-between space that happens after surgery but before treatment begins. It’s the waiting, the uncertainty, the fear of the unknown, and the emotional weight of not knowing what the next chapter will look like. I talk about the endless test results, the anxiety of checking my chart, the pressure of wondering if chemo or radiation will be part of my plan, and the way life keeps moving even when I feel completely frozen inside. This episode is an honest look at the mental and emotional load of preparing for treatment the questions, the fear, the grief, and the small moments that help you breathe again. If you're in this stage too, I hope it helps you feel understood and a little less alone.

Walking with Westy- Episode 8- The Mental Spiral

In this episode, I open up about the emotional crash that hits after the appointments slow down, the adrenaline fades, and the reality of healing settles in. I talk about the waves of fear, grief, anxiety, and loneliness that show up weeks after surgery and how the mind finally catches up to everything the body has been through. From the loss of normal life, to the quiet moments when the heaviness hits, to the small bursts of hope that pull me back up, this episode is an honest look at the mental side of recovery that so many women experience but rarely talk about. If you’re walking through a similar spiral, I hope this episode reminds you that you’re not alone, you’re not failing, and you’re not expected to hold it all together. This is part of healing and we’re walking it together.

Walking with Westy- Episode 7- The Expander Phase

n this episode, I share what the expander phase is really like the tightness, the nerve zaps, the pressure, and the emotional toll that comes with having hard, stitched-in devices under your chest muscle after a mastectomy. I explain how expanders are placed during surgery, how fills work using a magnetic port and a needle inserted straight into your chest, and what they feel like inside your body including the strange “half-full Ziploc bag” sensation and the discomfort that comes from having no feeling in your chest after your nerves are severed. This stage is painful, weird, overwhelming, and honestly one of the hardest parts of reconstruction. If you’re walking through it too, I hope this helps you feel seen, understood, and a little less alone.

Walking with Westy- Episode 6- The First 2 weeks

In this episode, I share what the first two weeks after my double mastectomy were really like the pain, the exhaustion, the nerve zaps, the tightness from the expanders, and the emotional crash no one warns you about. I also talk about the drains, which were one of the hardest parts of recovery, and how my husband stepped in with the most loving support, caring for each drain and reminding me I was beautiful even in my most vulnerable moments. It’s an honest look at the rawest part of healing painful, humbling, and filled with small moments of strength and love.