Besties with Breasties Podcast

S6E11: You're Not Alone — You May Just Need A Different Kind of Support

Beth and Jamie get real about one of the loneliest feelings during breast cancer treatment — when the people around you just aren't showing up the way you hoped. But instead of writing them off, the duo explores a reframe that changes everything: what if it's not that people don't care, but that you're expecting the wrong kind of support from them? They break down five distinct types of support — social, emotional, informational, esteem, and tangible — and share personal stories about the friends, family members, and unexpected humans who showed up in each of those ways during their own diagnoses and treatment. Jamie recalls getting a spontaneous tattoo with a friend on the very day she was diagnosed. Beth talks about the friend who didn't ask permission — she just told her when to show up at the gym. And they dig into why emotional support is the rarest and hardest kind to give, and why that's actually okay. The episode closes with a powerful shift in perspective: stop measuring people by what they're not giving you, and start recognizing what they are good at — because when you put people in their lane, you stop feeling abandoned and start feeling held. Also: Olympic rowers may be competing in a crocodile-infested river in 2032. Beth and Jamie have thoughts. Learn more or support Faith Through Fire at faiththroughfire.org [http://faiththroughfire.org/] Companies mentioned in this episode: * Faith Through Fire * Thrivent Gateway Financial Group

S6E10: What Happens When the People You Need Most Let You Down

Beth and Jamie tackle one of the most painful and seldom-talked-about sides of a breast cancer diagnosis: when your biggest expected supporter becomes your biggest source of stress. Inspired by a real anonymous scenario shared by a listener, they unpack what's really going on when a loved one's fear shows up as control — from fighting over wigs and GoFundMes to taking over medication routines. In this candid and deeply relatable episode, Beth and Jamie discuss: * Why a cancer diagnosis doesn't create relationship problems — it magnifies the ones already there * How fear disguises itself as control (and why that still isn't okay for the person in treatment) * The hidden burden of managing someone else's emotions while fighting for your own life * Why asking for help feels so shameful — and what happens when you finally let people show up * How to set boundaries without guilt, protect your peace without over-explaining, and separate someone's intentions from their impact Plus, Beth and Jamie share honest personal stories about family dynamics, therapy breakthroughs, and the surprising freedom that comes from simply saying what you need. Whether you're in treatment, supporting someone who is, or just navigating a complicated relationship — this one's for you. Learn more or support Faith Through Fire at faiththroughfire.org [http://faiththroughfire.org/] Companies mentioned in this episode: * Faith Through Fire * Thrivent Gateway Financial Group

S6E9: Breast Cancer PSA: Patients Need Emotional Support

In this episode, Beth and Jamie sit down with Dr. Renata Sledge — who, for the record, thinks her own name sounds like a supervillain — an assistant professor of social work and licensed clinical social worker whose research focuses on the deeply human side of healthcare. Renata spent 15 years watching patients surrounded by doctors, family, and friends who all wanted to help — and yet still feeling profoundly alone. That gap between wanting to be supported and actually feeling it sent her back to school for her PhD, and it's the question at the heart of this conversation. Together, they unpack: * Why "shared decision-making" in medicine is treated as a single moment when it actually unfolds over weeks — and how that misunderstanding leaves patients stranded * How women are socialized to mute their own needs before cancer, and why that doesn't just disappear after a diagnosis * The invisible weight of what patients carry into a diagnosis — rocky marriages, job loss, grief — and how that shapes every treatment decision * Why the healthcare system structurally fails the patients who need it most, and who has to step in to fill that gap * The power and limits of self-advocacy, especially when someone's whole life has taught them that asking for help leads nowhere Jamie gets personal about her experience as a lifelong people-pleaser who had to go back and re-advocate for herself mid-treatment. Beth reflects on the "silent strugglers" — the women who look resilient on the outside while quietly falling apart — and how even her own nurse navigator didn't see it coming. This is a conversation about what it would look like if the system actually treated the whole person, not just the disease. Learn more or support Faith Through Fire at faiththroughfire.org [http://faiththroughfire.org/] Connect with Renata Sledge: https://www.umsl.edu/sswpbs/social-work/directory/sledge-renata.html [https://www.umsl.edu/sswpbs/social-work/directory/sledge-renata.html] Companies mentioned in this episode: * Faith Through Fire * Thrivent Gateway Financial Group

S6E8: She Was Betrayed During Treatment…And Then Rebuilt Better

What happens when a breast cancer diagnosis isn't the worst thing that happens to you during treatment? In this episode, Beth and Jes sit down with Sarah, a mom of two who discovered her husband had been unfaithful at the very end of her radiation — revealed not by a confession, but by a doctor's visit. Sarah opens up about navigating that devastating double blow, the rage and grief that followed, and how she made the brave decision to walk away even at her most vulnerable. But this isn't just a story about betrayal. It's a story about what comes after. Sarah shares how she eventually found the courage to date again, what it felt like to be vulnerable with a new partner after a double mastectomy, and how she ultimately found a man who lifts her up every single day. Along the way, the Besties dig into the emotional complexity of divorce with kids, the role fathers play in shaping daughters' self-worth, and why — for women of character — the right partner won't be deterred by your story. Sarah's message to any woman who feels like her story is too messy to be loved: "Nobody's too messy to be loved. Hold your chin up. Tell yourself you're beautiful — because you are." Learn more or support Faith Through Fire at faiththroughfire.org [http://faiththroughfire.org/] Companies mentioned in this episode: * Faith Through Fire * Thrivent Gateway Financial Group

S6E7: What He Really Thought When She Said “I Had Breast Cancer”

In this candid and eye-opening episode, Beth and Jess sit down with Kevin — the husband of Ally, a previous guest who shared her experience dating after a breast cancer diagnosis. Kevin offers a rare and refreshingly honest male perspective: what modern dating is actually like, what went through his mind when Ally disclosed her mastectomy just four dates in, and how he navigated attraction, vulnerability, and fear of recurrence in real time. Kevin opens up about the moment Allie told him she'd had a double mastectomy before reconstruction, why her confidence put him at ease, and how he quietly wrestled with the "what ifs" — including memories of losing his grandmother to cancer. The conversation gets real around intimacy and hormone therapy side effects, with all three hosts speaking frankly about why staying connected physically matters in a relationship, and how communication is the bridge that keeps couples close even when libido isn't. Kevin's parting advice to survivors navigating the dating world: be honest early, own your story with confidence, and trust that the right person won't be scared away. Learn more or support Faith Through Fire at faiththroughfire.org [http://faiththroughfire.org/] Companies mentioned in this episode: * Faith Through Fire * Thrivent Gateway Financial Group