The Tamoxifen Sisters

Tamoxifen Sisters: Hot girl summer

In this episode the hosts thank listeners and dive into the realities of starting tamoxifen in summer: intense heat intolerance, overwhelming sweating, hot flashes, and fatigue that disrupt daily life like swim meets and social plans. They share personal stories about overheating, implants changing how clothes and skin feel, medication refill struggles, dealing with hot kilns at the studio, and practical coping ideas like cooling gear, parasols, and freezer tricks.

Tamoxifen Sisters: Body Oddly

Amber and Shannon candidly unpack the unexpected physical side effects of breast cancer treatment — mastectomy numbness, nerve zaps, radiation itching and hair loss, tamoxifen-related weight changes, and scar healing. They balance raw honesty and dark humor while sharing coping strategies, body-image struggles, and acts of reclamation like tattoos, offering solidarity to anyone adjusting to life after cancer.

Tamoxifen Sisters: Gown open in the Front

In this bonus anniversary episode Amber celebrates two years since finishing active treatment and reflects on the intense emotional journey from diagnosis through surgery and radiation. She and her sister candidly discuss feeling like their lives were hijacked by cancer, differences in treatment experiences, and how creative pursuits like ceramics and art helped them rebuild joy, identity, and connection.

Tamoxifen Sisters: The $793,000 Woman

In this episode the hosts dig into the brutal realities of the American healthcare and paid time off systems, sharing a personal breakdown of nearly $794,000 billed for cancer care and about $17,000 out-of-pocket. They discuss insurance denials, pre-existing conditions, expensive medications, the struggle to afford basic treatments, and the patchwork of employer and state leave policies — arguing that healthcare and paid leave should be accessible  for everyone.

Tamoxifen Sisters: Pickeled Eggspectations

Episode 10 opens with how an accidentally viral, funny story about Adam and a jar of pickled quail eggs that brought new listeners, then shifts to a frank conversation about workplace double standards. Amber and her Shannon discuss gender bias, invisible labor, the challenges of working while on tamoxifen and recovering from cancer, and how employers and colleagues can better support people facing health and caregiving demands.