Baddie 2 Baddie: Surviving and Thriving- Embracing Life After Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Welcome back to another empowering episode of "Baddie 2 Baddie!" Today, we dive into an essential conversation about survivorship and life beyond breast cancer, focusing particularly on the experiences of women of color. Our incredible guests, Angel, Tamika, and Aisha, all breast cancer survivors, join us to explore their journeys, challenges, and the concept of adapting to a "new normal" post-treatment. From the physical trials of hair loss and neuropathy to the mental shifts caused by "chemo brain," our guests open up about the less-discussed realities of medically induced menopause and the crucial need for community support. Together, we unravel the importance of self-advocacy, holistic practices, and the power of community in navigating life after cancer, emphasizing survivorship as an ongoing journey of resilience, adaptation, and empowerment. Let's get started on this eye-opening and deeply inspiring episode!

A note about our sponsor, Eli Lily!

Hey Baddies! We want to take a quick minute to shout out to our amazing sponsor, Eli Lilly, for supporting our mission on Baddie 2 Baddie! Because of their generosity, we can keep these important conversations about breast cancer awareness and advocacy going strong for our community of WOC. Big love to Eli Lilly for standing with us!

About our guest:

Aisha Morgan is a wife and mother of a 4 year old daughter. When she isn’t working as an educator she enjoys spending time with her family exploring the city. Aisha likes to cook, workout and travel. In March of 2022 she was diagnosed with Her 2+ stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma in her left breast. Her treatment included chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and reconstruction with implants. She received training to become an Angel Advocate and is currently trying to find her place as an advocate in the breast cancer community.

Tamika Baker is a 48 year old triple negative breast cancer survivor. She is a mother of three young men, the youngest of four, and originally from Atlanta Georgia but lives in Houston Texas. Tamika was diagnosed at the age of 45 after founding my lump in my right breast. She went through 6 months of chemotherapy, had a double mastectomy, and had DIEP flap reconstructive surgery. While going through the healing journey of it all, she asked herself what can she do to help others through their healing journey. That’s when she created the Pop Up Breastie Beauty Bar free event to give thrivers and survivors a day of pampering, a space to connect with other survivors and thrivers, and an opportunity to getting resource information for healing mentally, emotionally, sexually, and/or spiritually. Tamika also collaborated with A Creative Mood Designs to create the Paint Through Your Pain event where we allow the creativity of art on canvas and/or doormats to release our pain and express the process of healing.

Angel Thompson is a resilient 33-year-old Black woman from Washington, DC. In October 2021, at the age of 30, she faced the challenge of a lifetime when diagnosed with Stage 1, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (breast cancer). Despite breast cancer not running in her family and her first oncologist initially dismissing it, Angel's determination led her to request documentation in her chart and seek a second opinion. It wasn't until then that she underwent a mammogram and biopsy, revealing the true nature of her diagnosis.  Since that pivotal moment, Angel's journey has been marked by strength, perseverance, and the unwavering support of those around her. She had her chemo port placed before starting chemotherapy, an additional step in this challenging process. Angel underwent a lumpectomy and lymphadenectomy on January 12, 2022, followed by a courageous decision to start the IVF process in February, which she later opted out of. Her four rounds of chemotherapy (Docetaxel &Cyclophosphamide) unfolded from March 9 to May 10, 2022, while 20 rounds of radiation concluded