Finding Strength, Love & Legacy Through Chronic Cancer with Peyton Behrens

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In this deeply personal and inspiring episode of Soulful Self-Care Conversations, host Pearl Chiarenza sits down with someone who is more like family than a guest: Peyton Behrens. Pearl has known Peyton and her family for nearly 20 years, watching each other’s children grow up on football fields and cheer sidelines. Today, Peyton opens up about her powerful journey—her career in nursing, her shocking diagnosis with stage 4 breast cancer at just 31 years old, and the life lessons she’s learned about love, mindset, and legacy.

This is not just a conversation about illness—it’s about resilience, truth, and learning how to live more fully, even in the face of uncertainty.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

✨ From Nurse to Patient:
Peyton shares her path from becoming a nurse and working in hospitals and as a travel nurse, to suddenly finding herself on the other side as a patient.

✨ The Shocking Diagnosis:
How a series of unexplained health issues, a fall, and a trip to the ER led to the discovery of an aggressive breast cancer that had already metastasized to her bones.

✨ Facing the Reality of Stage 4 Cancer:
The emotional stages Peyton went through—from denial, to grief, to reframing her life with a renewed perspective and purpose.

✨ Mindset & Therapy:
How therapy, mindset work, and a cancer-informed community gave her the tools to process fear and lean into love, instead of being consumed by the “what-ifs.”

✨ The Power of Community:
Peyton talks about her experience with The Breasties, an organization and camp that connects breast and gynecological cancer patients and survivors through support, education, and sisterhood.

✨ Legacy & Love:
Peyton’s powerful perspective on legacy: “My legacy is the love I leave behind.” She shares how love—both giving and receiving—is at the core of what truly matters in this life.

Powerful Quotes from Peyton:

• “Stage 4 means I’ll always be in treatment—but it doesn’t mean I stop living.”
• “Western culture avoids talking about death, but the more we talk about it, the less scary it becomes.”
• “My lows have been really low, but I’ve never been happier because I now know what’s truly important.”
• “My legacy is the love I leave behind.”
• “Together, we’re all just mosaics of everyone who has touched our lives.”

Resources & Communities Mentioned:

• The Breasties: A nonprofit community supporting those impacted by breast and gynecological cancers. Learn More Here or find The Breasties app in your app store.
• Camp Breastie: Annual summer camp for breast/gyn cancer patients and survivors.

Pearl’s Reflection:

Peyton’s courage and authenticity remind us of one truth: none of us know when our dash will end, but we do get to choose how we live between the dates. Whether you’re facing illness, grief, or another life challenge, you have the power to decide if your story defines you—or if you’ll create a new chapter filled with joy, resilience, and love.

Take a page from Peyton’s story: love deeply, create your mosaic, and leave behind a legacy of love.

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Remember to embrace your inner pearl, nourish yourself, and find balance in life. Stay
true to your authentic self and continue working on your personal growth.