Episode 257: Real Talk: Navigating A Diagnosis At The Holidays

A time that is often joyous and celebratory may not be – and this episode will give strength to those who find themselves in a tough spot and help families and loved ones better understand how to support and uplift someone who may be struggling this time of year. In today’s episode, we’ll hear from two women who were diagnosed with breast cancer during the holiday season. Shannon Schumacher was diagnosed on December 6, 2022 and had surgery the week after Christmas. She was hospitalized on New Year’s Eve with a collapsed lung. Shannon’s mom is a six-time breast cancer survivor and her grandmother passed away from metastatic breast cancer before Shannon was born. Shannon’s stepdad is living with Stage IV bladder cancer and her brother is currently fighting lymphoma. Patricia Fox found a lump in her breast just days before Thanksgiving in 2013. She had a needle biopsy the day after Thanksgiving and received her breast cancer diagnosis on December 5th that year.Their holidays were far from what they were expecting. They managed their diagnosis and had conversations with health care providers and family members about their treatment plan. It wasn’t exactly the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”