Redefining What It Means To "Beat Cancer" with Elissa Kalver

On this inspiring episode of perseverance and strength, we are joined by metastatic breast cancer thriver Elissa Kalver. Despite no family history of breast cancer, a sudden lump in her breast prompted Elissa to go to the doctor. Elissa shares with The Cancer Project how quickly she had to move from step to step of mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy. She provides an honest and sincere glimpse into the day she received her metastatic prognosis and the treatment plan that would follow. During her diagnosis, she was shocked to see more spots in her liver than in her breast as her husband hyperventilated into a paper bag next to her. As Elissa tackled her eight rounds of chemotherapy, she received many gifts of candles, blankets, and meals. She shares that while those gifts were extremely thoughtful from her loved ones, the items weren’t things she actually needed and began to brainstorm a way to benefit both the patient and supporters who desperately want to help their loved one through this journey. Elissa quickly landed on a registry where cancer patients could curate a list of things they need during treatment. Registries are used to celebrate things such as weddings and baby showers, why not to help with the bad times and not just the good times?From this idea, wegotthis.org was born. The first ever registry designed for cancer patients that provides one space for them to outline all their needs for loved ones asking how they can help. This site takes away the guessing game from the supporters while also not fatiguing the cancer patient from constantly having to think of what they need each time a loved one asks. Supporters can purchase items from their listed registry, collect donations, and streamline the process of how to help.In addition to creating wegothis.org, Elissa is an active advocate for cancer patients. She speaks honestly about her journey with metastatic cancer and why she prefers the term thriver instead of survivor. Elissa is both an informative and humorous voice on social media, continuing to help build communities and share resources for all those affected with cancer. Make sure to join us for her candid and educational episode!Episode Resources:We Got This:https://wegotthis.org/https://www.instagram.com/wegotthisorg/https://www.facebook.com/wegotthis.orgUPenn Medicine GLP-1’s & Breast Cancer Study:https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/glp-1-use-linked-to-lower-breast-cancer-incidenceOklahoma Proton Centerhttps://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy