What I Learned As My Mother’s Caretaker
Kristen Carbone’s relationship with breast cancer runs deep – her mother passed away from metastatic disease in 2005, and then at the age...
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Stories of Radiant Women
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Three Steps to Rebuilding Relationships and Regaining Strength—Physically and Emotionally
Stephanie was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2017at the age of 35. Despite no known family history of breast cancer, she tested...
Dating, Fear, and Long-Term Relationships
It’s been five years since my preventative double mastectomy and subsequent reconstruction surgeries, and I’m only just beginning to feel...
How Being BRCA Positive Transformed My Life
Anjali (Angie) Karamchandani has a background in the hospitality industry. She has led service organizations at several multinational...
Mothering Through the New Normal
Looking back, the early years of being a mother felt like one long foggy day that engulfed me in a cloud of love, exhaustion, and grief....
Narratives of Sex After Mastectomy: Woman Lab
MY STORY: Watching my mother die after a long struggle with invasive metastatic breast cancer, my own healthy future weighed heavily on...
The Exponential Power of Feeling Comfortable
Changewear: Please tell us about why you created Brilliantly. Kristen Carbone: The seeds for this business were sown, much like many of...
Always Cold: Woman Lab
Even on the warmest summer days I feel like I’m carrying around an ice pack on my chest. With implant reconstruction after mastectomy,...
How to Ask for Help (Trust Us, You Can)
Kristen talks with Mama Bear Dares about asking for help and how she reframes her story in a more positive light.
Learning to Become Your Own Best Advocate
Following her mother’s lead, Kristen learned how to advocate for her health. Her goal? To pay it forward as a role model for her own...
How to Ask For What You Need
It’s critical to feel confident and supported in your decision-making. Kristen and Kendra Hennessy discuss how scary life can feel when...
A Conversation with Breast Friends
In an interview with Becky Olson and Sharon Henifin of Breast Friends, Kristen explores the paradox between feeling lucky to be alive and...
Dating after a Mastectomy: The Can Survivor Podcast, Episode 34
After undergoing a preventative mastectomy, and began dating, Kristen still had a subconscious fear of early death. Consequently, she...
How to Find Hope and Healing
Kristen attributes her post-mastectomy attitude and mindset to three things: gratitude, patience, and amazing caretakers.
Why I Chose to Have a Double Mastectomy
Kristen talks with Jackie Shea about getting used to her new body, advocating for her health, and the power of humor during hard times.
Overcoming Body Image Issues After Reconstruction
Among the multitude of physical and emotional preparations you need to handle before having a mastectomy, it can be difficult to ask the...
Confronting the Loneliness of Early Parenting and Motherless Mothering
After her mother’s early death, Kristen feared she may also have a short life. She talks with Extraordinary Moms’ Jessica Dahlquist...
Building Community After a Transformative Experience
Kristen’s vision for Brilliantly is that it becomes the place where women go when they are ready to move on and feel empowered. She...
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