S06 E05 Newly Diagnosed with MBC: Keeping Your Balance on the Emotional Rollercoaster

Hearing the words “you have metastatic breast cancer” is devastating. Whether your diagnosis comes de novo or months, years, or even decades after treatment for early-stage breast cancer, there is no way to prepare for the terror, anger, despair, and sense of freefall that follows. It’s no wonder that the phrase “emotional rollercoaster” comes up so often when MBC patients describe the experience.

OMBCL co-hosts Nancy Roylance and Ashley Fernandez sat down with oncology social worker Lisa Nelson to to get her take on the emotional and mental health challenges of processing the diagnosis—and how working with an oncology social worker can help. Lisa also shared some of the other resources and strategies that patients can use to keep their balance.

Next, we joined a group of newly diagnosed patients for a free-ranging and frank discussion on what it’s like to be diagnosed with MBC. These courageous and generous women share both  the struggles and challenges of their new reality, and how they are finding support, balance, and even hope.