BRCA 1

Episode #136: The No Kids Life Is The Life For Me

Last week, I went to a doctors appointment that I’ve been putting off for a couple of years out of fear. And the appointment brought up some stuff I’ve been pushing to the side to tackle head on since I found out I had the BRCA 1 gene mutation 3 years ago.

All of you know that having the BRCA 1 mutation is linked to my risk to breast cancer, but what many of you probably don’t know is that it’s also linked to ovarian cancer — which means that if any family planning is involved in my world, it HAS to happen before I turn 35.

I’ve been unpacking this part of my story a lot behind closed doors, but I’ve never done it with all of you so, in true Amanda in the mess fashion, I’m opening the door to this conversation in todays episode.

Things I talk about in todays episode:

  • how to know if we’re supposed to be a parent

  • choosing to have kids in the climate we live in

  • the different tenants of the relationship escalator

  • how 3 years ago, I went from knowing I wanted kids no matter what to not wanting them overnight

  • the ethics around having kids with a genetic mutation of this nature

  • the nuclear family

  • polyamory, ovarian cancer, the BRCA gene and beyond

WORK & CONNECT WITH AMANDA:

Peer support sessions

Patreon

Amanda’s book, I Chopped Off My Tits

Amanda’s Instagram | Website

Join her email list for all the important things / monthly announcements

Episode #109: Looking Back on My Three Year Journey With BRCA | A Solo Episode

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When I saw that December 3rd 2020 fell on a Thursday — the same day a podcast has dropped into your earbuds almost every day barring season breaks for the last (almost) 3 years, I knew that the Universe knew what was up.

This date will forever go down in history as a reminder of me navigating my preventative double mastectomy for two reasons:

1) On December 3rd, 2018, I went under the knife and had my surgery.

2) On December 3rd, 2019, I released my book I Chopped Off My Tits into the world.

So when I was thinking about how to honor what this day means to me, and, really, what the last almost 3 years of sifting through the fears and feels around all things BRCA — I thought it would be pretty epic to go back to when it all began: February 6th, 2018, two days after my 27th birthday, when I got the call from my doctor that I was, in fact, positive for the BRCA 1 gene and travel through time together via the podcast and my book and current real time expressions.

Fear? Working through the feels? Sifting through anything that impacts our mental health, physical health, relationships, work, sex lives and beyond? It can feel OVERWHELMING AF. Especially because we’re endlessly taught that we need to have our shit together through the mess. The shoulds can be so f*cking suffocating. I know because I was there, love.

And I hope this episode reminds you that no matter what you’re facing, you’re not alone in the mess. I’ve got you. The Live Your F*ck yes community has you. So curl up and let’s go on this journey together.

LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAYS EPISODE:

GET YOUR COPY OF I CHOPPED OFF MY TITS HERE!

Episode 6

Episode 44

Episode 78

WORK & CONNECT WITH AMANDA:

Amanda’s Instagram | Website

1:1 coaching — I am accepting 2-3 new coaching clients come Jan 2021. Apply here to set up a call to see if we’re a good fit.

Episode #106: Using Pleasure To Cope With Trauma And Grief - A Conversation with Alyssa Pressman

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Hi loves.

Todays episode is different — you may notice that there’s no typical intro music/snippets — because it didn’t feel right today. This week has been heavy. Hell, this year has been a fucking trip. And I wrestled with the idea of not releasing a podcast episode today — I wasn’t sure how we would be experiencing this post election day time. And when I woke up yesterday morning, in a mix of deep feels/sadness and hope for a brighter future in the US, I knew that this conversation, with a soul human of mine, was one that I needed to share with all of you today.

And with that, I’d like to introduce to you my friend and kindred spirit, Alyssa Pressman (she/her).

Alyssa is a Licensed Clinical Therapist & Certified Sex + Relationship Coach. She specializes in pleasure & joy post trauma, grief & with chronic illness. She loves supporting women in moving closer to themselves, to other people and to creating lives that feel in deep alignment with their unique desires. She is a BRCA1 mutation carrier like me, and a person living with chronic illness and pain. Reaching for joy and pleasure has been deeply healing for her. When not working, you can find her dancing, lounging, reading or cooking, usually scantily clad if not naked. She loves talking, learning and sharing on all things sex, relationships, death, healing & dark nights of the soul-you know, all the super casual things.

I invite you to take this one on a walk outside, or curl up with a cup of tea and absorb these words as a way to get away, for a moment, from the chaos. You are so loved.


Things we discuss in todays episode:

  • Alyssa’s wake up call around a chronic illness that made it impossible to have penetrative sex without serious pain in her younger twenties

  • How her work as a sex & relationship coach started to empower her sexually, in a more wholistic way

  • Pelvic floor struggles

  • BRCA and the other piece of the fear with our mutual diagnosis: ovarian cancer

  • Self pleasure practices & building a relationship with your pussy

  • How to claim your sexuality as your own and experience life changing pleasure

  • Redefining what sex and pleasure is

  • How to talk to your partner(s) around how to have more connected intimacy with one another

  • Boobs, the beauty of being un-partnered, using pleasure as a form of self care and beyond

Episode #78: I Chopped Off My Tits | A Solo Episode

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This week marks the year anniversary of my preventative double mastectomy.

And it also marks the launch of my new book, I Chopped Off My Tits.

It’s been a pretty surreal time in my life and I’ve been spending so much of it in reflection, and I wanted to share my heart with you all this week around what the last year has meant to me, where I’m at now and what I’ve learned most around fear, trauma, hard AF decisions and vulnerability.

Warning: I get super teary eyed on this one.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for taking this journey with me.

I love you all more than I can say.

BOMB ASS WAYS TO CONNECT

GET YOUR COPY OF I CHOPPED OFF MY TITS HERE!

Shout out the pod on Instagram and tag @amandakatherineloy and don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review on Itunes!

WORK WITH AMANDA:

Join the Live Your F*ck Yes Life Membership

Book a consult for 1:1 work in emotional/binge eating and mindset

Episode #72: Double Mastectomy Updates & Where I'm At Now With the BRCA Gene | A Solo Episode

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So many of you have sent in requests for an in depth update about how I’m doing post double mastectomy and where I’m at with my journey with BRCA — so ask and ye shall receive!

I dig into this way more indepth in my book — which is launching December 3rd, 2019 and I read an excerpt from it for the FIRST TIME IN TODAY’S EPISODE! You heard it here first sistah.

But in the meantime, here is the good, the bad, the ugly — the UPDATE.

You are not alone love. I’m in your corner, always.

LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE:

GET ON THE I CHOPPED OFF YOUR TITS VIP BOOK LIST

Work with Amanda:

Join Amanda’s Email list

Book a consult for 1:1 work in emotional/binge eating and mindset

Join Amanda’s fitness community

BOMB ASS WAYS TO CONNECT

Shout out the pod on Instagram and tag @amandakatherineloy and don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review on Itunes!

photos by Kyle Wilson , Zeke D and Cam Frontain