In 2010 Catherine Sumner was working as a federal lobbyist when she was diagnosed at 31 with Stage III breast cancer. She is a New Orleans native, now residing in the Bay Area with her law enforcement wife. In this episode, Catherine reads her essay “Strange Bedfellows” from the 2024 “Queer In Cancerland” issue of Wildfire. Catherine’s piece is a love story about how cancer affects our relationships. April and Catherine will talk about long-term survivorship and Catherine’s approach to living the life she wants. Catherine will share what it was like to go through her breast cancer diagnosis that was later followed by her wife’s own diagnosis as well. April and Catherine will dive into the benefits and challenges of navigating cancer as a queer person, and the importance of connecting with community when newly diagnosed. This episode contains explicit language

Connect with Catherine:

https://www.instagram.com/sumnercatherine/

csumner78 @yahoo

Purchase the “Queer In Cancerland” issue here: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/shop/p/mbc23

Purchase the 2019 “Love & Intimacy” issue here: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/shop/p/digital-love19

Buy the Wildfire book Igniting the Fire Within: Stories of Healing, Hope & Humor, Inside Today’s Young Breast Cancer Community: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJVJ629F?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

Get the free Wildfire “Hot Flashes” email newsletter: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/newsletter?rq=newsletter

Learn about Wildfire writing workshops: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/workshops

Shop Wildfire merch & more: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/shop

*Free* Get Wildfire and The Burn freebies here: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/free

More about Wildfire Magazine:

https://www.wildfirecommunity.org

https://www.instagram.com/wildfire_bc_magazine/

https://www.facebook.com/wildfirecommunity

Information on submitting your story for consideration to be published in Wildfire Magazine: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/submissions