Saroj Tharisayi of San Francisco works as an in-house counsel at a tech company. She was diagnosed at 36 with Triple Positive breast cancer. Saroj reads her essay “The Least Terrible Option” from the 2021 “Bay Area Young Survivors” issue of Wildfire Magazine. Saroj’s piece is about DIEP flap breast reconstruction and making tough choices during treatment. April and Saroj will talk about where Saroj’s life is now since writing this essay three years ago, Saroj’s layered emotions surrounding cancer and her relationship with her mom, and DIEP flap surgery and belly buttons. They will also discuss survivorship, as well as what criteria drove Saroj’s decision making when there were not many options. This episode contains explicit language.

Purchase the “Bay Area Young Survivors” issue here: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/shop/p/digital-bays21

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

Direct episode link: Episode URL for Captivate:

In this episode we welcome returning guest Emma Jarrett back to The Burn for a second visit. She is a performance coach and writer who was diagnosed at 51 with Stage III, triple positive, invasive lobular breast cancer. Emma reads her essay “Paper Aeroplane” from the 2024 “Family” issue of Wildfire Magazine. Emma’s piece is about not being able to parent her young children the way she is accustomed during her cancer treatment. April and Emma will talk about parenting and communicating differently with our children after a cancer diagnosis, the role of writing in parenting, and the minimization of being told your breasts have done their job when losing them. Emma will also share her advice on writing about cancer.

Connect with Emma:

https://www.instagram.com/emmajarrettwrites/

https://www.instagram.com/emmajbreastless/

https://emmajarrett.substack.com/

https://emmajarrett.ca/

Purchase the “Family” issue here: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/shop/p/family24

Listen to another episode featuring Emma: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/ef401f5e-553d-4fac-bb98-a646e3e5c42f

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

Sally Joy was diagnosed at 40 with Stage II breast cancer, and is now living with Stage IV MBC. She is an inspiring corporate well-being leader, keynote speaker and LinkedIn Top Voice who posts regularly about wellbeing, resilience, survivorship and patient advocacy. Sally reads her piece “The Light Within the Darkness” from Wildfire Magazine’s 2023 “MBC: Lessons Learned” issue. It’s a piece about finding both joy and hope in uncertainty, and the silver linings that exist alongside the scars. April and Sally discuss being both incurable and hopeful, thriving while living with MBC for 6 years, and toxic positivity. They will also discuss post traumatic growth.

More about Sally Joy Wolf:

https://www.sallywolf.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sallyshoots/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-wolf-932139/

Strip Down Rise Up documentary: ​​https://www.netflix.com/title/80208242

More about Wildfire: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org

Purchase the 2023 "MBC: Lesson Learned" issue here: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/shop/p/mbc23

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