EP6: Christine Egan: From A Breast Cancer Diagnosis To Redefining What It Means To Be Healthy

 
 
 

Today’s episode is with a friend of mine who was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago at age 42, Christine Egan. She was one of the very first people that came to mind when I was thinking of someone that would be open to talking about receiving such a frightening diagnosis.

In most of our lives, we’ll have to deal with a tough diagnosis so I’m certain her story and experience will resonate with you deeply. She is now in remission, which makes me so happy, and she is a healthy living advocate and the author of The Healthy Girls’ Guide to Breast Cancer. She also leads the redefining healthy movement in which she teaches women to feel healthy in their bodies right now.

“Say yes to what makes you feel better.”
~ Christine Egan

We talk about her family history and upbringing and the way that all of life’s events are connected in maintaining health and wellness after surviving and diagnosis and treatment. 

She shares what it was like to receive her diagnosis and how her beloved family dog helped her find the lump in her breast. We also talk about how life-changing and devastating events can be the wake-up call that we needed to fully step into our lives.

I would be so happy to hear what you think of this conversation and if anything connected for you. Please comment below or connect with me on Instagram to let me know what you thought of this conversation.

More About Christine Egan

Christine Egan is a breast cancer survivor and author of The Healthy Girl’s Guide to Breast Cancer. She ran a half-marathon after ending 33 radiation treatments, and a full marathon to celebrate her remission. Today, she helps women heal from the invisible scars that cancer leaves behind and teaches them how to piece their lives back together.

Christine regularly appears on News12 to share her healthy living hacks, has appeared on National News, as well as various print magazines including Yoga Journal, Better Homes & Gardens, and Live Happy Magazine. She has hosted breast cancer awareness events for major running brands, Saucony and New Balance, and is a model and brand ambassador for AnaOno, the first company to design lingerie specifically for those affected by breast cancer. 

You can connect with Christine via her website and also follow her on Instagram

Listen to Episode 6 Below:

 
 
 
 

In This Episode, We Talk About:

  • Christine’s breast cancer diagnosis - how she reacted to the news and the processing

  • The difference between the person with cancer vs. their family

  • Acknowledging your feelings (all of them) and what you might want to do about them - the important questions to ask yourself to support yourself to process your diagnosis

  • That true healing begins when the cancer treatments are over

  • Body image after treatment and surgery

  • How her dog helped her find her cancer and how dealing with her dog’s death rocked her world

  • The idea that cancer can be an opportunity to turn inward and explore who you want to be

  • How feelings and emotions and trauma can get stored in your physical body 

  • Different modes of healing the grief, trauma, emotions and how what modality you choose changes as you change and grow

  • How sex got better for her and why it can be so healing

  • The post-it notes and affirmations she and her children placed around the house during her radiation treatment to mentally reframe before walking into her radiation treatment

  • That the best way to get to the new reality post-cancer is to learn how to take care of yourself

  • Why getting healthy and expanding can be uncomfortable and scary

  • How to create the identity of loving ourselves to create the identity of a new life

  • That there’s no one recipe to heal from grief

  • What stress does to your body and how you can live a life that reduces that 

  • The idea of questioning things and that “you don’t have to believe everything that you’ve been told”

  • And so much more!

Things We Mention In This Episode

 
 
 
 

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Please continue the conversation with me @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram.

 
 
 
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