Supporting Black Women - Podcast Discussion
The stress of breast cancer affects every aspect of your life, and it’s important that you find care not only for the cancer itself but also for your overall wellness, including your emotional health. Black women often don’t receive the emotional support they need. Many barriers stand in the way, from the cost of therapy to doctors who don’t recognize your needs to therapists who don’t look like you or understand your community and concerns.
LBBC Young Advocate Chawnte Randall spoke with women's health educator and licensed advanced social worker Jacci Thompson-Dodd, MA, MSSS, LASW, about the challenges that Black women face in getting support to cope with breast cancer and treatment. They discuss how narratives about what it means to be strong can keep Black women from seeking help when they need it, and suggest tools to help you find that help. They also share many ways to care for yourself in everyday life, including meditation, exercise, and taking time for yourself. Listen now.
About
Jacci Thompson-Dodd, MA, MSSS, LASW
Ms. Thompson-Dodd is a women’s health educator and licensed advanced social worker with over a decade serving the cancer community. She created Thrivorship, a multi-platform curriculum to help women heal from the life-altering effects of cancer.
Chawnte Randall
Chawnte, 42, is a mother and Army veteran who works for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. In October 2017, during a routine OB/GYN appointment, Chawnte’s doctor found a lump in her right breast. Chawnte was diagnosed with stage II, triple-negative breast cancer. She had a double mastectomy and began chemotherapy in January 2018. After completing nine cycles of chemotherapy, Chawnte showed no evidence of disease for 11 months before being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in April 2019.
This podcast originally appeared on Living Beyond Breast Cancer, entitled, "Caring for yourself and your emotions as a Black woman with breast cancer". Click here for the original podcast, video, and article.
