My First Contribution (Of Many)

I couldn't let Breast Cancer Awareness Month end without saying my piece. I'm excited to begin contributing to the pantheon of Black women sharing their stories with breast cancer. Excited feels like a strange word for what is in many ways a cautionary tale, but I am finding my voice again and that feels really good.

Since the day I was diagnosed I knew I wanted to tell the story of everything that led up to that phone call. Yes, it was an emotional, out of body experience. I'm still working on an adequate way to express that. However, I also learned some very clear lessons that would've changed my life to understand before I got sick.

The name of the game is health insurance and it was someone else's problem until it was definitely my problem.

I have plans to really dive into sharing my experience with going through cancer treatment, but when I asked myself what was the most pressing information to share for Breast Cancer Awareness Month it was this information.

This information is two fold. It feels equally as crucial to talk more about navigating your healthcare with confidence.

"Advocate for yourself!"

"If you feel something, talk to your doctor!"

These are the things I see every October but not enough talking about how hard it is to advocate for yourself if you don't listen to or trust the signals your body gives you. I don't see enough people talking about how hard it is to essentially tell a stranger your concerns and fears if you don't have a relationship with your doctor.

I believe that these nuances matter, especially for 20-somethings that are still adjusting their priorities after college and getting kicked off their parent's insurance. These nuances matter for those that, like me, have been so privileged to never have to understand how to get the good care we've grown up having.

It may be Breast Cancer Awareness Month but this information is important for everybody with a body.

To accompany my video, I've also created a healthcare resource that is available for download here. I hope this information is helpful – I hope you share it with anyone you love that could benefit from it.

Thanks for being here. Until next time. Talk soon.

xx, Gabë