Just Cut It Out Thu, 08 Oct 2026 05:00:02 -0400 https://justcutitoutpod.buzzsprout.com en-us © 2026 Just Cut It Out yes 7bd17e6a-c6ca-5724-9044-e3d508497678 kim@justcutitoutpod.com Kim episodic false Dr. Brown interviews patients, families and healthcare team members about how their experience with cancer has made them think differently about what it means to live a good life.

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Kim kim@justcutitoutpod.com https://storage.buzzsprout.com/jqk22qqno6g2lxssk34nlg1uyfh0?.jpg Just Cut It Out https://justcutitoutpod.buzzsprout.com Dr. Kimberly Brown, MD FACS Just Cut It Out Podcast | Breast Cancer, Bald Parties, Boundaries & Always Going to the Show Just Cut It Out Podcast | Breast Cancer, Bald Parties, Boundaries & Always Going to the Show Just Cut It Out Podcast | Breast Cancer, Bald Parties, Boundaries & Always Going to the Show


Deb Coulter has always been a doer.

She’s the person who steps in, solves the problem, takes care of everyone else and keeps moving forward.

So when Deb found a lump in her breast over Labor Day weekend in 2013, she did what came naturally: she took action.

Deb was diagnosed with stage 2B invasive ductal carcinoma and began chemotherapy before surgery. But as a mom with two children at home, one of her first concerns wasn’t herself. It was how to tell her kids that their mom had breast cancer—and how to make the experience less frightening for them.

With help from Wonders & Worries, Deb and her husband found the words to talk to their children about her diagnosis and treatment. And when chemotherapy meant Deb was going to lose her hair, she decided to take some of the fear out of that, too.

She threw a “bald party.”

Neighborhood kids came over for pizza and cake, took turns cutting Deb’s hair, and eventually her own children helped shave the rest.

That instinct to make things easier for everyone else followed Deb throughout treatment. But cancer also began teaching her something much harder: how to let other people show up for her.

Friends wanted to bring meals. Coworkers wanted to support her. People wanted to help.

At first, Deb resisted. She was used to being the caregiver, not the person being cared for. Eventually, she began saying yes—and discovered how meaningful accepting help could be for both her and the people who loved her.

In this episode of Just Cut It Out, Deb and Dr. Kim Brown talk about the experiences that changed the way Deb thinks about taking care of others, setting boundaries and living a good life.

Deb also speaks candidly about a decision she made during treatment.

After chemotherapy, she chose to have a double mastectomy, even though only one breast needed to be removed. Thirteen years later, she wishes she had made a different choice.

Deb talks openly about losing sensation after surgery and the impact that decision had on intimacy and her sex life. She knows no one could have talked her out of the decision at the time. But she hopes sharing what she knows now might help another woman ask different questions as she considers her own options.

The conversation also explores the work Deb has done since cancer to understand why taking care of everyone else

In This Episode

  • Finding a breast lump and being diagnosed with stage 2B invasive ductal carcinoma
  • Helping young children understand a parent’s cancer diagnosis
  • How Wonders & Worries helped Deb’s family navigate difficult conversations
  • Turning hair loss into a “bald party” for family and friends
  • Learning to accept help when you’re used to taking care of everyone else
  • Deb’s decision to have a double mastectomy and what she wishes she had known
  • Sensation, intimacy and the long-term effects of breast surgery
  • Learning to set boundaries after cancer
  • Recognizing when caring for others comes at the expense of caring for yourself
  • Why Deb believes you should “always go to the show”

Chapter Markers

00:00 Welcome to Just Cut It Out
00:32 Deb’s breast cancer story begins
02:00 Finding a lump and getting answers quickly
04:30 How do you tell your children you have cancer?
06:30 Chemotherapy and the fear of losing her hair
08:54 Turning hair loss into a “bald party”
10:00 Learning to accept help from other people
12:23 Why Deb always felt responsible for everyone
13:48 Deb 2.0: Therapy, boundaries and learning to say no
16:00 Looking back at her double mastectomy decision
19:30 Making cancer decisions when statistics feel personal
21:00 The importance of patient support and navigation
23:00 “Always go to the show”
24:30 Creating the Macklin Woods Grief Resource Center
26:02 Helping families navigate death and funeral decisions
29:24 What Deb decided to “cut out”
30:30 Dr. Brown answers Deb’s question
32:40 Stop spending energy on what you can’t control
34:00 What we can and cannot control

About Just Cut It Out

Hosted by Dr. Kimberly Brown, Just Cut It Out explores how the experience of a cancer diagnosis can change the way we think about what it means to live a good life.

Through honest conversations with patients, their families, and the healthcare professionals who care for them, Dr. Brown brings together practical wisdom and the bigger questions that can emerge when life changes unexpectedly: What really matters? What deserves our time? What can we let go of? And what does it mean to live a good life?

About Dr. Kimberly Brown

Dr. Kimberly Brown is a physician who cares for people facing cancer and helps patients and families understand complex medical information so they can make informed decisions about their care. Her approach recognizes that caring for someone with cancer goes beyond treatment—it also means being present with patients and families as they navigate difficult decisions, uncertainty and a life-changing diagnosis.

As host of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Brown brings her experience as a physician into conversations about cancer, survivorship, family, faith, relationships, grief and the lessons people discover about living well.

Connect With Dr. Kimberly Brown & Just Cut It Out

Have a question, a story to share, or an idea for a future episode? We’d love to hear from you.

Email: kim@justcutitoutpod.com

Enjoyed This Episode?

If Just Cut It Out has encouraged you, taught you something, or helped you see life a little differently, please follow or subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Reviews help more people discover Just Cut It Out and allow these conversations to reach patients, families, caregivers and others who may need them.

And if someone came to mind while you were listening, share this episode with them. One conversation can make a difference.

Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always discuss personal medical concerns and treatment decisions with a qualified healthcare professional.

]]> Just Cut It Out Podcast | Breast Cancer, Bald Parties, Boundaries & Always Going to the Show


Deb Coulter has always been a doer.

She’s the person who steps in, solves the problem, takes care of everyone else and keeps moving forward.

So when Deb found a lump in her breast over Labor Day weekend in 2013, she did what came naturally: she took action.

Deb was diagnosed with stage 2B invasive ductal carcinoma and began chemotherapy before surgery. But as a mom with two children at home, one of her first concerns wasn’t herself. It was how to tell her kids that their mom had breast cancer—and how to make the experience less frightening for them.

With help from Wonders & Worries, Deb and her husband found the words to talk to their children about her diagnosis and treatment. And when chemotherapy meant Deb was going to lose her hair, she decided to take some of the fear out of that, too.

She threw a “bald party.”

Neighborhood kids came over for pizza and cake, took turns cutting Deb’s hair, and eventually her own children helped shave the rest.

That instinct to make things easier for everyone else followed Deb throughout treatment. But cancer also began teaching her something much harder: how to let other people show up for her.

Friends wanted to bring meals. Coworkers wanted to support her. People wanted to help.

At first, Deb resisted. She was used to being the caregiver, not the person being cared for. Eventually, she began saying yes—and discovered how meaningful accepting help could be for both her and the people who loved her.

In this episode of Just Cut It Out, Deb and Dr. Kim Brown talk about the experiences that changed the way Deb thinks about taking care of others, setting boundaries and living a good life.

Deb also speaks candidly about a decision she made during treatment.

After chemotherapy, she chose to have a double mastectomy, even though only one breast needed to be removed. Thirteen years later, she wishes she had made a different choice.

Deb talks openly about losing sensation after surgery and the impact that decision had on intimacy and her sex life. She knows no one could have talked her out of the decision at the time. But she hopes sharing what she knows now might help another woman ask different questions as she considers her own options.

The conversation also explores the work Deb has done since cancer to understand why taking care of everyone else

In This Episode

  • Finding a breast lump and being diagnosed with stage 2B invasive ductal carcinoma
  • Helping young children understand a parent’s cancer diagnosis
  • How Wonders & Worries helped Deb’s family navigate difficult conversations
  • Turning hair loss into a “bald party” for family and friends
  • Learning to accept help when you’re used to taking care of everyone else
  • Deb’s decision to have a double mastectomy and what she wishes she had known
  • Sensation, intimacy and the long-term effects of breast surgery
  • Learning to set boundaries after cancer
  • Recognizing when caring for others comes at the expense of caring for yourself
  • Why Deb believes you should “always go to the show”

Chapter Markers

00:00 Welcome to Just Cut It Out
00:32 Deb’s breast cancer story begins
02:00 Finding a lump and getting answers quickly
04:30 How do you tell your children you have cancer?
06:30 Chemotherapy and the fear of losing her hair
08:54 Turning hair loss into a “bald party”
10:00 Learning to accept help from other people
12:23 Why Deb always felt responsible for everyone
13:48 Deb 2.0: Therapy, boundaries and learning to say no
16:00 Looking back at her double mastectomy decision
19:30 Making cancer decisions when statistics feel personal
21:00 The importance of patient support and navigation
23:00 “Always go to the show”
24:30 Creating the Macklin Woods Grief Resource Center
26:02 Helping families navigate death and funeral decisions
29:24 What Deb decided to “cut out”
30:30 Dr. Brown answers Deb’s question
32:40 Stop spending energy on what you can’t control
34:00 What we can and cannot control

About Just Cut It Out

Hosted by Dr. Kimberly Brown, Just Cut It Out explores how the experience of a cancer diagnosis can change the way we think about what it means to live a good life.

Through honest conversations with patients, their families, and the healthcare professionals who care for them, Dr. Brown brings together practical wisdom and the bigger questions that can emerge when life changes unexpectedly: What really matters? What deserves our time? What can we let go of? And what does it mean to live a good life?

About Dr. Kimberly Brown

Dr. Kimberly Brown is a physician who cares for people facing cancer and helps patients and families understand complex medical information so they can make informed decisions about their care. Her approach recognizes that caring for someone with cancer goes beyond treatment—it also means being present with patients and families as they navigate difficult decisions, uncertainty and a life-changing diagnosis.

As host of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Brown brings her experience as a physician into conversations about cancer, survivorship, family, faith, relationships, grief and the lessons people discover about living well.

Connect With Dr. Kimberly Brown & Just Cut It Out

Have a question, a story to share, or an idea for a future episode? We’d love to hear from you.

Email: kim@justcutitoutpod.com

Enjoyed This Episode?

If Just Cut It Out has encouraged you, taught you something, or helped you see life a little differently, please follow or subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Reviews help more people discover Just Cut It Out and allow these conversations to reach patients, families, caregivers and others who may need them.

And if someone came to mind while you were listening, share this episode with them. One conversation can make a difference.

Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always discuss personal medical concerns and treatment decisions with a qualified healthcare professional.

]]> Dr. Kimberly Brown Buzzsprout-19925738 Thu, 08 Oct 2026 05:00:00 -0400 2089 Breast Cancer, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, Breast Cancer Survivor, Double Mastectomy, Mastectomy Decisions, Breast Cancer Surgery, Cancer and Intimacy, Parenting Through Cancer, Talking to Kids About Cancer, Wonders & Worries, Cancer Support, Accepting Hel 1 5 full false Just Cut It Out Podcast | When Breast Cancer Changes a Family: Love, Loss & Finding Purpose Just Cut It Out Podcast | When Breast Cancer Changes a Family: Love, Loss & Finding Purpose Just Cut It Out Podcast | When Breast Cancer Changes a Family: Love, Loss & Finding Purpose

What happens when breast cancer doesn't affect just one person but changes the course of an entire family?

In this episode of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Kimberly Brown sits down with Leisha Johnson, whose life has been profoundly shaped by the breast cancer journeys of two family members.

Leisha first encountered breast cancer more than 30 years ago when her sister was diagnosed at age 45. Years later, her niece Lyndsay received a breast cancer diagnosis at just 32 years old while raising two children.

Leisha shares how her family rallied around Lyndsay through chemotherapy, surgery, additional treatment, and eventually metastatic disease. From coordinating meals and transportation to helping care for the children, they learned that supporting someone through cancer often means showing up in practical, everyday ways.

But this is also a conversation about listening.

Leisha reflects on the things she wishes she had understood when Lyndsay began saying she was tired of treatment and why conversations about a patient's goals, quality of life, and palliative care matter.

Even as her disease progressed, Lyndsay continued setting goals, spending time with her family, and refusing to let cancer define her. Her family helped make one particularly important memory possible: a trip to Disney World with her children.

After Lyndsay's death, Leisha began looking differently at her own time and priorities. She chose to step away from her career and devote more of her life to breast cancer advocacy and helping ensure that others don't have to navigate cancer alone.

In This Episode

  • Supporting a loved one through breast cancer
  • Breast cancer in younger women and patient self-advocacy
  • How family and community can provide meaningful support
  • Metastatic breast cancer, palliative care, and listening to the patient
  • Grief, priorities, and finding purpose after loss

Leisha's story is a reminder that when time becomes precious, what matters most can become remarkably clear: the people we love are the “big rocks” and they have to go in first.

Chapter Markers

00:00 Opening and recording setup
01:33 Welcome to Just Cut It Out
02:17 Leisha’s sister’s breast cancer diagnosis
05:25 Lyndsay’s diagnosis at 32
07:56 Helping the children understand cancer
08:52 “I don’t want to lose another one”
09:25 How the family cared for Lindsay
13:40 Lyndsay pushes for scans
14:27 Learning the cancer had spread
15:25 Searching for a clinical trial
17:42 Their last Christmas together
18:40 How Lyndsay changed Leisha’s life
20:26 Making a Disney World memory
23:07 Supporting others through the Breast Cancer Resource Center
25:35 Learning to accept help
26:53 Conversations Leisha wishes they’d had
27:42 Palliative care and patient preferences
28:36 The goals Lindsay held onto
31:02 What Leisha chose to cut out
32:38 Leisha’s question for Dr. Brown

About Just Cut It Out

Hosted by Dr. Kimberly Brown, Just Cut It Out explores how the experience of a cancer diagnosis can change the way we think about what it means to live a good life.

Through honest conversations with patients, their families, and the healthcare professionals who care for them, Dr. Brown brings together practical wisdom and the bigger questions that can emerge when life changes unexpectedly: What really matters? What deserves our time? What can we let go of? And what does it mean to live a good life?

About Dr. Kimberly Brown

Dr. Kimberly Brown is a physician who cares for people facing cancer and helps patients and families understand complex medical information so they can make informed decisions about their care. Her approach recognizes that caring for someone with cancer goes beyond treatment—it also means being present with patients and families as they navigate difficult decisions, uncertainty, and a life-changing diagnosis.

As host of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Brown brings her experience as a physician into conversations about cancer, survivorship, family, faith, relationships, grief, and the lessons people discover about living well.

Connect With Dr. Kimberly Brown & Just Cut It Out

Have a question, a story to share, or an idea for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you.

Email: kim@justcutitoutpod.com

Enjoyed This Episode?

If Just Cut It Out has encouraged you, taught you something, or helped you see life a little differently, please follow or subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Reviews help more people discover Just Cut It Out and allow these conversations to reach patients, families, caregivers, and others who may need them.

And if someone came to mind while you were listening, share this episode with them. One conversation can make a difference.

Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always discuss personal medical concerns and treatment decisions with a qualified healthcare professional.



]]> Just Cut It Out Podcast | When Breast Cancer Changes a Family: Love, Loss & Finding Purpose

What happens when breast cancer doesn't affect just one person but changes the course of an entire family?

In this episode of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Kimberly Brown sits down with Leisha Johnson, whose life has been profoundly shaped by the breast cancer journeys of two family members.

Leisha first encountered breast cancer more than 30 years ago when her sister was diagnosed at age 45. Years later, her niece Lyndsay received a breast cancer diagnosis at just 32 years old while raising two children.

Leisha shares how her family rallied around Lyndsay through chemotherapy, surgery, additional treatment, and eventually metastatic disease. From coordinating meals and transportation to helping care for the children, they learned that supporting someone through cancer often means showing up in practical, everyday ways.

But this is also a conversation about listening.

Leisha reflects on the things she wishes she had understood when Lyndsay began saying she was tired of treatment and why conversations about a patient's goals, quality of life, and palliative care matter.

Even as her disease progressed, Lyndsay continued setting goals, spending time with her family, and refusing to let cancer define her. Her family helped make one particularly important memory possible: a trip to Disney World with her children.

After Lyndsay's death, Leisha began looking differently at her own time and priorities. She chose to step away from her career and devote more of her life to breast cancer advocacy and helping ensure that others don't have to navigate cancer alone.

In This Episode

  • Supporting a loved one through breast cancer
  • Breast cancer in younger women and patient self-advocacy
  • How family and community can provide meaningful support
  • Metastatic breast cancer, palliative care, and listening to the patient
  • Grief, priorities, and finding purpose after loss

Leisha's story is a reminder that when time becomes precious, what matters most can become remarkably clear: the people we love are the “big rocks” and they have to go in first.

Chapter Markers

00:00 Opening and recording setup
01:33 Welcome to Just Cut It Out
02:17 Leisha’s sister’s breast cancer diagnosis
05:25 Lyndsay’s diagnosis at 32
07:56 Helping the children understand cancer
08:52 “I don’t want to lose another one”
09:25 How the family cared for Lindsay
13:40 Lyndsay pushes for scans
14:27 Learning the cancer had spread
15:25 Searching for a clinical trial
17:42 Their last Christmas together
18:40 How Lyndsay changed Leisha’s life
20:26 Making a Disney World memory
23:07 Supporting others through the Breast Cancer Resource Center
25:35 Learning to accept help
26:53 Conversations Leisha wishes they’d had
27:42 Palliative care and patient preferences
28:36 The goals Lindsay held onto
31:02 What Leisha chose to cut out
32:38 Leisha’s question for Dr. Brown

About Just Cut It Out

Hosted by Dr. Kimberly Brown, Just Cut It Out explores how the experience of a cancer diagnosis can change the way we think about what it means to live a good life.

Through honest conversations with patients, their families, and the healthcare professionals who care for them, Dr. Brown brings together practical wisdom and the bigger questions that can emerge when life changes unexpectedly: What really matters? What deserves our time? What can we let go of? And what does it mean to live a good life?

About Dr. Kimberly Brown

Dr. Kimberly Brown is a physician who cares for people facing cancer and helps patients and families understand complex medical information so they can make informed decisions about their care. Her approach recognizes that caring for someone with cancer goes beyond treatment—it also means being present with patients and families as they navigate difficult decisions, uncertainty, and a life-changing diagnosis.

As host of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Brown brings her experience as a physician into conversations about cancer, survivorship, family, faith, relationships, grief, and the lessons people discover about living well.

Connect With Dr. Kimberly Brown & Just Cut It Out

Have a question, a story to share, or an idea for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you.

Email: kim@justcutitoutpod.com

Enjoyed This Episode?

If Just Cut It Out has encouraged you, taught you something, or helped you see life a little differently, please follow or subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Reviews help more people discover Just Cut It Out and allow these conversations to reach patients, families, caregivers, and others who may need them.

And if someone came to mind while you were listening, share this episode with them. One conversation can make a difference.

Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always discuss personal medical concerns and treatment decisions with a qualified healthcare professional.



]]> Dr. Kim Brown Buzzsprout-19907936 Sun, 04 Oct 2026 14:00:00 -0400 1981 Breast Cancer, Metastatic Breast Cancer, Young Women With Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Caregiver, Cancer Family Support, Cancer Advocacy, Patient Self-Advocacy, Palliative Care, Cancer Grief, Cancer Support, Breast Cancer Resources, Caregiving, Life After 1 4 full false Just Cut It Out Podcast | Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Identity & Learning to Let People In Just Cut It Out Podcast | Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Identity & Learning to Let People In Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Identity & Learning to Let People In | Susan M. Gordon

What happens when cancer treatment saves your life but changes the person you've always believed yourself to be?

In this episode of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Kimberly Brown sits down with the Honorable Susan M. Gordon, whose career in the intelligence community culminated in serving as Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence.

At 66, Sue noticed that her right breast was red, swollen, and painful. There was no lump, and she initially wondered if it might be an infection. When the symptoms didn't improve, a series of circumstances brought her to Dr. Brown's clinic, where she was ultimately diagnosed with triple-negative inflammatory breast cancer.

Sue began chemotherapy and immunotherapy, followed by surgery and radiation. But during treatment, she developed a high fever, became confused, and grew critically ill. Her medical team ultimately determined that she was experiencing a serious autoimmune reaction affecting the lining around her brain.

Her doctors had to make high-stakes decisions before they had perfect information.

For Sue, that experience felt strangely familiar. She had spent much of her professional life making consequential decisions with incomplete information. Now she was experiencing uncertainty from the other side—as the person whose life depended on those decisions.

Sue and Dr. Brown talk candidly about trust between patients and physicians, the limits of certainty in medicine, and the importance of having a healthcare team you trust when there isn't an obvious answer.

But some of Sue's greatest challenges came after treatment.

For much of her life, Sue believed part of what made her Sue was her ability to keep going. She could work harder, stay longer, fit “28 hours into every day,” and will herself through almost anything.

Cancer changed that.

Sue talks about struggling to accept that she can't always do what she once could and realizing that survivorship isn't necessarily about returning to the person you were before cancer. Sometimes it's about figuring out who you are now.

That question became even more complicated because Sue had lost her husband and best friend of more than 40 years just a year before her cancer diagnosis. Cancer gave her something immediate to fight. Recovery finally gave her the quiet to begin processing everything she had lost.

Today, Sue is thinking differently about her time, energy, and what she wants to do with both. She's also learning something that once felt almost impossible: letting people in.

In This Episode

• The unusual symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer
• Triple-negative breast cancer and treatment
• Making medical decisions without perfect information
• Trust between patients and healthcare teams
• When cancer treatment changes your sense of identity
• Grief, survivorship, and figuring out who you are now
• Learning to accept help and let people into the hard parts of life

Sue's story raises a question that goes far beyond cancer:

When you realize your time and energy aren't infinite, how do you decide what deserves them?

Chapter Markers

00:00 Welcome to Just Cut It Out
01:23 How Sue’s Story Began
02:32 A Red, Swollen & Painful Breast
03:16 The Phone Call That Changed Her Path
04:37 Arriving at Dr. Brown’s Clinic
05:12 Understanding Inflammatory Breast Cancer
06:03 Biopsy & Getting the Diagnosis
09:13 Finding the Right Medical Team
12:08 When the Clock Is Ticking
13:30 Making a Treatment Plan Without Certainty
16:04 Building Trust With a Cancer Care Team
17:40 Chemotherapy & Immunotherapy
18:00 A Serious Treatment Complication
20:50 Making Medical Decisions Without Perfect Information
24:38 Recovering & Moving Forward Without Immunotherapy
25:48 Surgery & Radiation
26:36 Living With Lasting Treatment Side Effects
30:31 When Side Effects Affect Identity
31:12 Losing the Ability to Just Keep Going
34:12 Accepting She May Never Be Who She Was
36:29 Figuring Out Who Sue Is Now
38:20 Grief After Losing Her Husband
40:19 What Sue Chose to Cut Out
41:37 Learning to Let People In
43:35 Sue’s Question for Dr. Brown
44:12 How Doctors Build Trust With Patients
48:27 Final Takeaways

About Just Cut It Out

Hosted by Dr. Kimberly Brown, Just Cut It Out features honest conversations about cancer and how a diagnosis can change the way we think about time, relationships, fear, joy—and what it means to live a good life.

Connect With Dr. Kimberly Brown & Just Cut It Out

Have a question, a story to share, or an idea for a future episode?

Email: kim@justcutitoutpod.com

If this episode resonated with you, follow or subscribe to Just Cut It Out, leave a rating or review, and share this conversation with someone who might need it.

Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always discuss personal medical concerns and treatment decisions with a qualified healthcare professional.

]]> Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Identity & Learning to Let People In | Susan M. Gordon

What happens when cancer treatment saves your life but changes the person you've always believed yourself to be?

In this episode of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Kimberly Brown sits down with the Honorable Susan M. Gordon, whose career in the intelligence community culminated in serving as Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence.

At 66, Sue noticed that her right breast was red, swollen, and painful. There was no lump, and she initially wondered if it might be an infection. When the symptoms didn't improve, a series of circumstances brought her to Dr. Brown's clinic, where she was ultimately diagnosed with triple-negative inflammatory breast cancer.

Sue began chemotherapy and immunotherapy, followed by surgery and radiation. But during treatment, she developed a high fever, became confused, and grew critically ill. Her medical team ultimately determined that she was experiencing a serious autoimmune reaction affecting the lining around her brain.

Her doctors had to make high-stakes decisions before they had perfect information.

For Sue, that experience felt strangely familiar. She had spent much of her professional life making consequential decisions with incomplete information. Now she was experiencing uncertainty from the other side—as the person whose life depended on those decisions.

Sue and Dr. Brown talk candidly about trust between patients and physicians, the limits of certainty in medicine, and the importance of having a healthcare team you trust when there isn't an obvious answer.

But some of Sue's greatest challenges came after treatment.

For much of her life, Sue believed part of what made her Sue was her ability to keep going. She could work harder, stay longer, fit “28 hours into every day,” and will herself through almost anything.

Cancer changed that.

Sue talks about struggling to accept that she can't always do what she once could and realizing that survivorship isn't necessarily about returning to the person you were before cancer. Sometimes it's about figuring out who you are now.

That question became even more complicated because Sue had lost her husband and best friend of more than 40 years just a year before her cancer diagnosis. Cancer gave her something immediate to fight. Recovery finally gave her the quiet to begin processing everything she had lost.

Today, Sue is thinking differently about her time, energy, and what she wants to do with both. She's also learning something that once felt almost impossible: letting people in.

In This Episode

• The unusual symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer
• Triple-negative breast cancer and treatment
• Making medical decisions without perfect information
• Trust between patients and healthcare teams
• When cancer treatment changes your sense of identity
• Grief, survivorship, and figuring out who you are now
• Learning to accept help and let people into the hard parts of life

Sue's story raises a question that goes far beyond cancer:

When you realize your time and energy aren't infinite, how do you decide what deserves them?

Chapter Markers

00:00 Welcome to Just Cut It Out
01:23 How Sue’s Story Began
02:32 A Red, Swollen & Painful Breast
03:16 The Phone Call That Changed Her Path
04:37 Arriving at Dr. Brown’s Clinic
05:12 Understanding Inflammatory Breast Cancer
06:03 Biopsy & Getting the Diagnosis
09:13 Finding the Right Medical Team
12:08 When the Clock Is Ticking
13:30 Making a Treatment Plan Without Certainty
16:04 Building Trust With a Cancer Care Team
17:40 Chemotherapy & Immunotherapy
18:00 A Serious Treatment Complication
20:50 Making Medical Decisions Without Perfect Information
24:38 Recovering & Moving Forward Without Immunotherapy
25:48 Surgery & Radiation
26:36 Living With Lasting Treatment Side Effects
30:31 When Side Effects Affect Identity
31:12 Losing the Ability to Just Keep Going
34:12 Accepting She May Never Be Who She Was
36:29 Figuring Out Who Sue Is Now
38:20 Grief After Losing Her Husband
40:19 What Sue Chose to Cut Out
41:37 Learning to Let People In
43:35 Sue’s Question for Dr. Brown
44:12 How Doctors Build Trust With Patients
48:27 Final Takeaways

About Just Cut It Out

Hosted by Dr. Kimberly Brown, Just Cut It Out features honest conversations about cancer and how a diagnosis can change the way we think about time, relationships, fear, joy—and what it means to live a good life.

Connect With Dr. Kimberly Brown & Just Cut It Out

Have a question, a story to share, or an idea for a future episode?

Email: kim@justcutitoutpod.com

If this episode resonated with you, follow or subscribe to Just Cut It Out, leave a rating or review, and share this conversation with someone who might need it.

Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always discuss personal medical concerns and treatment decisions with a qualified healthcare professional.

]]> Dr. Kim Brown Buzzsprout-19907768 Sun, 04 Oct 2026 13:00:00 -0400 3084 Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Symptoms, Breast Cancer Survivor, Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy, Cancer Treatment Side Effects, Cancer Survivorship, Patient-Doctor Trust, Medical Decision-Making, Grief, Identity Afte 1 3 full false Just Cut It Out Podcast | Young Mom’s Breast Cancer Story: Faith, Family & Fighting for Answers Just Cut It Out Podcast | Young Mom’s Breast Cancer Story: Faith, Family & Fighting for Answers Just Cut It Out Podcast | Young Mom’s Breast Cancer Story: Faith, Family & Fighting for Answers 

What happens when you're 34, raising two young children, and the breast lump you were told was a hematoma turns out to be breast cancer?

In this episode of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Kimberly Brown sits down with Joyanne Gerdes to share her deeply personal breast cancer story. From fighting for answers and receiving her diagnosis to chemotherapy, mastectomy, breast reconstruction, survivorship, and finding her way back to everyday life.

Joyanne opens up about what it was like to undergo cancer treatment while raising a three-year-old and five-year-old, including the difficult conversations she and her husband had with their children. She shares how humor helped their family through some of the hardest moments and how her husband, church, and community surrounded them with practical and emotional support.

Faith also became central to Joyanne's journey. She describes learning to live with what she calls “defiant trust”, doing everything she could to fight cancer while surrendering the things she couldn't control.

Dr. Brown and Joyanne also discuss patient self-advocacy, treatment decisions, breast reconstruction, scan anxiety, fear of recurrence, and what survivorship looks like after treatment ends.

One lesson has stayed with Joyanne:

“Don't let the fear of the unknown steal the joy that you have today.”

In This Episode

• Breast cancer, self-advocacy, and fighting for answers
• Motherhood, chemotherapy, and talking to young children about cancer
• Faith, family, humor, and the power of community
• Mastectomy, breast reconstruction, and reclaiming a sense of self
• Scan anxiety, survivorship, and learning to be present

Joyanne describes cancer as a season of “pruning”—one that changed how she thinks about relationships, time, energy, family, and what truly matters.

Chapter Markers

00:00 Welcome to Just Cut It Out
01:30 Life Before Cancer
03:16 Finding the Breast Lump
05:27 The Cancer Diagnosis
08:45 Starting Treatment
10:35 Motherhood During Chemo
12:29 Talking to Kids About Cancer
14:35 Hair Loss, Humor & Family
16:25 Faith & Community
18:47 Choosing Defiant Trust
22:45 Surgery & Mastectomy
25:21 Breast Reconstruction
27:52 Survivorship & Scan Anxiety
30:16 Advice for Other Moms
32:29 What Cancer Taught Her
33:43 Joyanne Questions Dr. Brown
36:14 Final Takeaways

About Just Cut It Out

Hosted by Dr. Kimberly Brown, Just Cut It Out explores how the experience of a cancer diagnosis can change the way we think about what it means to live a good life.

Through honest conversations with patients, their families, and the healthcare professionals who care for them, Dr. Brown brings together practical wisdom and the bigger questions that can emerge when life changes unexpectedly: What really matters? What deserves our time? What can we let go of? And what does it mean to live a good life?

About Dr. Kimberly Brown

Dr. Kimberly Brown is a physician who cares for people facing cancer and helps patients and families understand complex medical information so they can make informed decisions about their care. Her approach recognizes that caring for someone with cancer goes beyond treatment—it also means being present with patients and families as they navigate difficult decisions, uncertainty, and a life-changing diagnosis.

As host of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Brown brings her experience as a physician into conversations about cancer, survivorship, family, faith, relationships, and the lessons people discover about living well.

Connect With Dr. Kimberly Brown & Just Cut It Out

Have a question, a story to share, or an idea for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you.

Email: kim@justcutitoutpod.com

Enjoyed This Episode?

If Just Cut It Out has encouraged you, taught you something, or helped you see life a little differently, please follow or subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Reviews help more people discover Just Cut It Out and allow these conversations to reach patients, families, caregivers, and others who may need them.

And if someone came to mind while you were listening, share this episode with them. One conversation can make a difference.

Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always discuss personal medical concerns and treatment decisions with a qualified healthcare professional.

]]> Just Cut It Out Podcast | Young Mom’s Breast Cancer Story: Faith, Family & Fighting for Answers 

What happens when you're 34, raising two young children, and the breast lump you were told was a hematoma turns out to be breast cancer?

In this episode of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Kimberly Brown sits down with Joyanne Gerdes to share her deeply personal breast cancer story. From fighting for answers and receiving her diagnosis to chemotherapy, mastectomy, breast reconstruction, survivorship, and finding her way back to everyday life.

Joyanne opens up about what it was like to undergo cancer treatment while raising a three-year-old and five-year-old, including the difficult conversations she and her husband had with their children. She shares how humor helped their family through some of the hardest moments and how her husband, church, and community surrounded them with practical and emotional support.

Faith also became central to Joyanne's journey. She describes learning to live with what she calls “defiant trust”, doing everything she could to fight cancer while surrendering the things she couldn't control.

Dr. Brown and Joyanne also discuss patient self-advocacy, treatment decisions, breast reconstruction, scan anxiety, fear of recurrence, and what survivorship looks like after treatment ends.

One lesson has stayed with Joyanne:

“Don't let the fear of the unknown steal the joy that you have today.”

In This Episode

• Breast cancer, self-advocacy, and fighting for answers
• Motherhood, chemotherapy, and talking to young children about cancer
• Faith, family, humor, and the power of community
• Mastectomy, breast reconstruction, and reclaiming a sense of self
• Scan anxiety, survivorship, and learning to be present

Joyanne describes cancer as a season of “pruning”—one that changed how she thinks about relationships, time, energy, family, and what truly matters.

Chapter Markers

00:00 Welcome to Just Cut It Out
01:30 Life Before Cancer
03:16 Finding the Breast Lump
05:27 The Cancer Diagnosis
08:45 Starting Treatment
10:35 Motherhood During Chemo
12:29 Talking to Kids About Cancer
14:35 Hair Loss, Humor & Family
16:25 Faith & Community
18:47 Choosing Defiant Trust
22:45 Surgery & Mastectomy
25:21 Breast Reconstruction
27:52 Survivorship & Scan Anxiety
30:16 Advice for Other Moms
32:29 What Cancer Taught Her
33:43 Joyanne Questions Dr. Brown
36:14 Final Takeaways

About Just Cut It Out

Hosted by Dr. Kimberly Brown, Just Cut It Out explores how the experience of a cancer diagnosis can change the way we think about what it means to live a good life.

Through honest conversations with patients, their families, and the healthcare professionals who care for them, Dr. Brown brings together practical wisdom and the bigger questions that can emerge when life changes unexpectedly: What really matters? What deserves our time? What can we let go of? And what does it mean to live a good life?

About Dr. Kimberly Brown

Dr. Kimberly Brown is a physician who cares for people facing cancer and helps patients and families understand complex medical information so they can make informed decisions about their care. Her approach recognizes that caring for someone with cancer goes beyond treatment—it also means being present with patients and families as they navigate difficult decisions, uncertainty, and a life-changing diagnosis.

As host of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Brown brings her experience as a physician into conversations about cancer, survivorship, family, faith, relationships, and the lessons people discover about living well.

Connect With Dr. Kimberly Brown & Just Cut It Out

Have a question, a story to share, or an idea for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you.

Email: kim@justcutitoutpod.com

Enjoyed This Episode?

If Just Cut It Out has encouraged you, taught you something, or helped you see life a little differently, please follow or subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Reviews help more people discover Just Cut It Out and allow these conversations to reach patients, families, caregivers, and others who may need them.

And if someone came to mind while you were listening, share this episode with them. One conversation can make a difference.

Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always discuss personal medical concerns and treatment decisions with a qualified healthcare professional.

]]> Dr. Kim Brown Buzzsprout-19907745 Sun, 04 Oct 2026 13:00:00 -0400 2245 Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Survivor, Young Women With Breast Cancer, Cancer Survivorship, Chemotherapy, Mastectomy, Breast Reconstruction, Patient Self-Advocacy, Parenting With Cancer, Faith and Cancer, Scan Anxiety, Fear of Cancer Recurrence, Life Afte 1 2 full false Just Cut It Out Podcast | Breast Cancer in the Middle of Liver Failure: Jamie Lane’s Story Just Cut It Out Podcast | Breast Cancer in the Middle of Liver Failure: Jamie Lane’s Story What happens when a breast cancer diagnosis arrives in the middle of an already life-changing health crisis?

In this episode of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Kimberly Brown sits down with Jamie Lane: a wife, mother, breast cancer survivor, and two-time organ transplant recipient whose journey has required her to navigate an extraordinary amount of medical uncertainty.

Jamie was living with polycystic liver and kidney disease when liver failure led her toward transplantation. During her transplant evaluation, a routine mammogram revealed ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), an early form of breast cancer, in both breasts.

Suddenly, Jamie was navigating breast cancer treatment while also trying to become healthy enough to receive the liver transplant she desperately needed.

Jamie and Dr. Brown discuss the decisions surrounding lumpectomy versus mastectomy, radiation, and how Jamie's larger health picture influenced her breast cancer treatment. Jamie ultimately underwent treatment for breast cancer followed by a liver transplant—and later a kidney transplant.

But Jamie's story goes far beyond her diagnoses.

She opens up about living for years with anxiety and uncertainty, the impact of watching family members experience serious illness, and the work she's done to keep fear from controlling her life. She shares how therapy, movement, time outdoors, gratitude, and getting the right mental health support helped her change the way she responds to uncertainty.

Throughout it all, Jamie has become a determined advocate for her own health. She believes in learning about your condition, asking questions, following up when something doesn't seem right, and working with your healthcare team—with persistence and kindness.

In This Episode

• Breast cancer during a liver transplant evaluation
• Lumpectomy, mastectomy, radiation, and treatment decisions
• Liver and kidney transplantation and chronic illness
• Patient self-advocacy and navigating a complex healthcare system
• Anxiety, gratitude, and focusing on what you can control

Today, Jamie says she is better able to live in the present, appreciate the good moments, and cut out some of the worry about things she can't control.

Her perspective is simple but powerful: “I am alive.”

Chapter Markers

00:00 Welcome to Just Cut It Out
00:32 Meet Jamie Lane
02:21 Living with polycystic liver and kidney disease
05:52 When Jamie’s liver began to fail
06:33 Preparing for a liver transplant
07:23 Her daughter steps forward as a potential donor
08:36 A mammogram reveals breast cancer
09:39 Getting the diagnosis during a procedure
10:57 Choosing between lumpectomy and mastectomy
13:20 The liver transplant
13:51 Why Jamie later needed a kidney transplant
15:53 Losing family members to related health complications
18:53 Living with anxiety and fear
23:22 Finding ways to manage worry
24:35 The role of gratitude
27:46 Advocating for yourself with kindness
31:22 Getting more help for anxiety
35:53 What Jamie chose to cut out
39:55 Sharing her story to give others hope
44:38 Jamie’s question for Dr. Brown
45:48 Final takeaways

About Just Cut It Out

Hosted by Dr. Kimberly Brown, Just Cut It Out explores how the experience of a cancer diagnosis can change the way we think about what it means to live a good life.

Through honest conversations with patients, their families, and the healthcare professionals who care for them, Dr. Brown brings together practical wisdom and the bigger questions that can emerge when life changes unexpectedly: What really matters? What deserves our time? What can we let go of? And what does it mean to live a good life?

About Dr. Kimberly Brown

Dr. Kimberly Brown is a physician who cares for people facing cancer and helps patients and families understand complex medical information so they can make informed decisions about their care. Her approach recognizes that caring for someone with cancer goes beyond treatment—it also means being present with patients and families as they navigate difficult decisions, uncertainty, and a life-changing diagnosis.

As host of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Brown brings her experience as a physician into conversations about cancer, survivorship, family, relationships, health, and the lessons people discover about living well.

Connect With Dr. Kimberly Brown & Just Cut It Out

Have a question, a story to share, or an idea for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you.

Email: kim@justcutitoutpod.com

Enjoyed This Episode?

If Just Cut It Out has encouraged you, taught you something, or helped you see life a little differently, please follow or subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Reviews help more people discover Just Cut It Out and allow these conversations to reach patients, families, caregivers, and others who may need them.

And if someone came to mind while you were listening, share this episode with them. One conversation can make a difference.

Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always discuss personal medical concerns and treatment decisions with a qualified healthcare professional.



]]> What happens when a breast cancer diagnosis arrives in the middle of an already life-changing health crisis?

In this episode of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Kimberly Brown sits down with Jamie Lane: a wife, mother, breast cancer survivor, and two-time organ transplant recipient whose journey has required her to navigate an extraordinary amount of medical uncertainty.

Jamie was living with polycystic liver and kidney disease when liver failure led her toward transplantation. During her transplant evaluation, a routine mammogram revealed ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), an early form of breast cancer, in both breasts.

Suddenly, Jamie was navigating breast cancer treatment while also trying to become healthy enough to receive the liver transplant she desperately needed.

Jamie and Dr. Brown discuss the decisions surrounding lumpectomy versus mastectomy, radiation, and how Jamie's larger health picture influenced her breast cancer treatment. Jamie ultimately underwent treatment for breast cancer followed by a liver transplant—and later a kidney transplant.

But Jamie's story goes far beyond her diagnoses.

She opens up about living for years with anxiety and uncertainty, the impact of watching family members experience serious illness, and the work she's done to keep fear from controlling her life. She shares how therapy, movement, time outdoors, gratitude, and getting the right mental health support helped her change the way she responds to uncertainty.

Throughout it all, Jamie has become a determined advocate for her own health. She believes in learning about your condition, asking questions, following up when something doesn't seem right, and working with your healthcare team—with persistence and kindness.

In This Episode

• Breast cancer during a liver transplant evaluation
• Lumpectomy, mastectomy, radiation, and treatment decisions
• Liver and kidney transplantation and chronic illness
• Patient self-advocacy and navigating a complex healthcare system
• Anxiety, gratitude, and focusing on what you can control

Today, Jamie says she is better able to live in the present, appreciate the good moments, and cut out some of the worry about things she can't control.

Her perspective is simple but powerful: “I am alive.”

Chapter Markers

00:00 Welcome to Just Cut It Out
00:32 Meet Jamie Lane
02:21 Living with polycystic liver and kidney disease
05:52 When Jamie’s liver began to fail
06:33 Preparing for a liver transplant
07:23 Her daughter steps forward as a potential donor
08:36 A mammogram reveals breast cancer
09:39 Getting the diagnosis during a procedure
10:57 Choosing between lumpectomy and mastectomy
13:20 The liver transplant
13:51 Why Jamie later needed a kidney transplant
15:53 Losing family members to related health complications
18:53 Living with anxiety and fear
23:22 Finding ways to manage worry
24:35 The role of gratitude
27:46 Advocating for yourself with kindness
31:22 Getting more help for anxiety
35:53 What Jamie chose to cut out
39:55 Sharing her story to give others hope
44:38 Jamie’s question for Dr. Brown
45:48 Final takeaways

About Just Cut It Out

Hosted by Dr. Kimberly Brown, Just Cut It Out explores how the experience of a cancer diagnosis can change the way we think about what it means to live a good life.

Through honest conversations with patients, their families, and the healthcare professionals who care for them, Dr. Brown brings together practical wisdom and the bigger questions that can emerge when life changes unexpectedly: What really matters? What deserves our time? What can we let go of? And what does it mean to live a good life?

About Dr. Kimberly Brown

Dr. Kimberly Brown is a physician who cares for people facing cancer and helps patients and families understand complex medical information so they can make informed decisions about their care. Her approach recognizes that caring for someone with cancer goes beyond treatment—it also means being present with patients and families as they navigate difficult decisions, uncertainty, and a life-changing diagnosis.

As host of Just Cut It Out, Dr. Brown brings her experience as a physician into conversations about cancer, survivorship, family, relationships, health, and the lessons people discover about living well.

Connect With Dr. Kimberly Brown & Just Cut It Out

Have a question, a story to share, or an idea for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you.

Email: kim@justcutitoutpod.com

Enjoyed This Episode?

If Just Cut It Out has encouraged you, taught you something, or helped you see life a little differently, please follow or subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Reviews help more people discover Just Cut It Out and allow these conversations to reach patients, families, caregivers, and others who may need them.

And if someone came to mind while you were listening, share this episode with them. One conversation can make a difference.

Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always discuss personal medical concerns and treatment decisions with a qualified healthcare professional.



]]> Dr. Kim Brown Buzzsprout-19901253 Fri, 02 Oct 2026 15:00:00 -0400 2869 Breast Cancer, DCIS, Breast Cancer Survivor, Lumpectomy, Mastectomy, Radiation Therapy, Organ Transplant, Liver Transplant, Kidney Transplant, Chronic Illness, Patient Self-Advocacy, Medical Anxiety, Mental Health, Gratitude, Cancer Survivorship 1 1 full false