CANCERING Chapter One: Fear

Today on the podcast, Lauren Huffmaster welcomes her guest Lauren Burke! In 2022, Lauren Burke’s life took an unexpected turn when a suspected "bruise" from her dogs turned out to be a lump the size of a ping-pong ball. What followed was a complex journey through the medical system—from initial misdiagnosis and reassurances that "it was nothing to worry about," to a life-altering diagnosis of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) in October 2022.A dedicated educator, Lauren B. balanced the demands of teaching her 5th-grade students with a bilateral mastectomy and six weeks of radiation. Her story is one of incredible resilience, navigating the "survivor’s guilt" of leaving her classroom for treatment while fighting to regain her health.Following a move to Houston for her husband’s residency at MD Anderson, she underwent successful reconstructive surgery in 2023. Today, Lauren B. is in a new season of life: she has chosen a path without hormonal therapy to pursue her dream of starting a family. Guided by deep faith and a commitment to trusting God’s timing, she joins us to share her journey of self-advocacy, the emotional hurdles of treatment, and the hope she carries for the future.

Lauren is excited to bring April Johnson Stearns, Founder, Editor-in-Chief, Wildfire Magazine & Writing Community to the podcast.April Stearns was diagnosed at 35 years old with Stage 3 breast cancer that she found while breastfeeding her daughter. Four years later, while struggling to “go back to normal” and find other young(er) people in similar circumstances, April launched Wildfire Magazine. Now she enjoys not only publishing the stories of those “too young for breast cancer,” she also finds pleasure in helping others heal through learning to write and share their stories. April lives with her family on the coast of central California.  http://wildfirecommunity.org/ 

Lauren welcomes today's guest Becky Johnson. Becky is a breast cancer survivor, real estate broker, and the co-founder of FlatWear Clothing, a fashion brand created for women who have chosen to remain flat after mastectomy. A Maine native, Becky was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 40s and made the deeply personal decision to go flat rather than undergo reconstruction. Like so many women, she quickly discovered how difficult it was to find clothing that fit and flattered her new body shape — and that experience sparked an idea that would grow into a movement.With the help of her business partner, designer Tracy Friden, Becky launched FlatWear Clothing to give flat women beautiful, confidence-boosting styles that celebrate their bodies exactly as they are. The brand’s mission goes beyond fashion — it’s about visibility, empowerment, and belonging in a community that is often overlooked by the fashion industry.When she’s not running her business or selling homes in her beloved Midcoast Maine community, Becky enjoys life on 50 acres with her husband, surrounded by the woods and ocean she grew up loving. She finds joy in simple Maine pleasures — sailing in the summer, cross-country skiing in the winter, and spending time outdoors year-round. She’s passionate about raising awareness for body acceptance after mastectomy and helping other women feel seen, strong, and beautiful — with or without reconstruction.   https://www.flatwearclothing.com/ 

This episode Lauren welcomes guest Troy Karnes."I’m a father, husband, author, ghostwriter, recovering alcoholic & salesman, cancer survivor, business consultant, and I’m on a mission to share everything I learned fighting cancer and addiction with people who struggle to find peace and clarity, which isn't easy in the age of short attention spans and daily hacks. I get it, and I want to help.If people want to get in touch with me, they can go to my website, troykarnes.com where they can sign up for my weekly emails. Those cover all kinds of topics, but they all include stories and lessons I've learned from battling cancer and addiction simultaneously. They can also find information about my coaching (or email me about it). My coaching boils down to one simple truth: nobody makes good decisions when they're Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. I personalize plans for people to nurture those foundational aspects of their lives while providing assurance, support, and accountability. When people start using the program, they're able to overcome overthinking, make better decisions more often, become more in-tune with their most important relationships, and improve their physical health. It's all connected, after all. "To order Troy's book go here

Our guest on this episode is Jordan Carte. Jordan is a writer and artist whose life took an unexpected turn with a diagnosis of Triple Negative Breast Cancer in 2023. After walking through treatment and recovery, they were faced again with illness in 2025, when treatment-induced Acute Myeloid Leukemia reshaped their world. Through it all, Jordan continues to create—painting, writing, and weaving resilience into story and color. Her work speaks to the beauty of survival, the ache of transformation, and the courage it takes to keep beginning again.

Lauren's guest on this episode is Nikki Rasmussen-Hineman.Nikki is a fun-loving, baseball-watching, concert-going Parrothead and executive bourbon steward who looks forward to finding something positive and beautiful in every day.  She is also a breast cancer survivor who has worked in healthcare for more than 30 years as a physical therapist and in medical software.  Inspired by the life, books, and music of Jimmy Buffett and other “trop rock” artists, she loves the beach, following her heart, and making new friends everywhere she goes. She believes everyone has a story worth telling and celebrating. A born and bred Midwesterner, she is living and loving life with less snow in East Tennessee with her husband of 26 years and a very bouncy and spirited miniature schnauzer.  To find out more about Adventure Therapy Foundation go to www.adventurefound.org. 

In this episode, Chapter 2 of Lauren's book "Cancering", the topic is- Reflections, first steps toward a new direction. In a world where cancer was once synonymous with despair and finality, a new reality emerges: survivors now live a decade beyond their diagnosis. This seismic shift presents us with fresh challenges to confront head-on. How do we navigate life after hearing those dreaded words in the doctor's office? It's a question that reverberates through the hearts of those grappling with cancer today. While society educates us on the risks, we've yet to master the art of truly living with cancer.www.adventurefound.org

In this season of Adventures with Scars, Lauren reads through her book Cancering, about emotionally healing from cancer. This first chapter deals with Fear and how to recognize it and work through and even appreciate it.To order Cancering go to Amazon. To find out more about Lauren's nonprofit Adventure Therapy Foundation go to www.adventurefound.org 

Lauren welcomes guest Lissett Mckee in this episode of Adventures with Scars. Lissett was diagnosed in 2018 with breast cancer, then in 2021 she was diagnosed with stomach cancer. She joined Debbie's Dream Foundation, a stomach cancer foundation, as a patient advocate. She now goes to Washington annually to ask Congress for money for cancer research and acts as a cancer mentor. 

Lauren's guest on this episode is Lauren Hunter!Lauren is an intuitive and faith-focused entrepreneur who values working with creative visionaries to bring ideas to fruition. She offers author services, highly sensitive person coaching and book coaching, and freelance writing to her passionate clients.  With a diverse background in content marketing, PR, and publishing including her two books and online community for sensitive people, HSPJourney.com, she applies instinctive life-coaching principles of listening to her various roles. She can be found at https://laurenhunter.net. For more information about Adventure Therapy go to adventurefound.org.