I'm Still Here: Real Conversations About Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer

Heather Jose
  • 5.0 (60)
  • HEALTH & FITNESS
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

I’m Still Here: Real Conversations About Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer is a podcast about the real-life experience of living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Hosted by long-term thriver Heather Jose, diagnosed at 26 and living with metastatic disease for over 25 years, the show explores what life actually looks like beyond treatment. Topics include identity, relationships, work, uncertainty, quality of life, and the emotional realities of metastatic cancer. Episodes feature long-term survivor stories, caregiver perspectives, listener questions, and expert conversations.

  1. 19H AGO

    Episode 270: The Appointment Is the Easy Part: The Real Cost of Navigating Healthcare with MBC

    How are you? Busy? Overwhelmed? Maybe both? In this solo episode, Heather gets honest about what the last month has really looked like — navigating a sleep study, insurance approvals, cardiology appointments, and the quiet exhaustion that comes from managing your health on top of managing your life. This isn't a crisis episode. It's a real one. Because for those of us living with metastatic breast cancer, the invisible load doesn't take days off — and the healthcare system isn't making it any easier. The appointment is the easy part. It's everything around it — the prep, the phone calls, the insurance approvals, the waiting, the processing — that nobody accounts for. And when you're doing that on repeat, it costs something. Heather talks about what it actually costs to keep all the loops open, why energy triage matters more than time management, and why giving yourself grace isn't the same as giving up. If you've ever hung up the phone with your insurance company and just sat there for a minute — this one's for you. Heather was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at 26 and has now been living with the disease for more than 25 years. Through this podcast she shares perspective, lived experience, and conversations that help people navigate life with metastatic cancer. Sensational Survivor SeriesIf you have been living with metastatic breast cancer for 10 years or more and would like to share your story on the podcast, you can apply here:⁠https://forms.gle/6H9K7NXMAeN1QEv87⁠ Listener QuestionsHave a question you'd like answered in a future episode? Submit it through the contact form:⁠https://heatherjose.com⁠ Connect with HeatherInstagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/heatherbjose⁠Website: ⁠https://heatherjose.com⁠ MusicIntro and outro music for the podcast was created by Heather's son, Ty. You can find his music here:Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/tyjosee⁠

    23 min

  2. APR 8

    Episode 269: Your Questions, Our Answers

    You asked, and we're answering. In this Q&A episode, Heather and Larry tackle questions submitted by listeners on Instagram and Facebook — the real ones, the hard ones, the ones a lot of people are thinking but don't always say out loud. Topics include how to live with uncertainty and still make plans, staying present when fear wants to take over, scan anxiety (yes, it's still a thing at 27 years), the pros and cons of support groups, what to do when your doctor gives you no hope, and how metastatic cancer goes from all-consuming to just... part of your life. Honest, unscripted, and straight from two people who have been navigating this for a long time. Heather was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at 26 and has now been living with the disease for more than 25 years. Through this podcast she shares perspective, lived experience, and conversations that help people navigate life with metastatic cancer. Sensational Survivor SeriesIf you have been living with metastatic breast cancer for 10 years or more and would like to share your story on the podcast, you can apply here:⁠https://forms.gle/6H9K7NXMAeN1QEv87⁠ Listener QuestionsHave a question you'd like answered in a future episode? Submit it through the contact form:⁠https://heatherjose.com⁠ Connect with HeatherInstagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/heatherbjose⁠Website: ⁠https://heatherjose.com⁠ Music intro and outro music for the podcast was created by Heather's son, Ty. You can find his music here:Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/tyjosee⁠

    44 min

  3. APR 1

    Episode 268: What Nobody Tells You About Being a Caregiver

    When Larry said "in sickness and in health" at 25, stage four breast cancer three years later was not what either of them had in mind. In this episode, Heather and Larry pull back the curtain on what caregiving actually looks like in a long-term marriage — the hard days, the fear, the moments of connection, and the ones that just needed a hug or a joke to survive. They talk honestly about the caregiver/patient dynamic, what it means to stay present when the results are terrifying, why disconnecting is actually necessary, and how roles shift over 27 years of living alongside metastatic cancer. If you're a caregiver, a patient, or somewhere in between — this one's for you. Heather was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at 26 and has now been living with the disease for more than 25 years. Through this podcast she shares perspective, lived experience, and conversations that help people navigate life with metastatic cancer. Sensational Survivor SeriesIf you have been living with metastatic breast cancer for 10 years or more and would like to share your story on the podcast, you can apply here:⁠https://forms.gle/6H9K7NXMAeN1QEv87⁠ Listener QuestionsHave a question you'd like answered in a future episode? Submit it through the contact form:⁠https://heatherjose.com⁠ Connect with HeatherInstagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/heatherbjose⁠Website: ⁠https://heatherjose.com⁠ Music intro and outro music for the podcast was created by Heather's son, Ty. You can find his music here:Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/tyjosee⁠

    34 min

  4. MAR 25

    Episode 267: Sensational Survivor: 14 Years, Twin Boys, and a Life Built on Purpose — Janelle Slavik

    Janelle Slavic was 24 years old when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. A year later she was told it had spread. She has now been living with metastatic breast cancer for 14 years — and somewhere in the middle of all of it, she became a mom to 20-month-old twin boys via surrogacy. In this episode of the Sensational Survivor Series, Janelle shares what it was like to be diagnosed young, how she advocated for her own scan that revealed her metastatic diagnosis, and why she believes cancer saved her life. She talks openly about the surrogacy journey, the financial reality of building a family with MBC, parenting through IV chemo and a seizure, and what it looked like to ask her medical team whether she was safe to care for her own babies alone. Janelle is warm, honest, and deeply human. She talks about hope not as a cure but as proof of life — and she is living proof of exactly that. If you are newly diagnosed, long-term, or somewhere in between — this one is for you. Heather was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at 26 and has now been living with the disease for more than 25 years. Through this podcast she shares perspective, lived experience, and conversations that help people navigate life with metastatic cancer. Sensational Survivor SeriesIf you have been living with metastatic breast cancer for 10 years or more and would like to share your story on the podcast, you can apply here:https://forms.gle/6H9K7NXMAeN1QEv87 Listener QuestionsHave a question you'd like answered in a future episode? Submit it through the contact form:https://heatherjose.com Connect with HeatherInstagram: https://instagram.com/heatherbjoseWebsite: https://heatherjose.com MusicIntro and outro music for the podcast was created by Heather's son, Ty. You can find his music here:Instagram: https://instagram.com/tyjosee

    42 min

  5. MAR 18

    Episode 266: The Loneliness Nobody Talks About with MBC

    There's a particular kind of loneliness that comes with long-term metastatic breast cancer — and it's not the loneliness of being sick and scared. It's quieter than that. More structural. More built in. In this episode, Heather gets honest about something she's been sitting with: feeling alone in a way that doesn't fit the story people expect from someone 27 years into survivorship. She talks about the isolation of living in the middle — too sick for the healthy world, not visibly sick enough for people to really get it. About the financial behindness of watching friends prepare to retire while carrying decades of interrupted plans and illness costs. About the withdrawal she's been doing from the people closest to her, and the comparison and grief underneath it. And about the exhaustion of living at the surface when your interior life is so much deeper than any conversation you're allowed to have. This isn't a tidy episode. There's no resolution at the end. But it's honest — and if you've been nodding along, that's exactly the point. You are not too much. You are not imagining it. And you are not alone in feeling alone. Heather was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at 26 and has now been living with the disease for more than 25 years. Through this podcast she shares perspective, lived experience, and conversations that help people navigate life with metastatic cancer. Sensational Survivor Series If you have been living with metastatic breast cancer for 10 years or more and would like to share your story on the podcast, you can apply here: https://forms.gle/6H9K7NXMAeN1QEv87 Listener QuestionsHave a question you'd like answered in a future episode? Submit it through the contact form: ⁠https://heatherjose.com⁠ Connect with HeatherInstagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/heatherbjose⁠Website: ⁠https://heatherjose.com⁠ MusicIntro and outro music for the podcast was created by Heather’s son, Ty. You can find his music here: Instagram: https://instagram.com/tyjosee

    33 min

  6. MAR 11

    Episode 265: Real Conversations About Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer

    After a short break, the podcast is back with a refreshed focus and format. In this episode, Heather shares why the podcast subtitle has changed to Real Conversations About Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer and what listeners can expect moving forward. Living with metastatic breast cancer is about much more than treatment. It touches work, relationships, finances, identity, energy, and the day-to-day realities of life with an incurable illness. This podcast is a space for honest conversations about those experiences — the hard parts, the meaningful parts, and the ways people continue building full lives while living alongside metastatic disease. Moving forward, the podcast will include a mix of: • Long-term survivor stories • Listener Q&A episodes • Caregiver conversations • Occasional expert guests • Solo episodes about the realities of living with metastatic breast cancer Heather was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at 26 and has now been living with the disease for more than 25 years. Through this podcast she shares perspective, lived experience, and conversations that help people navigate life with metastatic cancer. Sensational Survivor Series If you have been living with metastatic breast cancer for 10 years or more and would like to share your story on the podcast, you can apply here: https://forms.gle/6H9K7NXMAeN1QEv87 Listener Questions Have a question you'd like answered in a future episode? Submit it through the contact form: https://heatherjose.com Connect with Heather Instagram: https://instagram.com/heatherbjose Website: https://heatherjose.com Music Intro and outro music for the podcast was created by Heather’s son, Ty. You can find his music here: Instagram: https://instagram.com/tyjosee

    23 min

  7. FEB 11

    I Was Diagnosed With Stage 4 Breast Cancer at 26 — What 27 Years With Metastatic Disease Taught Me (Part 2)

    Last week in Part 1, I shared the story of being diagnosed with metastatic (stage 4) breast cancer at just 26 years old — the shock, fear, and life-altering moment that changed everything. In Part 2, I talk about what came next. After living with metastatic disease for 27 years, my perspective on life, time, fear, and what truly matters has shifted in ways I never expected. This episode is about:• learning to live fully inside uncertainty• letting go of waiting for life to feel safe• naming the hard stuff without being consumed by it• and discovering meaning alongside ongoing treatment It’s not about staying positive.It’s about staying present. If you’re living with cancer, loving someone who is, or navigating a season of life that feels uncertain or heavy, I hope this conversation reminds you that life can still be meaningful — even here. Available Now!👉 Break the Cancer Spiral – Heather’s 15-minute guide to reset your mindset anytime life feels overwhelmingYou can grab Heather’s new 15-Minute Reset guide and her 5 to Thrive series at https://shop.heatherjose.com/stop-the-cancer-spiral 🎧 About the Podcast:I’m Still Here: Lessons from Life with Metastatic Breast Cancer is hosted by Heather and Larry Jose. Each week, they share honest, hopeful conversations about living fully with cancer — the messy, meaningful, real-life parts of survivorship that don’t always make it into the brochure. 🌐 Connect with Heather:Website: HeatherJose.comInstagram: @heatherbjoseFacebook: Heather JoseYouTube: @ImStillHereCancer Podcast available on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Amazon Music To Life! 💚Listen, subscribe, and share with someone who could use a little calm and encouragement this holiday season.

    30 min

  8. FEB 4

    I Was Diagnosed With Stage 4 Breast Cancer at 26 — Living With Metastatic Disease for 27 Years (Part 1)

    At 26 years old, I was diagnosed with metastatic (stage 4) breast cancer — a moment that changed everything in an instant. In Part 1 of my story, I share what led up to my diagnosis, the shock of hearing the words “stage four,” and what those early days of fear, uncertainty, and life-altering decisions were really like. This isn’t a clinical cancer story.It’s the human side — the emotions, the questions, the grief, and the beginning of learning how to live inside a life I never planned for. If you’re newly diagnosed, supporting someone you love, or walking through something that feels overwhelming, this episode is for you. Part 2 will dive into how those early experiences shaped the way I live fully with metastatic disease today. Available Now!👉 Break the Cancer Spiral – Heather’s 15-minute guide to reset your mindset anytime life feels overwhelmingYou can grab Heather’s new 15-Minute Reset guide and her 5 to Thrive series at https://shop.heatherjose.com/stop-the-cancer-spiral 🎧 About the Podcast:I’m Still Here: Lessons from Life with Metastatic Breast Cancer is hosted by Heather and Larry Jose. Each week, they share honest, hopeful conversations about living fully with cancer — the messy, meaningful, real-life parts of survivorship that don’t always make it into the brochure. 🌐 Connect with Heather:Website: HeatherJose.comInstagram: @heatherbjoseFacebook: Heather JoseYouTube: @ImStillHereCancer Podcast available on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Amazon Music To Life! 💚Listen, subscribe, and share with someone who could use a little calm and encouragement this holiday season.

    28 min
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5
out of 5
60 Ratings

About

I’m Still Here: Real Conversations About Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer is a podcast about the real-life experience of living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Hosted by long-term thriver Heather Jose, diagnosed at 26 and living with metastatic disease for over 25 years, the show explores what life actually looks like beyond treatment. Topics include identity, relationships, work, uncertainty, quality of life, and the emotional realities of metastatic cancer. Episodes feature long-term survivor stories, caregiver perspectives, listener questions, and expert conversations.

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