“Jordanna’s Story, Part Two” – with Jordanna Nadritch, President of Sharsheret’s Board of Directors

Dr. Fox: Welcome to today’s episode of “Healthful Woman,” a podcast designed to explore topics in women’s health at all stages of life. I’m your host, Dr. Nathan Fox, an OBGYN and maternal fetal medicine specialist practicing in New York City. At “Healthful Woman,” I speak with leaders in the field to help you learn more about women’s health, pregnancy, and wellness.

All right. Jordanna, thanks for sticking around for part two for our listeners. It’s the next week for us. It’s three minutes later. Last week, we got to meet you and hear your story as to who you are, the tragic story of your mother and her diagnosis and passing away, and then your sort of reckoning with your own genetic risk from your mother, from your BRCA, having the mastectomy prophylactically, although there’s pre-cancerous cells there. We ended with your mother being the angel watching over you, saving your life, and then the life of your kids, and basically keeping your family around.

And I wanted to start with this week, once you got the mastectomy, did you tell anybody or was it like, I’m going to recover at home, I’m going to have a plastic surgery, and I’m just going to, like…I’m going to look great, and that’s it. And this is just going to be my story.

Jordanna: So, I didn’t want to tell anybody because I still, at this point, was living in this world where I was tainted. I had this BRCA gene, and it tainted me and my family, and I wasn’t ready to share it.

Dr. Fox: Right. And people weren’t doing…it was not a big thing to get prophylactic mastectomies…

Jordanna: No.

Dr. Fox: …then. I mean, people did it, obviously, and your surgeon recommended it, but it was much less common, and certainly less talked about.

Jordanna: Right. And it’s interesting because I was very close with Ellen Kleinhaus at the time, and I believe I shared with her. And she worked for Sharsheret, to give you some context here. And Sharsheret sent me amazing gifts that were very supportive, necessary to get through a recovery. And I know that they definitely could have helped me through it then, but I was still living in my world, where people didn’t do this. And even though there was this amazing organization on the sidelines that I’m sure would have found me the right person to talk to, I wasn’t really ready to do that. I had heard through the grapevine, one or two people that had had done these surgeries by virtue of speaking to someone at Sharsheret. But I wasn’t ready to really embark on this peer support journey to find more. And I want to keep my life so private that I just kept in this bubble.

But given that I had also three young children, I couldn’t lift my younger son or my middle daughter, who was only four. You know, I was a lawyer. I had mom duties, I had carpools. I did have to share with a small subset of people, or my people, I call them, like, my circle, my inner circle of friends who were phenomenal. What I did just so I can get that support. But I didn’t want…you know, everyone does meal trains now, which is wonderful. I didn’t want anything. I wanted to keep it as private as possible.

So, interestingly, and I’ll never forget this, I had a Bat Mitzvah to attend of a friend, someone who I really loved, but someone who wasn’t in my inner circle, and two weeks post-mastectomy. And I remember I’m like, I’m gonna go, I’m gonna do this. And I was a doer. I was back at work within 14 days, which is…or 12 days, which was kind of unheard of at the time. And I was like, what am I going to tell everyone why I’m not dancing, why I have to be careful? And I can barely move at this point. And I remember saying I had back surgery, which I should have researched more because someone at the Bat Mitzvah [inaudible 00:03:40] said, “I had back surgery. Was it L4, L5? What did you do?” And I was like, oh, no, I don’t have answers.

And I remember thinking I sounded like a complete bumbling fool not being able to answer what kind of back surgery I had. And I almost, like, walked away saying, next time I should be more prepared to…with my story, if I’m going to say I had back surgery. But that’s what I did. I just didn’t share it. I said I had back issues. I just kind of…I punted on what I actually did because, again, it wasn’t that I was not able to confront it, like you suggested earlier last week. I didn’t want to confront it. I knew what I had to do. It still felt like I was swimming alone in this world.

Dr. Fox: At the time, where was Sharsheret in terms of their organizational sort of history?

Jordanna: So, Sharsheret…and I don’t know how much your callers, your listeners, rather, know about Sharsheret. But it was founded in 2001 by a woman named Rochelle Shoretz. Sharsheret, by the way, is Hebrew for the word chain link, which is connections, which is the most powerful word we think about what breast cancer or ovarian cancer means for individuals. It’s like, you know, making those connections that link. But she founded it in 2001. She was a young mom, 28-year-old woman, brilliant lawyer, mom of two at the time, who was diagnosed with breast cancer. And she really couldn’t find anyone like herself that had what she had. And through her efforts, this organization grew. It started really grassroots where the concept was to find a chain of support for women.

So, you fast forward this. My surgery was in 2014. They were already, at this point, I guess, 13 years, new or old, however you look at it. And they were growing, and they were very present, but not in the way that I think…not, of course, what they are today, as you know, what they do. But they were growing across the country then. They provide a lot of, obviously, emotional, psychosocial counseling, support information. And they wanted to be there for me. To their credit, they wanted to do everything. I was reluctant to take that help. And it wasn’t my first connection to them. I had listened to some of their…you know, they had these webinars, whatever they were called back in 2010 or ’11. But I really wasn’t ready to seek help. I didn’t think I needed help, candidly. And I think that’s [crosstalk 00:06:03] feel. You kind of, like, I can do this. I have my family. I have my few friends. I can do this. And I started…I felt that way at the time, I think. And looking back, oh, wow, was I wrong? Really, was I wrong? But you think you can do sometimes by yourself. You know, I’m capable, I’m a doer.

Dr. Fox: Yeah. I mean, I asked you that because I honestly don’t…it’s hard for me to remember. I’ve known Sharsheret since pretty much they started. I knew Rochelle. I know her sister. I was on a panel with her, you know…I don’t know when it was. Many, many years ago. And so, I’ve always known about them. And I’m trying to think. Like, I ran the marathon with Sharsheret in 2011. And so, at the time, obviously, I knew who they were. They were, I would say, big, but not huge. Now, they’re huge. Right?

And so, it was…you know, I had friends who were involved, friends who were either on the board or sort of a part of it, you know, people we know. And so, they were prevalent, but not quite the same. And it’s interesting that you sort of knew about them, but weren’t, you know…and which is fine. If you don’t want the support, that’s great. Like, it’s okay.

Did you have any concerns? I mean, you’re saying you’re a private person. Was it just in general because of cancer this, or was the idea that you had a mastectomy? A lot of women, obviously, that is a very big step emotionally in terms of, like, their identity as a woman. Was that a part of it, or were you more just focused on the cancer aspect of it?

Jordanna: No, no. It was more about the former, like, the mastectomy, the big surgery that here, I took this big, bold move to take off my breasts. And I think I was afraid people would judge me that I was being too aggressive, that people wouldn’t understand. Not Sharsheret, obviously, but people who didn’t understand what BRCA was, what my genetic history was, my risk was. And you tell someone you have only pre-cancerous cells. And here you are, you go take off your breasts. That seems like a big, aggressive step. I knew that I had to do that, but I didn’t feel like something I was able to share. And yeah, it did take away a part of my…where I identify as a woman. I now know that it’s so far from the truth. And in fact, none of that defines me. But as you’re going through it, it feels like a big step.

Dr. Fox: Did you experience that, like, with any of your inner circle or as you expanded your circles and more people knew what you did? Did you get people saying, like, why did you do that? I can’t believe you did that. Like, in a negative way, you know?

Jordanna: No. There was no negativity. There was only…

Dr. Fox: Yeah. [crosstalk 00:08:42] in a positive way. Like, you’re so brave, you know.

Jordanna: Yeah. It was like, you know, reverence, like, you know, wow. And then they found out that I was, like…when they found out after the fact, when I finally was able to start sharing some of what I was doing, that I was back at work, that I did this surgery to save my life, you know, people say, oh, you did it. You know, you’re a hero. I don’t [inaudible 00:09:00] myself that because, you know…or you’re…you did this. You know, you’re selfless because you did it for your children. You know, as a person going through it, you don’t feel that way. But to hear those words from someone else touches you. It does. You know, it really does. It resonates.

But, you know, just to go back to, like, the Sharsheret component, you know, while they matched me with one person, I spoke to them, and they were incredibly helpful. Again, I said I wasn’t ready to take all that help, but I need to find some way to heal. And so, I actually took up…you mentioned running. I took up running. So, that was when I started. I never ran a day of my life. I have two left feet. My husband is a basketball player. My kids have an athletic ability [inaudible 00:09:39] him. I don’t know how to hold a basketball. I have never done anything athletic in my life, but I needed something to do when I was going through this healing process. And I did my mastectomy, and I did a reconstruction four months later. So, I had this time period of a lot of downtime, but I was told I can exercise. So, I just picked up running. Maybe it’s more jogging [inaudible 00:09:58] running, my minute per mile.

Dr. Fox: They’re the same.

Jordanna: My minute per mile was not probably what you do.

Dr. Fox: They are the same.

Jordanna: And then I found out, as I’m running, that I’m doing this, that Sharsheret has races. And I did my first race the following year for Sharsheret. I did my first half marathon. But in between all that, I will tell you that I decided that, for me, I wanted to help others. I wasn’t sure I wanted the help yet, but I wanted to help others.

So, I had had this bag of button-down shirts that I had acquired, and zipper [inaudible 00:10:30] shirts through my whole healing process and even, like, really nice sports bras that I had gotten, and, you know, a little big bag of clothing that was quite expensive, honestly. And I know I said I’m never gonna wear this again. I don’t want to wear it again. I kind of want to put it aside. But I wanted to sit with it. So, I called Sharsheret. I said, I want to be a link. I want to take what you’re giving me and I want to give back. I want to help people. And I have this amazing bag of clothing that I’m going to obviously wash each time for each person. I’m not going to give them my dirty clothing and send it to the proper cleaners. But I want to pass it…

Dr. Fox: Here’s my bra.

Jordanna: Yeah, exactly. But I want to pass it forward. These are garments that can be used. And it’s hard to do that.

Dr. Fox: It’s also good juju because you’re doing great, you know. Like, people get…you know?

Jordanna: People looked at me and said, “Wow. You know, you look good.” I want to feel good. And I actually started meeting, and it wasn’t just on the phone. I actually would go out and have coffees with these women. I got to actually know them and personally get to meet them. And for me, that was so healing because I wish I had done that myself. And that’s when I said, okay, I should have taken up the help that they offered. But now, I’m going to pass it forward.

Dr. Fox: But, you know, listen, help comes in many different ways.

Jordanna: Absolutely.

Dr. Fox: Obviously, receiving help can be very therapeutic.

Jordanna: It was therapeutic.

Dr. Fox: It can be very helpful. But giving is also very therapeutic. I mean, telling your story… I mean, this is why people come to this podcast and tell their crazy stories. Right? Because, A, it’s…for the people listening, it’s very helpful, right, to hear someone’s story. Maybe they’ll connect to you. Maybe they’ll learn something they didn’t know. Maybe it’ll help them in their…whatever it is. But also the person coming in — you could tell me after when we’re done — almost always says, “I’ve really never got a chance to tell my story in a long form. This is so, like, therapeutic. It’s healthy to tell your story out loud.” Because, I mean, who the hell listens to anybody nowadays? Right? Normally, you’re lucky to get five minutes of someone’s time to listen to you. Here, you know, doors closed, talk as long as you want. People are stuck. They could turn you off if they want. But there is something about telling your story, about helping someone else that lifts you.

Jordanna: Absolutely.

Dr. Fox: So, that was your first sort of, like, entree into the volunteer aspect. Like, running for Sharsheret is part volunteer, part fundraising, part fun. But giving of your time and your stuff and meeting new people, that’s really pure volunteerism.

Jordanna: Yeah. For me, like you said, that part was very therapeutic, meeting other women like myself. And everyone’s story is different. I mean, there are…they do match you. And what Sharsheret does amazingly is that they take your data information, and they keep a process for it. They have a database of… At this point, it’s all highly confidential. Everything’s confidential there, and it’s all free. But they have a database of over 275,000 women and men. And they have the facts. They have the data, even your doctor information, what you’ve gone through, the fact that I have BRCA1. And they confidentially match you with somebody who wants to match with somebody, who is as similar to you as possible. Sometimes it’s a perfect match. Sometimes it’s, you know, a little bit less so, but enough in common. And you get multiple matches if you want. Multiple links are common, which is terrific.

And so, I met multiple…I mean, dozens over the course of the last 12 years, dozens of women through this process. And each time, even now, it is still something that I find so rewarding for myself, honestly. And I have gone through…I mean, I don’t want to skip forward too much, but I’ve had to do many other surgeries, given my genetic history, and also, you know, unintended cancer scares, honestly. And at some point, I not just gave, but I took. I reached out to Sharsheret after I had my last surgery, which was my uterus coming out. I had my ovaries taken out very early on, much older than I thought I was going to have because I had, again, pre-cancerous cells from my ovaries. Then I had to do my uterus later, which the uterine, just so people know, ovaries are very connected to BRCA, uterus a little bit less so. But now, they recommend taking…if you’re doing your ovaries, they take the uterus out together. This goes back…

Dr. Fox: And the tubes.

Jordanna: And the tubes. Back nine years. That wasn’t [inaudible 00:14:39]. So, they left my uterus in. Wasn’t the best decision on their part. No problem. I take it out, fast forward it.

Dr. Fox: Stage surgery.

Jordanna: Yes. I’ve had a lot of surgeries. And that’s when I think I felt a little bit broken and said, I think I’m feeling a little bit overwhelmed. I’ve done a lot of surgeries in a short amount of time, and I’m not sure how I feel. I’m not sure how to process this. And I didn’t have a mom. I don’t have a sister. I have an amazing brother, and brother and sister-in-laws. And they’ve been amazing. But I felt like I just needed someone to talk to. And Sharsheret was there. They provide, you know, again, like, confidential, like, counseling, mental counseling, mental health counseling, genetic counseling, emotional support. And I sought it, and I received it from them. And it really helped me. It was really therapeutic, obviously, but also it helped pave the path of me going forward to kind of be able to, you know, process what I’ve gone through.

Dr. Fox: At this point in time, fast forward, most importantly, how are you?

Jordanna: I’m great. I’m great. I’m healthy. I’m strong. I gave up running because my knees are not so great anymore, and my hip. [inaudible 00:15:49] to do anything else.

Dr. Fox: We’re middle-aged, my friend. Things break down.

Jordanna: Totally. But I did run two more half marathons for Sharsheret. So, that was…

Dr. Fox: There are surgeries for those, too. You can get…your hips, knees, and get everything replaced.

Jordanna: Exactly.

Dr. Fox: What are you doing now for Sharsheret? I mean, I know you’re in charge of the whole thing. But what does that mean?

Jordanna: I am not in charge of the whole thing. We have an amazing staff.

Dr. Fox: Yeah. What does it mean to be the president? Right? Because it’s a volunteer position. Right? You don’t work for them. So, what does that…I’m going to ask you. What does that mean? And how is it different from, like you were going to say, their full-time staff?

Jordanna: So, their full-time staff, each of them are angel. And I mean that with all sincerity. I fell into the board. I mean, I was…similar to you, I was…

Dr. Fox: Batya twisted your arm? Or someone else?

Jordanna: No, actually. Someone else, someone I work…someone else who knew me. Jonathan Blinken, actually, who you know very well.

Dr. Fox: He’s an arm twister.

Jordanna: He was. No. He was a fantastic president. I’m barely filling his shoes, and my predecessor, Stacy Schwartz is. But I fell into it. And Jonathan, I actually had approached Jonathan about something years back, and wanted to do something with my daughter for Bat Mitzvah. And he goes, “Call Sharsheret.” I said, “Okay. Great.” And he goes, “And by the way…” You know, I started this point to be able to share my story with a select few. Keep in mind, I really was still so private. This was back seven years now, eight years now. But I knew that Jonathan being on the board, president of the board, I was able to trust him. And I shared my story. He goes, “It’s people like you we need to get involved more and be on the board.” He’s like, “You have so much to impart.” I’m like, “No, no, no. I’m all right.” He goes, “Just think about it.”

So, he’s persuasive, but in the best way because I started to see more. When I actually went to the office to work on my daughter’s project, I just saw the energy and the staff, and what they were doing, and really heard more about it. And they have a national presence. Now, they’re in Israel, too. But they were growing and doing. And everyone who works there loves what they do because they are helping women, men, and families. It’s a non-faith-based Jewish organization that help everyone. And they really have their tentacles in everything related to breast, ovarian cancer, health.

Dr. Fox: They help anyone. Anyone who calls, they will help.

Jordanna: Anyone who calls. The fact that, you know, anybody of any demographic, financial need, whatever, they actually provide financial subsidies, even a million dollars a year to women who need it, whether it’s for, like, you know, tattooing of nipples, or eyebrows, or just hair, you know, cold caps for chemo. There is just so many things they do. And what you don’t understand until you’re going through it is what you need. And Sharsheret gets that. They get the process from A to Z, from your first mammogram to even post-treatment, post-surgery, post everything, living with breast cancer. They have support groups for that. They really touch it all. You know, the psycho-emotional side of it, psychosocial side of it. And I saw that. I saw that. And I was…I want to be part of it. I wanted in. I’m like, how do I get in? How do I do more?

And I actually, at one point, got [inaudible 00:18:53] a focus group because they’re always learning, which I love about them. They always want to know more and what they can do better. And honestly, I don’t think they can do much more better, but they always want to hear what the patient’s feeling, what their callers are feeling. And through that, I met three other women who are similar to, but different. All had gone through surgery, some of them have gone through cancer and surgeries. And we said, you know, I really want to do more also. We want to give back, and I’m thinking more personal level. And Sharsheret is like, great. What do you want to do? Tell us. We’ll help you.

And so, we actually founded this little subset of Sharsheret called Power Pals, where the four of us got together. I made these gift bags, and we raised money [inaudible 00:19:35] funds. We had fundraisers, where we would…a gift bag for women who are going through surgeries. It was a sweatshirt, some drain holders. We had local businesses donate, whether it’s a hair blowout, a makeup application, gift certificate to stores so you can buy food. And we would go and deliver these personal bags. I meet people one-on-one through Sharsheret, obviously, confidentially. But again, like, it was…what they want to hear, what people want. And they were open to that. And I love being part of something that was, you know, willing to just grow and take feedback and hear, but also help you get there.

Dr. Fox: Right. You know, it’s also really interesting because you mentioned last week about the root of the word Sharsheret, which is link, which is chain. And you can look at that in two ways. Right? You can look at that in sort of the black cloud way, like, that you have a link. You had a link to your mother and her history. You have a link to your…the genetic risk that you got on your father’s side. And that’s sort of, like, where breast cancer, any cancer links people in sort of the scary way. But then you sort of flip it, and you turn it into, like, the link between all the other people who go through this, and all of their families.

And what’s amazing about…you know, when I look at Sharsheret, I would have said a month ago from the outside, but now from the inside, you know, everybody knows someone who has had breast cancer, has a family member. Everyone sort of does. But now, not only that, now, I would say, at least the people I know, everyone knows someone who’s been involved with Sharsheret and has been…either helped them or have been helped by them.

And so, what you’re growing is not just the link of cancer, but the link of support. It’s like it’s…which is obviously it’s rooted in that, but it’s different. It’s just people helping people. And whether that’s financially, whether that’s time, whether that’s telling stories, whatever it might be, that is… And the fact that it’s so big now, but it’s all sort of everyone’s connected in that way. I mean, when I say it, it sounds a little hokey, but it’s not because it’s really important.

Jordanna: Right. And that was beautiful. And that’s why you are on the board. [crosstalk 00:21:39] what you just said. That’s exactly it.

Dr. Fox: Marketing, baby.

Jordanna: Now, you know. You feel it. You feel it. No. And it’s beyond just…you know, it’s all what you’re saying. It’s helping individuals, helping people. It’s so personal, such a personal touch. Every person gets a personal touch because they…the counselors, social workers, and genetic, you know, counselor, volunteer social workers, they really, truly care. And they’re there to hold their hands. And it’s also the other side of it, actually, which is impressive beyond, which I learned as I got more involved and you’ll learn now is that they are accredited, you know, and affiliate with the CDC, and, you know, many pharmaceutical companies, a lot of partners and support for all of that, which is, you know, they’re out there. They’re doing good nationally.

And now, they’re in Israel, which, by the way, is tremendous because Israel didn’t have anything like this. And with, you know, last two years being what they have been there and women not knowing where to turn because whether, you know, they can’t turn to their husbands, their partners or, you know, anyone because they’re busy or serving. Sharsheret has been there for them.

Dr. Fox: It’s amazing. When did you ultimately go public with your story? And when was that, and how did that come about?

Jordanna: So…

Dr. Fox: Because now, it’s probably…like, it’s out there.

Jordanna: It’s out there.

Dr. Fox: I mean, you can Google you.

Jordanna: It’s out there. It’s out there. So, I think the first…it was very slow. It was a trickle, I would say. It wasn’t a waterfall. It was a trickle. Slowly with each… Obviously, with each link, each person I spoke to, I shared. And then I had friends who knew. So, they would say, “We know somebody.” So, I would share. And everyone is confidential when they would speak to them. But I think my stories just started to trickle out slowly. So, it was going out in drips and drabs to people who knew I had it. And then when I joined the board, they asked me to write a bio, and I didn’t want to share what I went through. I just made it more of my mom. I was interviewed for one of their videos, Sharsheret videos years ago before COVID. Again, made my involvement not about my personal story [inaudible 00:23:41]. I credit my mom. And I think, when I became vice president and they wanted me to…the board. And they wanted me to update my bio.

Someone at Sharsheret said, “You know, do you want to put the word previvor in?” I was like, that’s kind of outing me, isn’t it? You know? Because the word previvor…and I don’t…you called me a survivor last week. I don’t know. I’ve been called survivor, too. And actually met a woman recently at a event who told me, “You’re a survivor, not a previvor,” which I appreciate, too. But either way, that word…those words, either one of those words mean that you got ahead of it, with, you know…or you live through it. Whatever way you look at it, it defines you in certain ways. And so, by putting it out there on their website, I was defining myself. And I did it. And I know it was subtle, but it was my way of saying, okay, I’m ready to start sharing.

And I think I started to speak a little more at…whether it was at, you know, at events or schools, but never publicly, never broadcasting it. And then about two years ago, Sharsheret approached me about…they wanted to recognize me at their annual dinner. And…

Dr. Fox: Recognize means honor, by the way. That’s a euphemism for people who have been honored. They say recognized. It’s like I go to a nice school in Boston. You go to Harvard. We get it. All right.

Jordanna: So, I didn’t want to be honored. I didn’t think I deserved the honor. I still don’t think so. But I wanted to make it [crosstalk 00:25:02].

Dr. Fox: Fine. Fine. Fine. Okay. They recognized you.

Jordanna: But I want [crosstalk 00:25:04].

Dr. Fox: They recognized you with a plaque and a ceremony.

Jordanna: Yeah. [crosstalk 00:25:07]. But I want to make it meaningful. I want to make…I said, if I’m going to do this, it’ll be my coming out story party, but I want to make it meaningful, too. So, they were so respectful with everything they do, which I really…I mean…and I’m not just saying it to fluff them up on this podcast. They are so thoughtful. And they had this idea of tying it to my mom’s 15th anniversary of her passing, her Yahrzeit, which it was. It kind of coincided with that. And I had the ability also to be co-honored with Mark Sultan, who I think I told you last week, think the world of…or is it this week? Even I’m confused of my time here because we’re just sitting here and we’re just talking. But in any case, I had the ability to be co-honored with him and…co-recognized.

Dr. Fox: Mm-hmm.

Jordanna: Be careful of my words here. But that’s when I…in doing that honor recognition, I shared my story publicly on a video, which you can go Google, if anyone wants to. I shared it with you. And I shared it then, and I felt so liberating to do that. And I didn’t think I would feel that way. I didn’t think that I would be able to feel the sense of relief that I felt after doing that. And looking back now, my only regret is not doing it sooner, and holding it back for so long.

Dr. Fox: Interesting. What was it like during those years between having the surgery and telling others for Mark and for your kids? It’s like a secret, but it’s not, that they know, but they don’t. You know, it’s sort of… I mean, they obviously knew you had surgery. Right?

Jordanna: Well, what’s so interesting is, you know, my kids were so young when I had the surgery. So, at the time, my daughter…one was seven, one was four, and my son was one. They knew I had surgery. If you asked [inaudible 00:26:43], they wouldn’t know.

Dr. Fox: Back surgery.

Jordanna: Exactly. Back surgery. And I still can’t tell you what kind it was, but back surgery. So, they didn’t understand. But Sharsheret, one more amazing thing they do is they cut…they help…among the many support things they do is they help women and mothers tell their children how to talk to your kids. And they gave me guidance. And so, I didn’t do it then because my kids were too young. But when I was ready, I took their guidance, and I spoke to each of my daughters at different times in life. And I shared with them. So, they knew. And they’re both the strongest girls I know. And they both said, “Okay. Well, you’ll tell us when we have to get tested. You’ll tell us what we have to do. And we know you’ll be there for us when the time comes because you did this.” And again, this goes back to what we said earlier about my mom. She let me save their lives, too.

And so, they knew that I was private, though. So, they didn’t, you know…and the best part is you look at me now…I know your listeners can’t see me, but I don’t look any different than anyone else does. In fact, I think I feel stronger and healthier today than I may have felt 10 years ago, honestly, because I…it’s a mental clarity.

Dr. Fox: And all that running.

Jordanna: And all that running. But, you know, outwardly, no one knew I had surgeries. So, we were able to keep it privately. I think no one talked about [inaudible 00:27:57] their age because they weren’t at that age yet. But now, my daughter is on college campus. She’s now working on the Sharsheret Club at WashU. She’s in a sorority, AEPhi, which is actually a partner with Sharsheret. She’s proud. They are so proud of what I’ve done. They are so…I’m going to get emotional now. And you’re getting emotional, too, I see. They are so proud. They feel that they want to [inaudible 00:28:20] that what I’ve been through and what I’ve been able to overcome.

And while I don’t know if…I can’t speak to whether they’re nervous because I haven’t asked them that question yet. I think they feel safe knowing that medical advances have come so far. There’s so much you can do. I mean, you spoke about [crosstalk 00:28:38].

Dr. Fox: And you’re well.

Jordanna: Yeah.

Dr. Fox: Yeah. And they know that they’re going to be fine. Because if they have it or you don’t, listen, we still have a history, which I actually…that was actually interesting part with me hiding everything was that I can’t hide that my mom died of breast cancer. So, me hiding this was…almost seemed unnecessary because I was still very high risk, given that history. But that being said, I think that they’re not afraid because they know that, you know, with…this world is different than what it was, you know, 17 years ago.

Dr. Fox: It’s amazing. All right. I’m gonna ask you a question. I need you to think about this. You ready?

Jordanna: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Fox: What have you learned about yourself throughout this whole journey? You know, you learned things about your mom, you learned things about your friends, you learned things about Sharsheret, you learned things about your kids. What do you know about yourself that you didn’t know, you know, 20 years ago?

Jordanna: That I’m much stronger than I thought I was. I think, until age 30, I really relied on my mom to kind of guide me through life. Have an amazing husband who is always been there to support me. But my mom was so integral to my day-to-day. I mean, I think we literally spoke 10 times a day. And that was even before, like, cellphones for what they are today. And there was no texting and whatnot. And I think I relied on her to kind of give me that confidence and support. And I think the one thing that she went through, watching her fight and her…even though it was short, and having to kind of fight personally myself, it showed me that I’m more resilient than I think that I am. I would never have thought that 17 years ago or even, you know, before I started all my surgeries.

Dr. Fox: It’s amazing. I mean, it’s like it’s bringing it back. It’s like what you said about your mom last week that you wouldn’t have known how strong she was. She was obviously always that strong. Right? She was like that her whole life. But unless you have that challenge, you wouldn’t even know about it for someone else or maybe even for yourself. And it also shows that’s probably true for everyone or almost everyone, that there’s this inner strength that people don’t know that they can tap into until they need to.

Jordanna: Yeah. And the other thing I think just to maybe add on to your question, if that’s okay, is I think it gave me more perspective. I mean, I’ve seen a lot. And gratitude. So, I think those are two things that I don’t think everyone…I think people with time in life and I think experiences, most people get there. And I do believe that, unfortunately, but I got there a little…

Dr. Fox: You a little bit earlier than others. Yeah.

Jordanna: I got there a little faster, I think.

Jordanna: And that’s okay because it made me look at things. And that’s why, you know, much as I don’t like being on the forefront and being so public sometimes, if I can make any kind of difference and just let someone know that they’re going to be okay, that they’re going to be…they’re going to get through this, I feel like that that’s a win.

Dr. Fox: Amazing. Thank you so much for doing this. It’s a lot to tell your own story. Some of it’s uncomfortable, obviously, and some of it’s amazing, you know, to tell your own story. People are a little shy about it, but it’s amazing. I’m so glad you did it for me personally so I get to hear it. But also for, you know, the millions of people listening right now to you. Everyone appreciates it. Thank you so much.

Jordanna: Well, I appreciate it. Thank you for letting me do that. And I hope that if nothing else comes of this for those who are listening, they know they’re not alone, that it’s okay to share. It’s okay to lean on people and, you know, that Sharsheret and others, just people are there for them.

Dr. Fox: Thank you for listening to the “Healthful Woman” podcast. To learn more about our podcast, please visit our website at www.healthfulwoman.com. That’s healthfulwoman.com. If you have any questions about this podcast or any other topic you would like us to address, please feel free to email us at hw@healthfulwoman.com. Have a great day.

The information discussed in “Healthful Woman” is intended for educational uses only. It does not replace medical care from your physician. “Healthful Woman” is meant to expand your knowledge of women’s health, and does not replace ongoing care from your regular physician or gynecologist. We encourage you to speak with your doctor about specific diagnoses and treatment options for an effective treatment plan.