Say Their Name: Remembering Dr. Jill Tirabassi
"We come together fast over the same diagnosis, we become family, and then we lose people. When we do, we are going to say their names out loud, and we are going to tell you who they were."
In the first episode of Say Their Name, we gather to remember Dr. Jill Tirabassi—a physician, mother, athlete, and advocate who lived with metastatic breast cancer for four years. Hear from the team who knew her, and read Abigail Johnston's essay about a life that was so much more than disease.
Symptoms Spotlight: Chemo-Induced Nausea and Vomiting (CINV) with Abigail Johnston and Melanie Sisk
When nausea and vomiting is caused by a substance that you're taking like chemotherapy, your go-to remedies for addressing nausea and vomiting may not work as well. I had my bag of tricks that I would use, especially like during pregnancy—things I could smell or different pressure points—those kinds of things. But none of that worked when it came to chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
Symptoms Spotlight: Ascites with Abigail Johnston and Melanie Sisk
Dr. Jill Tirabassi joins Abigail and Melanie to explain ascites — the fluid buildup in the abdomen that can occur with metastatic breast cancer. Speaking as both a physician and a patient who's experienced it firsthand, she covers the symptoms to watch for, treatment options like paracentesis, and why advocating for your own comfort matters. A candid, hopeful conversation about a daunting topic — including why ascites isn't always permanent, or even always caused by the cancer itself.
MBC Insiders: MBC Awareness Day and More
This is a special episode released Oct 13 for National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. It is the first in our recurring series, we call “MBC Insiders.” We’ll explore the issues that matter most to people with MBC, including how the language clinicians and media use can harm or help, and candid conversations about progression and the idea of “cure.” Stay tuned for an important, honest discussion.