Her Cancer Our Story

This week, we’re talking about something that’s been growing in Kaela’s heart—advocacy. As she navigates life with stage IV breast cancer, she shares why using her voice has become so important, what being an advocate truly means to her, and how she hopes to make a difference for others walking a similar path. We don’t have it all figured out, but this episode is an honest look at the beginning of that journey.

If this episode resonated with you, we’d love for you to share it. Advocacy starts with awareness, and every share...

In this segment, Mike sits down with Kaela's longest known friend from her childhood - Lisa.

Take a few minutes to get to know one of Our Story's fiercest supporters and learn how a cancer diagnosis may impact those beyond our immediate support rings.

Support Kaela and her family: https://justshowup.itemorder.com/shop/home/

This week, we start with a really encouraging update.

At Kaela’s latest oncology appointment, her doctor confirmed something we’ve been hoping for — she can already feel the tumors shrinking and was genuinely proud of Kaela’s progress this early in treatment. It’s a moment that gave us a lot of hope, and we’re holding onto and celebrating that!

After a few heavier episodes, we decided to switch things up.

Kaela takes over hosting duties and puts Mike in the hot seat with a “get to know me” game show — asking questions a...

“I’m not the same person I was before I was diagnosed.”

It’s something Kaela has said in previous episodes, and in this conversation we spend time unpacking what that really means.

We talk about the ways cancer has changed her—how her perspective, priorities, and outlook on life have shifted since the diagnosis. But we also explore something just as important: the parts of her that haven’t changed. The core values, the personality, and the person she still is deep down.

Cancer may alter parts of life, but it doesn’t erase who so...

How much do you really know about your family’s health history—and could that knowledge change your future?

In this episode, we talk about Kaela’s family history and the genetic testing she underwent after her diagnosis. What started as a medical step quickly became a deeper conversation about what family history can reveal—and why understanding it matters.

We discuss how genetics can influence cancer risk, what we learned through testing, and why knowing your family’s medical history can empower you to advocate for earlier screenings and better care.

Knowledge can’t chan...

In Episode 5, Mike and Kaela open with a mix of funny — and not-so-funny — stories from past appointments. Because sometimes laughter is the only way through the hard days.

Then we turn to one of the most difficult parts of this journey: parenting two young boys through a stage 4 metastatic breast cancer diagnosis.

We talk about the immediate fear that hits as parents — the quiet panic about how this will shape our kids’ world. We share how our mindset shifted after hearing “stage 4,” the weight of deciding when and how to tell our 8-year-old, and the conversation...

Episode 4 brings some much-needed good news. We talk about finding a new oncologist who feels like a true partner in this fight, the relief of a benign MRI biopsy result, and the practice of celebrating every small victory in the midst of stage 4 breast cancer.

We also share about a weekend away with friends that reminded us that cancer may be part of our story, but it is not the whole story. As Kaela says in this episode, “I’m much more than just the lady with cancer.” Stepping away for a few days helped us breathe, laugh...

This episode is one we wish we didn’t have to record.

After weeks of scans, appointments, and uncertainty, we received the diagnosis: stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. In this conversation, we take you into that room with us—the moment we heard the words, the questions that followed, and the weight that settled in.

We share what the following weeks have really looked like: the fear, the tears, the unexpected peace, the support from loved ones, and the strength we’re discovering we didn’t know we had. We also talk about the immediate treatment plan and...

This week, we’re picking up right where we left off.

After receiving a confirmed breast cancer diagnosis, the rollercoaster doesn’t slow down — it speeds up. In this episode, we talk about the flood of emotions that follow, the endless appointments and scans, and the mental exhaustion that comes with all the unknowns. We also get real about the added stress of insurance frustrations and trying to advocate for yourself in a system that doesn’t always make it easy.

We end this episode in a place many know too well — waiting. In just a few days...

Everything changed with a lump.

In this episode, we rewind to the very beginning of our cancer journey - before diagnoses, before treatment, before the word metastatic entered our lives. We talk through the moment Kaela found the lump, the early appointments we hoped would be "nothing", the scans that raised more questions and fear than answers.

This is a conversation about uncertainty, fear, hope, and the quiet moments in between - when life keeps moving forward even as we felt like time stopped. We share what it was like to sit in limbo as...