Katherine Lewandowski: Choosing Care and Claiming Power

Written By Sara Champie
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Disclaimer
This podcast is not medical advice. The conversations shared here reflect lived experiences and personal perspectives.

Episode summary
When Katherine learned at 43 that she carried BRCA2—shortly after her father’s metastatic prostate cancer diagnosis—she moved from shock and shame to decisive action. In this conversation, she shares how grief, meticulous research, and a values-aligned care team led her through prophylactic bilateral mastectomy with DIEP flap reconstruction and surgical menopause—and why she now feels more like herself: stronger, clearer, and more alive.

We cover

  • How her father’s illness (and death) shaped her relationship to risk, agency, and end-of-life values

  • The early emotional landscape: secrecy, shame, and reframing the diagnosis into a “project” she could act on

  • Building the right team: what to look for in surgeons, communication that lowers anxiety, and advocating for humane care

  • Fears of post-mastectomy pain syndrome and why she chose DIEP flap (autologous) reconstruction

  • Navigating surgical menopause with BRCA2 (and why hormones were a central part of her decision-making)

  • Healing as a practice: listening to the body, pacing recovery, and the surprising joy of getting strong again

  • Reclaiming the body after surgery: strength training, learning tennis at midlife, and modeling embodied confidence for her daughter

  • Living with ongoing risk and the medical “machine” without letting it eclipse quality of life

Highlights & takeaways

  • “I wanted to feel like myself after surgery—and I do. But I also feel changed, in ways that are better.”

  • The relationship with your surgeon matters: expertise and responsiveness can transform recovery.

  • Healing well isn’t about pushing; it’s about listening, pacing, and letting others help.

  • It’s okay if gratitude isn’t instant—grief, fear, and shame can be part of the path to agency.

  • You’re shopping for a care team. You deserve excellent, human-centered care.

Content note
This episode includes discussion of parental death, grief, surgical details, and menopause.

Resources mentioned

  • DIEP flap (autologous) breast reconstruction

  • Post-mastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS)

  • Surgical menopause considerations for BRCA2 carriers

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You’re not alone—we can walk this line together.

 

 

Sara Champie
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Solo Episode: Internal Security Vs. External Safety