Episode 251: Why I Chose a Preventive Mastectomy | Breast Cancer Risk, Breast Health & My Personal Decision
Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording
Release Date: 10/06/2026
Episode 250: Introducing Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording | Women’s Health & Wellness Podcast
Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording
Episode Description: Welcome to Episode 250—and a new chapter of the podcast. Drama-Free Healthy Living is now Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording. In this episode, I’m sharing what inspired the evolution of the show and why this new name feels like the right fit for where I am now. As a registered dietitian, health coach, author, and speaker, I’ve spent years talking about nutrition, fitness, sleep, stress management, and healthy habits. But over time, I’ve come to see health in a much broader way—one that also includes the experiences, challenges, and changes that shape how...
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Episode 251: Why I Chose a Preventive Mastectomy | Breast Cancer Risk, Breast Health & My Personal Decision
Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording
Episode Description: Choosing to have a preventive mastectomy was never something I imagined I would do. And it definitely wasn’t a decision I made overnight. In this episode of Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording, I’m sharing the personal story behind that decision—what led me there, what years of breast screening and uncertainty were really like, and why something that once felt incredibly drastic eventually started to feel very different. I also talk about something I think gets missed in a lot of wellness conversations: you can take great care of yourself and still face health...
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Episode 242: Unmasking High-Functioning Depression w/ Dr. Judith Joseph, MD, MBA
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📌Make sure to check out the book 👉 Judith Joseph, MD, MBA, is a Columbia-trained psychiatrist and the founder of and chief investigator at Manhattan Behavioral Medicine, New York City’s premier clinical research site, a clinical assistant professor in child and adolescent psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center in Manhattan, and chairwoman of the Women in Medicine Board at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Judith Joseph was awarded by the US House of Representatives with a 2023 Congress Proclamation Award for her social media advocacy and...
info_outlineEpisode Description:
Choosing to have a preventive mastectomy was never something I imagined I would do. And it definitely wasn’t a decision I made overnight.
In this episode of Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording, I’m sharing the personal story behind that decision—what led me there, what years of breast screening and uncertainty were really like, and why something that once felt incredibly drastic eventually started to feel very different.
I also talk about something I think gets missed in a lot of wellness conversations: you can take great care of yourself and still face health situations you never expected. Healthy habits matter, but they don’t give us complete control over what happens to our bodies.
This is not an episode about telling anyone else what decision to make. Preventive surgery is deeply personal, and there is no single right choice for everyone. This is simply my experience and some of what I considered as I figured out what felt right for me.
Key Points
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What brought preventive mastectomy into the conversation for me
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The emotional side of living with ongoing breast screening and uncertainty
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How I thought about risk, lifestyle, and the limits of what healthy habits can control
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Why a major health decision can look very different from one person to another
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Questions worth considering when navigating your own breast health choices with your healthcare team
If you’re navigating elevated breast cancer risk, supporting someone who is, or simply curious about what can go into a decision like this, I hope sharing my experience makes you feel a little less alone in the uncertainty.
Listen to Why I Chose a Mastectomy on Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording.
YouTube link 👉 https://youtu.be/gpZ8sz2-uz4
If you like what you hear, leave a 5-star review on Apple podcasts HERE.
Stay connected with me on Instagram @jesscording and over on Substack at jessicacording.substack.com
You can also find my tarot work on Instagram at @tea_and_oranges_tarot and on Substack at substack.com/@teaandorangestarot