317 - Robin Reed-Hicks Didn't Wait for Cancer. She Chose a Double Mastectomy and Became a Previvor.

After 25 years of biopsies, scans, and being told to just "keep monitoring it," Robin Reed-Hicks finally asked the question most women are too afraid to ask their doctors: why am I waiting for cancer to show up before I'm allowed to do something about it? In this episode, Robin shares the decision that turned her into a previvor: someone who takes proactive action before a diagnosis ever arrives, not after.

Robin walks through the entire arc of her 25 year medical journey, from her first surgical breast biopsy in her early twenties to the moment a doctor told her that a benign diagnosis still carried a 43 percent chance of developing into breast cancer within a decade. She unpacks what it actually took to push past a system that kept telling her to wait and watch, how she advocated for the surgery she wanted instead of the one she was offered, and what nobody tells you about drains, tissue expanders, and rebuilding your body from the inside out. Her story is a masterclass in self-advocacy inside a medical system that isn't always built to move as fast as your instincts.

This episode is for anyone who has ever been told to "just keep an eye on it," anyone managing a health scare that keeps circling back, and anyone who has ever doubted their own read on their own body. If you have ever felt dismissed by a doctor or unsure whether your concern was "enough" to push for answers, Robin's story is proof that trusting yourself is not overreacting. It's survival.

5 Powerful Takeaways

Why "benign" doesn't always mean safe, and how a specific diagnosis can still carry a double-digit cancer risk How to push back when a provider offers you a smaller solution than the one your situation actually calls for What a preventative double mastectomy really involves, from tissue expanders to nerve-sparing reconstruction How to turn 25 years of medical anxiety into an advocacy platform instead of letting it stay private Why becoming a "previvor" is its own category of courage, separate from a cancer diagnosis or survivorship 00:00 Courage Is Contagious 01:25 Badassery Bestowment 02:21 Five Confidence Moves 05:20 Meet Robin Reed Hicks 07:39 Friends And Flashbacks 09:58 Robin Life And Career 13:23 Gluten Free And Hashimotos 15:31 Lets Talk Boobies 16:53 25 Years Of Surveillance 22:01 The Turning Point Biopsy 26:15 Oncologist And Previvor 28:36 Fighting For Approval 30:03 Surgeon Options Decision 30:48 Mastectomy Types Explained 32:08 Nipple Sparing Risks 34:00 MRI Changes Surgery Plan 35:00 Stage One Lumpectomy Lift 36:51 Double Mastectomy Expanders 37:31 Drains Sensation Recovery 39:32 Exchange Surgery Complications 40:42 Relief Life After Surgery 41:38 Portraits Of Hope Advocacy 45:13 Advice Self Advocacy 47:42 Badass Rapid Fire 55:07 Success Contentment Closing About the Guest Robin Reed-Hicks is a communicator, executive and life coach, real estate professional, voice actor, actress, spokesperson, MC, and content creator who has spent more than 25 years helping people move forward with confidence, clarity, and purpose. She is an ICF associate certified coach who works with executives and individuals through her coaching practice, and she is coming up on 25 years as a working real estate professional. She also hosts the YouTube channel Cook With Me Gluten Free, built around accessible, joyful gluten-free living. After more than two decades of breast biopsies, surgeries, and scans, Robin chose a preventative double mastectomy and reconstruction, becoming a previvor, and was selected as one of only 12 Portraits of Hope ambassadors through the American Cancer Society.

Resources & Websites Mentioned

https://bookcoachrobin.com YouTube channel: Cook With Me Gluten Free https://knowyourlemons.com Connect With Jen Josey

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