BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
NYC voice actor launches podcast
chronicling her battle with breast cancer
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
A New York City voice actor is giving the world a
glimpse into her journey through navigating breast
cancer in a new podcast.
Tina Zaremba was diagnosed with breast cancer in June
2019. Though she was in the early stages of the disease,
Zaremba opted for a double mastectomy that summer prior
to starting treatment, and has since gotten implants. She
started chemotherapy in September and did eight rounds
of treatment, followed by radiation in January 2020.
“What freaked me out the most was chemo. You always
hear ‘cancer doesn’t kill, chemo does,’ and in the media
and entertainment industry you always saw these horrifi c
images,” said Zaremba. “The fi rst four rounds were fairly
short, an hour with the IV, while the last four rounds were
long, about 4-5 hours. I was given taxol, which can lift your
nailbeds or your nails could turn black. I ended up icing
my hands and feet for 4-5 hours.”
As she underwent treatment, Zaremba found there were
many things that go unsaid when talking about breast cancer
treatment and recovery. While she expected that she
might end up being weak and lose weight during chemo,
she learned that most women end up gaining weight while
in treatment, and even that her own treatment could accelerate
different aspects of her life, and what she expected
to happen did not necessarily happen to everyone.
PHOTO: HEATHER SWANSON
“The chemo cocktail that they give my particular type
of breast cancer pushed me into menopause. One day I’d
be fi ne walking around the streets of Manhattan, the next
day I’d be sobbing. Part of that was the fear, the other
part was I was front and center with menopause,” said
Zaremba. “I remember walking into my oncologist’s offi
ce and bawling, saying ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with
me, I think I’m crazy!’ and she said, ‘Oh, we just pushed
you into menopause.’ I would have liked that memo in the
beginning.”
After fi nishing treatment, Zaremba decided to put her
15 years of voice acting to use while in quarantine during
the COVID-19 pandemic and create her new podcast,
“Chemo Stories.” The podcast explores Zaremba’s life as
she navigated through her diagnosis and treatment, from
what life was like being a mom and working while undergoing
chemo, to her fears and the gifts she received along
the way, to wig fi tting and her ups and downs through
her journey.
“Chemo Stories” offi cially dropped all 15 episodes
on Oct. 1, making it binge-able for podcast listeners. So
far, the podcast has had good reception from listeners,
with Zaremba saying that her DM’s have been blowing
up since the launch. Zaremba recognizes that what may
have worked for her may not work for other people, but she
hopes that the podcast can help those who are struggling
on their journey through breast cancer while giving friends
and family members some tools on how to be there for
those who have cancer.
“I think it helped people recognize that you don’t have
to own it and you can allow space for whoever in your life
is hurting to just be and be that support for that person.
At the end of the day, I share my story for what helped me,
but everyone is different,” she said.
“Chemo Stories” is available on chemostories.com and
on Spotify, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts.
Learn more about Zaremba at tinazaremba.com.
How to juggle work and breast-cancer treatment
BY THE VILLAGER STAFF
Age is a risk factor for breast cancer, and the organization
Susan G. Komen notes that the older a woman
is, the more likely she is to get breast cancer. However,
data from the National Cancer Institute indicates that
breast cancer rates in women begin to increase after age 40,
meaning many women diagnosed with breast cancer have
to juggle both their disease and their careers.
The nonprofi t organization Breastcancer.org says that
breast cancer treatments can produce some cognitive side
effects that affect thinking and memory. Memory loss and
diffi culty concentrating are two such side effects that can
make it diffi cult for working women to do their jobs while
being treated for breast cancer.
Professional women diagnosed with breast cancer may
be able to take advantage of short- and long-term disability
programs that provide a percentage of their incomes if
they are diagnosed with an illness that prevents them from
doing their jobs. In addition, Breastcancer.org notes that,
in the United States, the Family and Medical Leave Act
allows employees to maintain their benefi ts and keep their
jobs while taking up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to heal
from serious health conditions.
Data from the National Cancer Institute indicates
that breast cancer rates in women begin to increase
after age 40, meaning many women diagnosed with
breast cancer have to juggle both their disease and
their careers.
Despite those options, many women may want to
continue working while receiving treatment for breast
cancer. Such women can heed the following tips, courtesy
of Breastcancer.org, to overcome any cognitive effects
of treatment so they can continue to perform their jobs
capably:
Start taking notes. Start taking notes during meetings,
important work-related conversations, and even doctor’s
appointments to counter any issues with memory. Keep
such notes on a tablet or smartphone so they can be quickly
and easily accessed throughout the day.
Write down deadlines and work schedules. Accomplished
professionals may keep lists of deadlines and work
schedules in their heads, but that internal list might not be
so reliable while women are being treated for breast cancer.
Make use of the calendar function on your smartphone or
tablet to note deadlines, even setting alerts so you receive
routine reminders when important dates are coming up.
Make and routinely update a to-do list. Some professional
women diagnosed with breast cancer may be juggling
work, treatment, and their families. Keeping a to-do
list and checking items off as they’re completed can help
women effectively manage such juggling acts and save time.
Set realistic goals. Breast cancer treatment can produce
a host of side effects, including fatigue. So women who plan
to continue working during treatment should be sure to set
realistic goals that take into account the effects that treatment
may have on their energy levels. If need be, delegate
more tasks and ask for more help.
Many women continue working while being treated for
breast cancer. A few simple adjustments can help such
women overcome many treatment-related obstacles.
12 Oct. 8, 2020 Schneps Media
/Breastcancer.org
/tinazaremba.com
/chemostories.com
/Breastcancer.org
/Breastcancer.org
