In this keynote‑style monologue, Franne McNeal shares her personal experience of being diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing a double mastectomy. She reflects on the emotional shock, rage, disappointment, and fear that followed, and explains how she processed the loss by breaking down the word "breast" and creating the B.R.E.A.S.T. acronym as a coping framework. Each letter stands for a principle: Believe in yourself; Reframe the situation to see new possibilities; Hold onto Energy (or borrow it from others) despite treatment side effects; Ask for help and be honest about feelings; Seek Support from loved ones; Trust that Time brings healing and wisdom; and Serve by encouraging others. Throughout, she emphasizes that a woman’s identity is not defined by her breasts, encourages resilience, and calls listeners to live fully and support one another.
Chapters
Breast cancer. A lot's been said about it, but quite frankly, for me, it's all about points. That's right, 2 points, obviously. Having breasts, I never really thought about it before. I mean, you're a teenager, you stuff your bra, you think about what the boys are thinking. And then all of a sudden, those 2 points that you held in high esteem are gone. Shock, rage, disappointment, fear— all of those things happened to me. And even though it's years ago, I've now processed it differently. I mean, full confession, I'm an analytical person, and when I thought about breast, I literally took the word apart. For me, when I listen to other women that have just found out they've gotten breast cancer, I ask them first to believe. Not so much to believe in the doctor's diagnosis. I mean, those doctors aren't gonna change the diagnosis, but it's more believe in yourself. Recognize all the things that you've been doing in your life up until this point. You were you. A piece of you, a part of you, perhaps 2 parts of you are gonna be taken away. But not the essence of who you were and not the essence of who you want to be. So B.R.E.A.S.T. really begin with believing in yourself. For me, the R is reframing. Again, reframing this reality that people are forcing upon you. Don't feel as though There's absence, that stuff is being taken away. In fact, reframe that you have new possibilities. I kind of chuckled when they told me, well, you're going to get chest expanders. I'm thinking, really? But yeah, really. There's incredible things with medical technology, but again, Reframe for yourself what's in your chest. And you know what isn't being removed with a mastectomy is your heart, is your lungs. The rest of your body is there. Your circulatory system is there. Your muscles are there. Your brain isn't being removed. So reframe the fact that you're in charge. You are in charge of your destiny. And your dreams. E, hold on to your energy. If not, hold on to other people's energy. Don't let surgery, don't let chemotherapy, don't let radiology or radiation drain you from your energy. There's going to be medication. There's going to be times that you're throwing up. There's going to be all sorts of things. My goodness, I almost collapsed when I heard the list of things that could possibly happen as reactions to the medication and the surgery. Keep your energy. Borrow others. The A is ask for help. Sure, I spent time in bed. And no, it wasn't rolling around in the hay. I spent time under the covers. I was depressed. But I had to crawl out of that bed and ask for help. I had to, when people called and said, Franne, how you're feeling? Be honest and say, I'm feeling crappy. I'm feeling angry. Why me? And then to receive the support. That they gave to me. So the S is, is the support. Create and draw from the spirit and the love that others give you. The T is recognize that in a lot of ways time heals all wounds. I still have scars, but recognize that with time comes wisdom. And And finally, with the S, because you did have 2, with the S, just recognize that you can serve and encourage others. Breasts. I want to make a point. I want to make 2 points. You're important, and that with or without breasts, you're still you. So live your life. Thank you. I'm Franne McNeal. Double mastectomy and all, folks don't say I'm any less of a woman. Trust me, in some ways they might be more scared of me now that a few parts are missing.
