Shownotes
This quick, hope-filled Saddle Up distills my full conversation with my surgeon, Dr. Elizabeth O’Leary, into practical steps you can take this week. Early detection saves lives. Courage + a simple plan = peace.
What You’ll Learn
- Why early detection changes everything
- The 25-year-old high-risk assessment every woman should know about
- What to do if you have dense breasts (better imaging options)
- Lifestyle levers that actually move the needle (movement, stress, alcohol, steady nutrition)
- A simple prayer + mindset script to calm anxiety
Time-Stamped Guide (approx.)
00:00 — Why this episode matters (hope > fear)
01:00 — Appointments to make + when to start
02:00 — High-risk assessment at 25: what it is, who needs it
03:30 — Dense breasts: mammogram + MRI/ultrasound strategy
04:30 — Lifestyle that helps: movement, steady nutrition, stress, alcohol
06:00 — Mindset + prayer to carry you through
The Saddle Up Checklist (pick 1–3)
- Book your mammogram (start at 40; sooner if high-risk).
- Forward this to a 25–35 year-old you love and nudge a high-risk assessment.
- Dense breasts? Message your provider about alternating mammogram + MRI based on your risk.
- Choose one lever: add a 20-minute walk, swap one drink for sparkling water, or add protein + plants to lunch.
- Write & carry this prayer:
“God, I’m placing my health in Your hands. Lead me to the right steps and the right people. Give me courage to act and peace to rest.”
Key Takeaways
- Early > easy. Catch it early and treatment is often simpler—and curative.
- No family history? Still go. ~80% of women diagnosed have no family history.
- Personalize it. Dense breasts and/or higher risk may mean different imaging.
- Small habits help. Aim toward ~300 min/week of movement, include strength, keep nutrition steady, reduce alcohol, and prioritize sleep + stress care.
- Peace is possible. You don’t need perfect—just the next faithful step.
Favorite Quote
“Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s acting with peace anyway.”
About Our Guest
Dr. Elizabeth O’Leary is a breast surgeon and founder of Lady Slipper Breast Center with locations in St. Paul, St. Louis Park, and Edina. Trained at the University of Minnesota and Johns Hopkins, she’s passionate about personalized, whole-person care—before, during, and after treatment.
- https://www.elizabetholearymd.com
Connect with Lesa
lesakoski.com
- Podcast: Doing Life Different
Disclaimers
This episode is for education + encouragement and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider about your unique situation.
Transcripts
Hey friend, welcome to our Thursday Saddle Up segment.
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:I am so glad that you're here.
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:We just had the most encouraging week.
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:We had a conversation with my surgeon, Dr.
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:Elizabeth O'Leary for breast cancer
Awareness month, and that was Tuesday.
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:So today, this is a quick, practical
roundup about what you can do
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:this week to protect your health.
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:Peace, not panic.
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:First, the headline.
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:I wish every woman could hear.
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:Breast cancer is often
curable when it's found early.
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:There are so many advances
and they're happening fast.
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:So this isn't a fear episode.
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:This is a nudge to take one small step.
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:And the next few minutes we're
gonna cover appointments to make
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:the am I a high risk question.
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:Dense breast plus better imaging,
lifestyle lovers that actually
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:matter, and a quick mindset reset.
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:So you can do this with peace,
trust me, I wish I would've known
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:this, you know, two years ago.
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:So here are the appointments you need to
make your annual mammogram starting at 40.
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:If you're due or overdue,
open up your calendar.
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:Calendar right now and block five minutes
after the sub episode to schedule it.
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:No family history.
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:Still go.
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:Dr.
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:O'Leary reminded us that 80% of women
diagnosed have no family history.
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:That was me.
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:And I'm cured because we caught it.
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:Felt something.
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:Don't wait.
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:If you notice a change, a new lump
skin, dimpling nipple discharge.
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:Unusual.
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:Unusual discharge, any pain.
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:Call your provider.
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:It's okay to be that patient.
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:You are not overreacting.
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:You are advocating.
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:Finding out if your high
risk starts at age 25.
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:I had no idea that that was the case.
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:If your daughter, daughter-in-law,
or niece is 25 to 35, send them
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:this episode and invite them to
book a high risk clinic visit.
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:You can Google high risk
breast clinic plus your city.
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:Or you can ask your gynecologist
or primary care for a referral,
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:or you can go to Lady Slipper
Breast Center in Minnesota.
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:If a close relative does have
breast cancer, ovarian, prostate,
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:pancreatic, certain skin cancers,
ask about genetic testing.
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:'cause the science does keep evolving.
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:A negative years ago might
not include today's panels.
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:So testing can guide smarter screening
and sometimes prevent cancers.
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:And what drove me to do the genetic
testing was I knew that it was going
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:to, even if it didn't show me anything
right now, it could help in the future
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:for someone to look at my genes, my
name is not attached to see if there's
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:any relevancy with other genes.
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:Now you know how we get that thing
that says you have dense breast tissue.
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:If your mammogram letter
says dense breasts, it means
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:that M mammograms can miss.
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:That doesn't mean to be scared.
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:It means to be strategic.
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:So ask your provider whether your
risk profile plus density makes
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:you a candidate to alternate
mammogram and breast MRRI each year.
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:Or you can do those, um,
3D mammograms as well.
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:So remember, you, your
plan can be personalized.
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:One of the many reasons
that I'm grateful for Dr.
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:O'Leary is how she
personalized every step.
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:So I could still heal and feel like me
and live the life that I wanted to live.
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:So the fourth thing I wanna talk about
in this, in these key takeaways is
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:that lifestyle levers that matter.
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:So remember, we can't control
everything, but we can support
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:our bodies and keep it doable.
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:Number one, have joy and
don't be too hard on yourself.
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:I was such a rule follower.
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:I think it made me stress out.
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:So these are things that I'm gonna
throw at you that I want you to do
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:just for with fun and grace and to
excuse it if it doesn't always happen.
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:But these are the things that are
gonna ha help you move your body.
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:Aim toward like 300 minutes
a week of total movement,
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:including some strength work.
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:And this is like.
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:Taking the stairs or walking the
dog, cleaning a floor, you know,
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:whatever it is, just move your body.
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:And then nutrition, she said it's
really hard to find the perfect
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:diet, but we know whole foods, um,
you know, not processed things, real
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:foods, protein and plants most days.
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:So maybe I think I could chase trends.
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:And I think that could
make, make me go bonkers.
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:So don't chase the trends.
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:I now say a prayer, thank you Jesus,
for this food that will bless my body.
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:And it's generally
something really healthy.
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:And sometimes I throw in a
little bite of a cinnamon roll
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:on a Sunday morning breakfast.
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:So here's the, here's the
thing that I don't think we
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:talk about enough is alcohol.
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:So if you drink, consider cutting back or
cutting it out because alcohol is clearly
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:linked with higher breast cancer risk.
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:It's partly because there's an
estrogen effect, and for me,
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:removing that nightly glass of.
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:Wine.
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:It brought me more peace than I expected.
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:And you know, she mentioned that the
Surgeon General, the last one had wanted
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:to put a warning on alcohol labels,
just like lung cancer is on cigarettes.
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:And for some reason it didn't happen.
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:But there is a connection
and it truly does cause.
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:Breast cancer, stress and sleep.
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:Stress is not just in your head, it's
in your hormones and your immune system.
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:So, you know, maybe just like pick one
little calming practice, like a 10 minute
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:walk after dinner or breath work or, or
your phone down 30 minutes before bed.
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:I always love that gratitude
list and, and my prayers.
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:So here is the last thing that I wanna
talk about is that mindset reset.
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:You know, I love that mindset
reset and it's, it's for peace.
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:And I used to white knuckle everything.
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:I thought that the harder it
was, the better it worked.
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:What healed me wasn't fear, it
was surrender plus wise action.
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:So here's your script.
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:If anxiety pops up.
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:Here's a little prayer.
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:God, I'm placing my health in your hands.
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:Lead me to the right steps
and the right people.
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:Give me courage to act and peace to rest.
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:Say it out loud while you click
schedule on your mammogram.
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:So again, just quickly your checklist.
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:Book your mammogram.
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:Forward this to 25 to 35 year olds.
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:Check your mammogram letter to
see if you have dense breasts.
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:Choose maybe one lifestyle
thing that you can do.
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:Maybe write your prayer on a note card.
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:Keep it in your pocket when you need it.
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:So I just want to be encouraging
to you because I made my journey
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:through breast cancer and the cure
much scarier than it need to be.
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:I wish that I could be where I am now when
I went through it, but that's life, right?
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:And I've learned, and I wanna share that
with you because it is curable and they.
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:They're learning so much all the time,
but the most important thing with breast
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:cancer or anything is to just go in and
get it checked out because like I found.
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:You can cure it.
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:It doesn't have to grow.
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:It doesn't have to get worse yet.
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:It might be a little bit scary, but it's
a lot less scary than it could have been.
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:So saddle up, make that call, send the
text, take the walk, say the prayer.
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:You are not alone, and
there is so much hope ahead.
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:I am cheering for you.
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:I love you, and I will see you next week.