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Love Letters to Our Bodies

Love Letters to Our Bodies

By: Gwendolyn Mitchell
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Conversations on health, healing, and happiness by, for and about African American women. An exploration of the mind, body, spirit connection. and opportunities to hear from spiritual teachers, holistic health practitioners, and women helping to make life for others.

DISCLAIMER: THE LOVE LETTERS TO OUR BODIES podcast does not provide medical advice. The opinions, experiences, AND insights shared are for informational purposes only. Nothing shared on this podcast is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other health care provider, don’t disregard or delay seeking it because of what you have heard on this podcast.

© 2026 Love Letters to Our Bodies Alternative & Complementary Medicine Hygiene & Healthy Living Spirituality
Episodes
  • Powerful, Smart Choices After Diagnosis at Age 38

    Powerful, Smart Choices After Diagnosis at Age 38
    22 Oct 2026
    Send us Fan MailTreatment ends, the calendar clears, and somehow that’s when the real questions surface: Who am I now? What do I actually want my life to look like? In this episode of Love Letters 2 Our Bodies, Gwendolyn Mitchell sits down with Kia Lee, a stage three breast cancer survivor, author, speaker, and patient advocate who knows this terrain intimately, both as someone who has lived it and someone who now walks alongside other women finding their way through it. Kia shares the story of being diagnosed at 38, the shock of facing cancer after doing many of the “right” things, and why survivorship is not about returning to who you were before. She reflects on how chronic stress, survival mode, and hypervigilance affect the body, especially for Black women and women of color navigating a world that often requires them to stay strong and keep pushing through. The conversation then turns to identity shifts, grief for the person you were before diagnosis, and the deeper questions that shape life after treatment. Kia also talks about self-advocacy, researching treatment options, fighting for proton radiation, and making choices that protected her body. This conversation offers an honest look at healing, alignment, and what it means to move forward with presence and purpose after diagnosis.Key Points From This Episode:• A warm welcome to today’s guest, Kia Lee.• Kia’s stage three breast cancer diagnosis at 38.• The shock of facing cancer after doing many of the “right” things.• Why survivorship is not about returning to who you were before.• How chronic stress and living in survival mode can affect the body.• Why hypervigilance is especially relevant for Black women and women of color.• The identity shifts many women face after cancer treatment.• Navigating grief for the person you were before diagnosis.• How Kia helps women recognize when they are running on empty.• The reflection guide Kia created to support deeper healing work.• Why you are not behind in your healing or your life.• How self-advocacy shaped Kia’s treatment and recovery choices.• The role of scalp cooling, compression boots, and personal research.• Why the emotional side of survivorship is not linear.• Choosing breath, alignment, and self-care after treatment ends.• Kia’s reflections on purpose, healing, and becoming a lighthouse. Quotes: “You're not the same person the moment you get the news that you were two hours before. And then as you move through the treatment, you're not the same person spiritually, physically, energetically, emotionally.” — Kia Lee [0:07:02]“You have to decide: is chemo right for me? Is radiation right for me? Is immunotherapy right for me? You're being bombarded with all of these questions, all while facing your own mortality.” — Kia Lee [0:07:29]“Grief is the hardest part, and for a while you don't even realize that that's what that emotion is. And it's hard because you are grasping and holding on to her, trying to get her back, trying to not let her go through the chemo, not let her go through all of the changes.” — Kia Lee [0:16:50]“I am exactly where I am meant to be. All of my choices have brought me to this moment. So I'm not behind; I’m right where I’m supposed to be.” — Kia Lee [0:27:44]“If anyone is in that fight [for proton treatment], keep appealing. And the proton centers are pretty great at it. So, as long as you're okay with the delay, which I was, I say keep fighting for it. But, research it for yourself and get second opinions.” — Kia Lee [0:31:45] “It’s not my way, it’s not about me. It’s just guiding people along their way. I'm not a lifeboat. — I don't have the answers. I just ask you to ask the right questions to get you on your way.” — Kia Lee [0:49:11]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Kia LeeKia Lee on SubstackLighthouse: The Path Through CancerLighthouse: Surviving Narcissistic AbuseLife After Breast Cancer with Kia Lee: Free Reflection GuideGwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedInMOYO Institute, IncLove Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington FoundationGwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedInMOYO Institute, Incinstagram.com/moyoinstitute
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    52 min
  • Discomfort During Breastfeeding was Breast Cancer

    Discomfort During Breastfeeding was Breast Cancer
    8 Oct 2026

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    In this episode, Gwendolyn sits down with Brittany Mullins, a young Black woman who turned her stage four breast cancer diagnosis into a movement. Brittany shares her journey from discovering a lump while nursing her daughter, to being dismissed by doctors for six months, to finally receiving a diagnosis — and how the loneliness of that experience inspired her to create Black Girls Cancer Club, a community for young Black women navigating cancer.

    Topics Covered:

    • Brittany's diagnosis story: feeling a lump during breastfeeding and being told it was just clogged ducts for six months
    • The isolation of being a young Black woman with cancer during COVID
    • How being rejected from her dream medical program led to founding Black Girls Cancer Club
    • The highest gap in Black women's breast cancer care: lack of medical coverage and late detection
    • Barriers young Black women face — being taught to stay silent and not trust their intuition
    • The mental and emotional toll after treatment: the rumination, rebuilding your life, and the need for post-survivorship resources
    • Normalizing that it's okay to not always be strong
    • Brittany's restorative practices: journaling, morning sermons, therapy, and breathing
    • The resilience of the body and viewing it as a wise teacher

    Upcoming Event: Pilates and Prosecco — October 24th, presented by Black Girls Cancer Club in collaboration with 510 Society. A wellness event for Black women (21 and up) in Oakland, CA, celebrating breast cancer survivors and raising awareness. Over 200 women expected.

    Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

    • Black Girls Cancer Club website: blackgirlscancerclub.com
    • Contact BGCC: bgcc.club@bgcc.club (put "event" in subject line to volunteer, sponsor, or donate)
    • Moyo Institute: moyoinstitute.org
    • 510 Society (event collaborator)

    Quotes:

    "Because when you feel things, you have to listen to your intuition. You have to listen to your body... "I was sent home for six months and was told, You didn't have anything. It's all in your head." 00:13:04

    "My best advice is listen to no one's advice. Do what feels good in your heart and trust your intuition." 00:24:07

    Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
    Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
    MOYO Institute, Inc
    instagram.com/moyoinstitute
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    26 min
  • Decoding the Diagnosis: What Every Family Needs to Know

    Decoding the Diagnosis: What Every Family Needs to Know
    24 Sep 2026

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    Black men are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than twice as likely to die from it. In today’s episode of Love Letters 2 Our Bodies, Gwendolyn Mitchell is turning our focus to men’s health, because their health is our health too! She is joined by Dr. Nynikka Palmer, DrPH, MPH, an associate professor at UCSF Department of Medicine who has dedicated her career to addressing disparities in prostate cancer care for Black men. Together, they discuss the disproportionate impact of prostate cancer on Black men and their families. Dr. Palmer also is the Director of the Office of Community Engagement for the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and is Vice President of Research for the Academy of Communication in Healthcare. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about the different variations of prostate cancer, why differentiation is essential, what a PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) test is, how it differs from a Gleason score, and more. We delve into how slow-growing prostate cancer is and why time is on a prostate cancer patient’s side before discussing when to get screened for prostate cancer and what to do when the result is elevated. Dr. Palmer also tells us all about her career history and how she got started in this work. We touch on the importance of having open conversations about your health within your family and community and how women can support the men in their lives when it comes to their health. Finally, our guest tells us about her prostate cancer support group and the peer navigation work she’s doing. To hear all this and even be inspired to encourage a man in your life to focus on their prostate health, be sure to press play now!

    Key Points From This Episode:

    • Welcoming Dr. Nynikka Palmer to the show.

    • A breakdown of the different types of prostate cancer.

    • All about PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) tests and how they work.

    • What a Gleason score is and how it differs from a PSA score.

    • Why there is no rush when considering treatment for prostate cancer.

    • How Dr. Palmer got started in this work, with a focus on Black men.

    • When men should start getting screened for prostate cancer.

    • The next steps for a man with an elevated PSA result.

    • How women can support men in their lives to get screened.

    • Dr. Palmer’s support group for Black men with prostate cancer.

    • Today’s action step: what to say to a man in your life about prostate health.

    Quotes:

    “There are a lot of treatment options [for prostate cancer]; there’s not just one way to treat it.” — Dr. Nynikka Palmer [0:03:57]

    “Prostate cancer, in general, is a very slow-growing disease.” — Dr. Nynikka Palmer [0:14:40]

    “Prostate cancer typically does not have symptoms when it’s still very early on.” — Dr. Nynikka Palmer [0:15:03]

    “I went into cancer for the strict purpose of changing how we provide care for our patients, particularly in the Black community.” — Dr. Nynikka Palmer [0:21:02]

    “The problem I have seen the most is that we’re not getting men into the doctor early enough for anything.” — Dr. Nynikka Palmer [0:33:51]

    Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

    Dr. Nynikka Palmer on LinkedIn

    NCCN Prostate Cancer Guidelines

    Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn

    MOYO Institute, Inc

    Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
    Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
    MOYO Institute, Inc
    instagram.com/moyoinstitute
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    44 min
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