“The most important person on your healthcare team may be you. Ask questions, explore your options and choose the path that aligns with both the evidence and your values.”
-Katana Abbott
What if the most important person on your healthcare team is you?
When I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, I assumed my job was simply to choose a doctor and follow directions. Instead, I discovered something I never expected: my job was to become the CEO of my own healthcare.
That did not mean I knew more than my doctors. It meant I had to ask questions, explore options, seek second opinions and make the decision that aligned with both the medical evidence and my own values.
Like many women, I had been called back after routine mammograms more than once. Each time, I heard the words every woman hopes for: “Everything looks fine.” Until one day, it wasn’t.
My cancer was found early, an invasive ductal carcinoma measuring just 2.5 millimeters. I immediately began researching every treatment option available. What surprised me most was not that different options existed. It was how difficult some of them were to find.
I already knew someone who had successfully undergone cryoablation years earlier, yet almost no one I spoke with mentioned it as a possibility. I was not looking for someone to tell me what to choose. I simply wanted someone willing to discuss all of my options. I spent nearly seven months with my patient advocate searching before finding the physician and medical team who could help me make an informed decision.
That experience forever changed the way I think about healthcare.
Looking back, I realize my greatest lesson was not only about cryoablation. It was about advocacy. Every woman deserves to understand her options, ask questions without feeling dismissed and have access to the information she needs to make the decision that is right for her.
My treatment was only one part of my healing journey. I also made dramatic lifestyle changes. I eliminated alcohol, sugar and processed foods; nourished my body with fresh, whole foods; and made meditation, time in nature and stress reduction daily priorities. I worked closely with my naturopathic physician to support my recovery and overall well-being.
None of these choices replaced medical care. For me, they complemented it. Healing became about caring for my whole person: body, mind and spirit.
This month on Smart Women Talk, we are continuing that conversation with two remarkable guests who are helping women become more informed advocates for their own breast health.
Leslie Ferris Yerger is educating women about breast density, an important breast health topic that many women still do not fully understand.
Dr. David Strahle is advancing the conversation about breast MRI and the potential to find cancers that mammograms may miss.
Whether you are scheduling your first mammogram or have been screened for decades, I hope these conversations encourage you to ask questions, seek knowledge and remember that your voice matters.
Knowledge truly is power. Sometimes, the question you ask today can change the course of your tomorrow.
Please share this ezine and our community with those you love and care about. Thank you!
With gratitude,
Katana Abbott, CFP®
Guide for Your Next Chapter™
About Katana
Katana Abbott, CFP®, is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, founder of Smart Women’s Empowerment, and Guide for Your Next Chapter™. For four decades, she has helped women navigate life’s transitions with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose—from retirement and encore careers to caregiving, financial independence, and creating a life they love.
Through her long-running podcast Smart Women Talk, her monthly Smart Women Smart Choices ezine, and her signature course, Unlock Your Financial Power, Katana brings together trusted experts and practical wisdom to educate, inspire, and empower women to make confident choices for their future.
Katana believes there is no single “right” path—only the one that aligns your values, resources, and vision for the life you want to create. Every meaningful journey begins with one next right step.
To learn more or connect with Katana, visit www.katanaabbott.com.
Smart Women’s Empowerment is a project of United Charitable, a registered 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 20-4286082). Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.