Claudia Olsen, a breast cancer survivor and advocate, stepped into the studio this week and shared her story as openly and authentically as we ever could have asked.

More about Claudia:

Where did my story start? My story started when I was born in Oaxaca, Mexico 50 years ago. Since then my life has had many twists and turns, although most of them have been good. I moved to SLO 25 years ago when I married my husband Jon. We have two daughters that are 16 and 11 years old. I have been an active member of our community and have been teaching our daughters the importance of community service. We have volunteered raising funds/food for the SLO Food Bank, Lumina Alliance (former Women’s Shelter), First Fruits Farms, the Homeless Shelter, prepping and serving at the Grass Roots Thanks Giving dinner, Jack’s Helping Hand, and harvesting veggies for Glean SLO. My hope is that our help can make a difference in our community.

My hardship in the medical world started when on 2-22-22 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. For me, it was an early detection and there were no symptoms or lumps. Never in my wildest Dreams did I ever imagine that I was going to have breast cancer. The first 3 weeks after my diagnosis were super intense. I was devastated. After reaching out to other women that were cancer survivors, I decided to take charge of my care and put on my warrior armor to fight this horrible illness. I put everything on hold regarding family and work; at the time we were in the middle of setting up our Airbnb.

To win this battle I had to prepare for it so I started eating a clean diet and ate lots of broccoli micro greens. I underwent therapy to better understand my feelings and I started watching funny movies because I needed to laugh more. But above all, praying and meditation were the mediums that helped me turn my cancer into a blessing. Till this day I still believe I’m alive thanks to all the prayers from my family and friends. Through meditation, I discovered childhood trauma that I wasn’t aware of previously. It was like I had opened the Pandora’s Box from my past. I decided to go to UCLA for my medical care and it has been the best decision of my life besides marrying Jon and having my girls. It wasn’t an easy process, but I’m very blessed that I had my family and friends supporting me. My first breast biopsy report said that my cancer was stage 2 but the surgeon thought that because of the size of my tumor could actually be a stage 3. I visualized my tumor shrinking and I was using my meditation app up to 8 times per day to keep my anxiety at bay and mind clear. After my surgery, they found out out that my cancer was stage 1. I truly believe that my surgery and biopsy results are a miracle. Currently, I am cancer-free but as for anyone being diagnosed with cancer, this battle will continue for the rest of our lives.

I believe that by sharing my story I can empower women, specially the Latinx community to break the stigma and misconceptions about early cancer detection and being cured. This past year, eight people have reached out to me when they were diagnosed with cancer. I have helped them in various ways, like making appointments and seeking a second opinion.

In a way Cancer was a rebirth for me and my story will continue …

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