Besties with Breasties Podcast

In this deeply personal episode, the Besties with Breasties team explores what it really means to suffer — not the dictionary definition, but the guttural, life-shattering kind that leaves you without words. Jes opens up publicly for the first time about the staggering losses her family endured before she ever heard the words "breast cancer": her sister-in-law's passing from gastric cancer, the sudden death of her brother Justin from a heart attack at a young age, and the loss of her nephew — all within a span of eight years. What unfolds is an honest conversation about the things we don't talk about enough — the phone call in the middle of the night that changes everything, the guilt of laughing when someone you love is gone, the way grief lives in your body long after you think you've moved on, and the slow, non-linear process of choosing to keep living. Jes shares how she coped (or didn't) — retreating into a shell for months, fixating on health metrics as a way to regain control, and eventually finding her way back through small goals, a pull-up, a Spartan race, and the quiet belief that her brother was still looking out for her. Beth and Jes also explore the harder questions: Does suffering have a purpose? Can unprocessed grief make you physically sick? And when the world feels overwhelmingly dark — how do we choose to be a light instead of sinking further?Whether you've experienced profound loss, are navigating life after cancer, or are simply trying to understand how to show up for someone who is grieving, this episode is a reminder that you're not alone — and that sometimes the people who've been through the deepest darkness are the ones who can guide us through it. Learn more or support Faith Through Fire at faiththroughfire.org Companies mentioned in this episode: Faith Through Fire Thrivent Gateway Financial Group

Trigger warning: This episode discusses infidelity, depression, and the emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis on relationships. Can a relationship really recover after an affair? And what happens when infidelity collides with a breast cancer diagnosis? In this episode, the Besties sit down for a second time with Angela Skurtu — licensed marriage and family therapist, certified sex therapist, and author of Helping Couples Overcome Infidelity — to tackle one of the hardest questions a relationship can face: can you rebuild trust after it's been broken? The conversation goes deep into the root causes of infidelity, challenging the assumption that cheating is simply about a partner's unavailability or a changing body after cancer. Angela unpacks how burnout, hustle culture, and our society's inability to talk about sex honestly create the conditions where affairs take root — often in midlife, often after a brush with death, and often when two people's identities have quietly diverged. Along the way, the hosts and Angela get real about why intimacy feels so much harder as we age (it's not just hormones), how the parasympathetic nervous system affects everything from your sex life to your digestion, and why couples who do the raw, honest work after an affair can come out stronger — even if they can never go back to the marriage they had before. Plus: a very unhinged "Boobs in the News" segment involving a camper, a pair of sunglasses, and a vault toilet. Learn more or support Faith Through Fire at: faiththroughfire.org Connect with Angela Skurtu: https://www.openbedroomdoors.com/contact youtube.com/openbedroomdoors instagram.com/openbedroomdoors Companies mentioned in this episode: Faith Through Fire Thrivent Gateway Financial Group

When cancer treatment ends, the emotional and physical toll on a relationship is just beginning — and almost nobody is talking about what comes next in the bedroom. In this episode, Beth and Jes sit down with Angela Skurtu, a licensed marriage and family therapist, certified sex therapist, and founder of Open Bedroom Doors, to unpack one of the most quietly painful topics facing survivors: rebuilding intimacy after a major health crisis. The conversation goes far beyond "schedule a date night." Angela makes the case that hustle culture is quietly destroying relationships — that couples running on empty can't access the play, creativity, and presence needed for a fulfilling sex life. She introduces her "Built to Last" framework, challenging and inviting couples to embrace creative sexuality where intimacy doesn't have to look one specific way to count. The hosts get deeply personal. Beth opens up about the exhaustion of midlife and Jes speaks to the body image struggles survivors face and the difficulty of slowing down when your whole life runs on a regimented to-do list. Angela reframes the guilt so many women carry, explaining that a lost libido isn't a personal failure — it's a nervous system in shutdown, protecting itself from burnout. Whether you're navigating post-cancer intimacy, midlife hormonal changes, or simply feeling disconnected from your partner and your own body, this episode offers compassion, practical tools, and the permission to not have it all figured out. Learn more or support Faith Through Fire at: faiththroughfire.org Connect with Angela Skurtu: https://www.openbedroomdoors.com/contact Companies mentioned in this episode: Faith Through Fire Thrivent Gateway Financial Group

Are we protecting our kids — or preparing them for adulthood? Beth and Jamie unpack the epidemic of young adults who can't manage their own lives — from the 25-year-old who still gets chauffeured by mom to the son who went no-contact after his parents sold the house they bought him. Spoiler alert: the hosts aren't blaming the kids. The Besties swap hilarious personal stories (Beth letting her son sleep through his alarm and face his furious boss), debate whether "follow your passion" is terrible advice, and remind us that confidence doesn't come from being protected — it comes from failing, getting back up, and maybe doing a few chores along the way. They also dig into the harder questions: How do we support our kids' mental health without removing every challenge? And how do we raise young people who are confident enough to make decisions, handle disappointment, work hard, and find their own sense of purpose? Learn more or support Faith Through Fire at faiththroughfire.org Companies mentioned in this episode: Faith Through Fire Thrivent Gateway Financial Group

When you've faced a life-altering cancer diagnosis, the big questions become impossible to ignore: What's the meaning of all this? What happens after we die? Does any of it matter? In this episode, Beth and Jamie dive headfirst into the conversation that makes some people uncomfortable — faith. Not faith as a set of rules or Sunday performances, but faith as a living, breathing relationship with someone they believe is actively present today. They get honest about what it feels like when people think you're “crazy" for claiming to hear from God, why Jesus demands a response instead of offering a comfortable middle ground, and how the desire for autonomy keeps so many people from exploring something that could change everything. Beth opens up about her own surrender moment — the instant she stopped trying to carry the weight alone and let her life shift into what she calls "Technicolor." They also explore the surprising data: Christianity is exploding globally — while American affiliation has been shrinking. But there's a twist. Younger generations, drowning in unprecedented anxiety and skeptical of institutions, are showing a renewed hunger for spiritual meaning. Jamie shares what she's seeing in her own community, with her kids and their peers gravitating toward faith in growing numbers. Whether you're a devout believer, a skeptic, or somewhere in between, this episode is an open invitation to ask the hard questions and keep seeking. As Jamie says: "Keep listening to your gut. Keep seeking, and you will find Him." Learn more or support Faith Through Fire at faiththroughfire.org Companies mentioned in this episode: Faith Through Fire Thrivent Gateway Financial Group