Meet Megan-Claire Chase | Writer & Patient Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Megan-Claire Chase and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Megan-Claire, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?

I am originally from Davenport, IA but was raised in Macon, GA after my parents’ divorce when I was two years old. As I look back on growing up in Macon, there were quite a few experiences that shaped me as a child and teen.

Growing up as a Black child who was raised Catholic, I went to Catholic schools from K5 thru 12th grade. I remember being the only Black child from kindergarten up until 3rd grade when there were two Black boys who came to the school. When I graduated 8th grade, I was one of four Black kids in my class.

I never thought about my skin color until the first time I was called the n-word in 4th grade by a white girl on the playground. I remember the feeling of being called that word was shocking and made me feel horrible, angry, and uncomfortable without fully understanding why.

I also remember being called stupid in front of the whole class by one of my white teachers. She was an older woman who was southern with a cloud of dyed red hair. It was then that I began to doubt my intelligence but also felt resentment and anger beginning to develop.

As I got older, there were times when I wasn’t invited to birthday parties because some white parents didn’t allow Black people in their homes. I was bullied a lot in both elementary and high school, especially by Black kids. I was taunted with “you talk too white” or “you dress white” or “stop acting like you’re white.”

I was so confused and didn’t understand why people who looked like me could spew almost as much venom as white people. I never felt like I belonged anywhere. I acted “too white” for many Black kids while at the same time being told by white kids that I acted “too white and need to be reminded that I am indeed Black.”

My high school experience was so devastating and it’s the main reason I went to college in upstate NY. I wanted to get away from racism and colorism. I naively thought things would be different in college, but they weren’t, it was just much more covert rather than overt. These experiences would also carry over into my professional life and then ultimately my life as a breast cancer patient.

I was diagnosed with ER+/PR+, HER2-, Stage IIA Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer in my left breast two months after my 39th birthday in September 2015. My journey has been and continues to be difficult. I’ve had 16 rounds of chemo, eight surgeries, a blood transfusion, lumpectomy with reconstruction, 33 radiation treatments, and medically induced into menopause with a hysterectomy and an oophorectomy all by my 41st birthday. I had genetic testing and discovered I have an unknown genetic variance in the MSH6 gene called p.R772Q. At this time, there is not enough information to determine if this change is associated with an increased risk for cancer or not.

I truly thought I would be thought of as a cancer patient and never thought my skin color would impact everything from having my diagnosis questioned because it’s not the type that’s prevalent in the Black community, to having my pain and symptoms consistently by white doctors, to having many white women in the breast cancer community dismiss my experience and tell me that race wasn’t a factor in my treatment, to many white women expressing outrage about paid research studies geared towards Black women because they felt left out. So many are so wrapped up in their privilege that they can’t comprehend their race is always included in studies and don’t either understand or want to understand the history that Black people and other historically excluded populations haven’t been factored into the bulk of cancer research and medications used today.

This is why I began blogging which organically grew into patient advocacy. I started my blog out of pain and grief. As I tried to process my breast cancer experience, medical racism, and infertility, I couldn’t verbalize my pain to anyone. I had been journaling for years but lost my writing voice for a period. Going through breast cancer helped ignite my writing voice.

I do not sugarcoat the realities of life post-cancer. How often do you hear about cancer and PTSD or medical racism? I write about it and so many other issues I’ve personally experienced. I often believe that’s why I’ve been through so much, so I can help others and let them know they’re not alone and validate their feelings. No matter what type of cancer one has, there are many shared experiences. It can be isolating.

Through the reach of my blog, I’ve been granted some amazing opportunities and have made some great accomplishments. The responses I’ve received from patients and in the medical community let me know that my words are resonating with others and helping to empower others. It’s being read worldwide in countries I never imagined would be interested in what I have to say.

I blog in my spare time and am also a contributor to WebMD’s breast cancer blog section. My blog is also syndicated on Cancer Health’s magazine website. All of what I’ve experienced growing up, not belonging, and being considered “too different” unknowingly prepared me for the difficulties that come with being diagnosed with cancer and having to advocate for myself at my absolute weakest.

Imagine what I could do if I could devote all my energy toward becoming a nationally known cancer writer, advocate, and speaker and truly affect change. I want to speak with medical students and all healthcare workers and train them on cultural competency as it relates to patients and help them acknowledge their inherent bias and truly see and meet patients of color where they are and treat them with dignity and respect. That is my dream.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I always wanted to be an actress. Though my degree is in Communications, I have a minor in theatre. I honestly never thought I’d end up sitting at a desk for the bulk of my career. I used to thrive off the deadline-driven world of radio and TV.

I worked for years on the sales and traffic side for both mediums. All of that changed after my breast cancer diagnosis. I knew that I could no longer physically handle the stress and long hours, so I moved into marketing and project management. While I was doing well, my heart wasn’t in it. After staring my mortality in the face, I could no longer continue with the draining daily grind. Life is so fleeting. I wanted to do more.

In my spare time, I began writing and created a blog called Life on the Cancer Train to help me process my cancer experience. Though I’ve always been a writer, this was the first time I was sharing it with the world. It’s known for being raw, authentic, no sugarcoating, and humorous. Little did I know my organic rise into advocacy would grant me unique opportunities to share my story on panels and in national and international publications. My confidence began to rise because I was living my purpose. I branded myself as Warrior Megsie in the cancer community.

I made a career change in 2021 and moved into the cancer space full-time. I’m currently the Breast Cancer Program Director at SHARE Cancer Support and continue with my professional and personal advocacy to improve access to care, quality of life, and help with mental health. Going through any cancer is traumatic. Seeing your friends die from it and never knowing when the next shoe will drop with a recurrence or metastasis can definitely take a toll.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is not to wait for good things to happen or wait to follow your dreams and find your purpose. So, aside from working in the cancer space during that day, I spend my evenings developing a voice over career. My dream of being an actress still burns within, but I have to go about it differently since auditioning during the day is not an option. I recorded my professional demo and continue to hone my craft, and I am ready to start auditioning for voice work. It helps that I can do voice work from anywhere with the right equipment.

I want people to know that dreams can still come true. It might have to be reframed from what you initially imagined. Anytime I am asked to be a speaker, a guest on a podcast, or join a panel, I think of it as a form of acting because I must be a great storyteller to keep the audience engaged, especially when it’s a complex topic. My main talent is my voice, both through the written word and verbally. Maybe one day, you’ll hear it when listening to an audiobook, on the radio, or will listen to me speak at a conference or on a podcast. Cancer changed the trajectory of my career but couldn’t touch my talent.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a big patron of the arts. I absolutely love the theatre, so I would take a friend to a show at the Alliance Theatre, Fox Theatre, or the Southwest Cultural Arts Center. I also love art and would take them to some of my favorite galleries like Art Haus Gallery in Grant Park or see some contemporary and modern art at KAI LIN ART.in Midtown. Let’s not forget our amazing Atlanta Ballet and Atlanta Opera! They perform at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have a special place in my heart for the young adult cancer organizations that’ve been instrumental in my healing and finding a supportive network. There are not many cancer support groups for those diagnosed under 40. I really needed and still need support. All of these organizations offer amazing and FREE programs.

Cactus Cancer Society (formerly Lacuna Loft)
Elephants and Tea
Stupid Cancer

Website: www.warriormegsie.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warriormegsie/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-claire-chase/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/warriormegsie

Other: https://megsiechase.icanvoice.com/ – Voice over demo