At 29 years old, breast cancer wasn’t something Jill thought about.

She was rebuilding her life after leaving a toxic job, managing PCOS, planning community events, traveling to concerts, and figuring out who she wanted to become. Then one morning, something felt off.

In this first episode of One of Eight, we don’t begin with a diagnosis. We begin with the spiral that comes before it. The Google searches. The second-guessing. The anxiety of waiting a month for a doctor’s appointment. The quiet frustration of being told she was “too young.”

This episode explores early warning signs, intuition, and what it feels like to live in the in-between when your body is telling you something, but you don’t yet have answers.

It’s about the moment before everything changes, and the emotional weight of noticing the first sign that something might be wrong.

Follow One Of Eight on Instagram: @oneofeightpodcast

Resources:

https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-types/breast/statistics

https://www.densebreastscanada.ca/breast-cancer-screening-in-nova-scotia/

**The experiences shared in this podcast reflect personal journeys navigating healthcare, in Nova Scotia, and may not represent all systems or outcomes. This podcast is based on lived experience and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your own health.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As of 2025, one in eight women in Canada will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. This podcast is the story of just one of those women.

Jillian Wagner is a community builder and event planner based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, who was diagnosed with DCIS (Stage Zero) breast cancer at 30 years old. This series follows her real-time journey through the diagnosis, from the first undeniable symptoms, to navigating referrals, tests, waiting rooms, and lead-up to a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. Jill shares what it’s actually like to move through the healthcare system while still building her life and showing up for work, friends, and the world.

You’ll hear her honest thoughts about self advocacy, mental health, and the frustration of being told “you are too young”

This is a story about a path you never planned to walk and the reminder that you do not have to walk it alone.

**The experiences shared in this podcast reflect personal journeys navigating healthcare, in Nova Scotia, and may not represent all systems or outcomes. This podcast is based on lived experience and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your own health.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.