How Trusting Her Intuition Saved Her Life
For the third year in a row, we’re partnering with the amazing True & Co.! In the past 2 years, True & Co. has donated over $60,000 to Keep A Breast, made bras for and by survivors, and connected us to amazing people. They’re continuing their support this year by donating 25% of any pink product purchased to KAB throughout October, for up to $30k.
Not only do we love what they do, but we also truly love their products!
“I love their bras because they are some of the only underwire-free ones I can find that are actually supportive - and pretty! True & Co. gifted them to an amazing group of women we are working with for The Nashville KAB Collection, an exhibition and public education campaign for Keep A Breast’s 20th anniversary next year.
Kim Collins is one of these women that I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know. Not only is she an incredible and badass musician, but she’s also a breast cancer survivor. Kim trusted her intuition when she felt something was wrong and kept urging the doctors to have a deeper look.” - Shaney jo, Keep A Breast Founder & CCO
Get to know more about Kim below!
If you were an animal, what would you be?
A cat. Definitely a black cat. Meow.
When was your diagnosis and how old were you?
January of 2012. I was 41 years old.
How did you find out you had breast cancer?
I originally found the lump and watched it for a few months before deciding on what to do next. My intuition told me that something was up - that it’s not just a cyst - so I went to get my first ever mammogram. The mammogram actually came back negative, saying I did not have cancer.
I then requested an ultrasound because I was uneasy with that result. Something seemed off. After reading the ultrasound the Doctor felt it was just a cyst on top of another cyst and not to be worried. Just to keep an eye on it.
Again, my gut kept telling me different so I requested a needle biopsy. Not something I take lightly (they aren’t good in a lot of cases because biopsies can cause what is called “seeding” with cancer cells). The results came back positive. I was diagnosed with stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma.
Who was the first person you confided in about your illness?
Outside of my husband and mother-in-law, who were there with me at the doctor’s office when I got the results, my mother and father were the first people I called.
Tell us something about yourself that people probably don’t know?
I’m an interior decorator and vintage rug dealer on the side. While my main career is herbalist/healer/musician, I love doing interiors too… and it gives me an excuse to feed my rug habit. ;)
After your treatment, what do you now make time for in your day?
I opted for natural cancer treatment so, the habits formed with the type of protocols I had tended to stick with me because they made me feel so good.
Now I make sure to have a ritual every morning and drink my herbal tonics, meditate, do yoga, do pranayama and take time to myself before I start my day. As a healer, I find this is a small but potent way to nurture myself so that I can be present for others.
What advice would you give to someone recently diagnosed?
Time is on your side.
Don’t feel overly pressured or rushed by your doctor. Most cancers (not all) are slow-growing. It can be detrimental making rush decisions in treatment, choosing your doctor, and surgery. Taking the time to decide how you want to treat your cancer can be not only a life and death decision, but it can greatly alter your quality of life, so it’s ok to take time to do your research.
There are so many alternatives out there in the world of cancer healing and it’s ok to get a second or even third opinion. Take the time to do this, as once a decision of treatment or surgery has begun, there’s no turning back.
What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?
“Oh sweet Kim, you don’t need to care so much of what others think of you. You are powerful beyond words. Harness that power, use it wisely and don’t look back.”
What was the toughest challenge you faced?
I guess it goes without saying that breast cancer was the toughest challenge. Not because of cancer itself, but the challenge of my will power and intuition to do what I felt was the right thing for ME, even when doctors were telling me I would most likely die if I didn’t do chemo. So the decision to not only treat my cancer naturally through the power of food, non-toxic treatments, and energy healing was one thing, but the follow-through and commitment to a lifestyle change was definitely the toughest challenge.
When do you laugh the most?
When I am with my best friend Peter. We get silly. He’s like 60-years-old or something but I swear he acts like a 7-year-old, in the best way.
If you could go back in time to any event, what would it be?
Perhaps the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. Not only because I love that time period, but because that Expo was the beginning of the future as we know it. I bet it was breathtaking to see all the new inventions. We take new technology and invention for granted in this day and age.
If you could travel anywhere where would it be and why?
Well, that’s a tough question for me. My husband and I not only travel the world as musicians, but it is what we love to do the most. I think right now I have a deep desire to spend time in Morocco. But send me to Budapest any day of the week. I have a deep love for that city.
What made you interested in True & Co.?
The beautiful folks of Keep A Breast introduced me to True & Co, but what truly made me interested in trying their bra was the fact that it was wireless AND cute. No wire bras for me, thank you.
How would you describe your comfort in a True & Co. bra and how does it compare to other bras?
The bra feels soooo luxurious first of all. It’s like silk, but not delicate. And I absolutely love the design on the back of the bra. It’s edgy and modern, yet classic. The most important factor for me is how it looks under a tight t-shirt. You know, for the “headlights on” coverage! And it does this perfectly. It makes my breast comfy and looks natural under the clothes, yet cute as hell with my shirt off, as my husband told me. ;)
To learn more about Kim and her work, check out her website Own Your Ohm Health and her Instagram.
Download our FREE Check Yourself! app to learn how to do your breast self-check and schedule a monthly reminder! What better time to start your self-check journey than Breast Cancer Prevention Month?