A little news. I went for my 3D mammogram and ultrasound on Monday. My doctors want to do further testing in 3 areas that look a little suspicious. I’m having biopsies on Monday and Tuesday.
To be honest, the news was a shock. I just didn’t expect anything to come of this second set of tests and I broke down in the doctor’s office. Then I was counseled by many very wise friends, family members, and doctors that this next set of tests may very likely prove to be benign.
For now I’m counting my blessings that I have incredible care at NYU Langone and Caremount Medical, health insurance, and many friends who have shared their experiences that are very similar to mine.
A younger me would have bottled up these fears I have. I would have just carried them on my own because I didn’t want to burden anyone else with them. Over the last few years I’ve been trying to be better about asking for help, even if it’s just for good thoughts.
Asking for help is hard for me but if 2020 has taught me anything it’s that we need each other to make it through. And reaching out to people to ask for advice and help really helped me today. Doing what was hard was absolutely worth it.
For the next week, I’m planning to compartmentalize all of this and keep living my life as I would have before this new testing recommendation. I’m sure scary thoughts will creep in here and there. I’m sure I’ll cry. And I’m also sure that I’ll keep going—enjoying each day, taking care of myself, and taking care of others.❤️
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
2 thoughts on “Write every day: A little health news”
Oh the wait is the absolute worst on testing like this. Thinking of you and hang in there!
It really is. Once I had the diagnosis and a plan, I felt so much more empowered. People told me that would be the case and I didn’t believe it at the time but they were absolutely right.
Oh the wait is the absolute worst on testing like this. Thinking of you and hang in there!
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It really is. Once I had the diagnosis and a plan, I felt so much more empowered. People told me that would be the case and I didn’t believe it at the time but they were absolutely right.
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