This is the face of someone with early stage breast cancer. It’s also the face of someone who is going to kick the sh*t out of cancer and give it nowhere to hide in my body. And in the process, I’m becoming a warrior of women’s health.
This is the longest I’ve ever been away from this blog since I started it in 2007. Now I’m back to tell you what’s happening. I have cancer, early stage breast cancer to be precise. I went for my biospies on September 28th and 29th, got a preliminary diagnosis of cancer, and then on October 5th received the confirmed diagnosis. 100 hours later, I had a full medical team, a surgery date, and a preliminary treatment plan that will be confirmed after surgery. NYU Langone Health moved mountains, and fast, to make it all happen and I’m so grateful.
It was the most terrifying week of my life. I wish none of us ever had to be on this journey at all, though since we’re here at this point I will make something meaningful and beautiful from it that helps me heal, helps other people heal, and helps the planet heal.
First thing’s first—I need this cancer gone from my body so here’s the plan:
– I will have surgery on October 27th. I chose to have a bilateral mastectomy with reconstructive surgery. I knew this procedure was right for me as soon as I was diagnosed. I will live a very long, healthy life and not give cancer any place to hide.
– After that, the doctors will run the pathology post-surgery and we’ll come up with a course of treatment. With all that information, we’ll be able to figure out a combo of chemo, radiation, immunotherapy, and/or medication.
– I will have a few subsequent surgeries in the coming year both for treatment purposes and reconstruction. (If, like me, you really geek out on the science, here it is in a nutshell: my cancer is estrogen positive, meaning cancer feeds it. To shut down its supply line, we’ll use a combo of medication and removal of my ovaries. In a world of crappy breast cancer this is a good thing because it’s an added layer of treatment that wouldn’t be available to me if my cancer was estrogen-negative. Small victories that actually aren’t so small at all!)
What I do know with absolute certainty is that I’m shutting down this cancer party with a top-notch medical team at NYU and that your love and support is what got me to this headspace where I feel strong and empowered.
I’m suited up for battle. Now let’s do this. The dawn after the darkness is coming and we’ll be ready to meet it when it does.
Published by Christa Avampato
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
Very best of luck for you in your battle-l!
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Thank you!
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