Me at Ravinia when I visited friends in Chicago this weekend
Some personal health news and a story about the power of science. 2 years ago, I went for a bone density test. Unsurprisingly it showed that my current “f*ck cancer” meds had decreased my bone density numbers into the osteopenia range with 1 number from my low back on the border for osteoporosis.
At that point, my oncology team and I decided to play defense. I added the equivalent of Harry Potter’s Skele-gro to my arsenal of daily weight-bearing exercises, a very healthy diet, and no alcohol that I was already doing. The hope was the new med would stabilize my numbers and keep osteoporosis at bay.
I just had my 2 year bone density test. Some of my numbers have improved by a lot. A couple stayed the same. The number for my low back tipped by -.1, taking me into osteoporosis.
I bursted into tears. I spend an incredible amount of time and effort looking after my health. Ani DiFranco wasn’t joking when she sang, “self-preservation is a full-time occupation.” How was this fair? What else was I supposed to do to stop this?
I pulled myself together and messaged my oncologist to ask about next steps.
I took myself for a walk and gave myself a pep talk. The med is working. Healing isn’t linear. I know this. Like an arrow, sometimes we have to be pulled back a bit to fly forward.
By the time I got home, my oncologist had responded. I expected to see a recommendation for more meds. “This is status quo. You’re on protective meds and will be done with the meds causing this side effect in a year. This will get better.”
The new medications I’ll switch to in a year, which will mark 5 years since the end of my active cancer treatment, don’t diminish bone density. They will likely protect my bone health and possibly improve my numbers. And my oncologist will keep me on the Skele-gro until I’m out of osteoporosis land.
My bone health isn’t where I want it to be. Not yet. I’ll get there, one day at a time, thanks to science.
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
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