I rang
the bell.

On May 29, 2020, I rang the bell. If you've ever gone through the oncologic path you know what this means: your treatment is complete. I found myself going through radiation therapy for Ductal Carcinoma in Situ in 2020 (in the middle of a pandemic), and from that experience two ideas were born.

The first is the DCIS learning experience, where I demystify a diagnosis that is simultaneously described as "not cancer" and treated with many of the tools oncology has available, including mastectomy. That confusion is real, and nobody was addressing it directly.

The second is Breathe Buddy.

I used meditation to get through it. The staff joked about how well I was able to lift my lungs and focus, and out of that experience the idea of Breathe Buddy was born. I realized I could build something that helps people going through similar experiences practice at home in their own space, on their own schedule, without the awkwardness of being watched or practicing in front of anyone.

Breathe Buddy uses meditative techniques and helps you time your breath holding in a meaningful way. It takes some of the fear and awkwardness of the moments when you will need to use this most. You can practice lying flat, arms overhead, and feel what it is like before you ever walk into a treatment room.

In the past, it would take a team to develop something like this. Watch me vibe code this into your phone's store. It has been a dream to watch it come to life.