Finding light: How Jenna Antonelli embraced wellness after sobriety and TNBC
After addiction and TNBC, Jenna Antonelli embraced a new way of living — one rooted in wellness, self-care, and supporting others.
- 01/14/25
In May 2023, Jenna Antonelli was preparing for what she called "the summer of Jenna." At 38, she had recently celebrated her first year of sobriety and felt ready to pursue her dream of opening a food business. As a chef and café manager, she envisioned a future filled with culinary creativity and personal growth. Her days were guided by wellness practices like meditation, breathwork, reiki, and gardening, which had become central to her recovery.
Then came a diagnosis that would change everything: triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
“I felt like a ton of bricks hit me,” Jenna recalls. “I knew my life was about to turn upside down.”
Jenna’s diagnosis was more than a medical challenge — it became an incentive for transformation.
A family history revealed
Standing in the aisle of a dollar store, Jenna checked her phone and saw the message in her patient portal: Mass found. Despite advice not to check results alone, she couldn’t help herself. “I knew,” she says. “I’ve always known.” Deep down, she had felt something was off, even without symptoms. “It was just a subconscious feeling — a little voice telling me to go to the doctor.”.
But getting to that moment wasn’t simple. For years, Jenna had gone without health insurance, working in the restaurant, farming, and wine industries where benefits weren’t always guaranteed. These jobs often came with demanding schedules and environments that made it hard to prioritize health and wellness. “I smoked for 27 years,” she says. “I’ve worked in industries that aren’t necessarily known for leading to healthy lifestyles.”
It wasn’t until an employer encouraged her to get health insurance in 2022 that she decided it was time to make a change. With her boss’s help, she set up coverage and made a commitment to her health. "I thought, 'Okay, I'm going to get healthy,’” she recalls.
With health insurance finally in place, Jenna began scheduling appointments she’d put off for years. She saw a cardiologist for a congenital heart condition, caught up with her dentist, and scheduled a mammogram for April 2023. As someone with a family history of breast cancer, she was eligible for early screenings, and she felt it was time.
That’s when everything changed.
Facing TNBC at 38
The diagnosis of TNBC was a shock, but it wasn’t unfamiliar. Jenna's mother and eldest sister had both been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, and other family members had faced cancer as well.
At first, Jenna struggled to process the flood of information coming her way. Appointments, treatment plans, and medical terminology felt overwhelming. "They wanted me to do genetic testing right away, but I couldn’t handle it at the time,” she says. “I just wanted to get the cancer out.” Her focus was survival, and to Jenna, genetic testing could wait.
She began chemotherapy, which brought physical and emotional challenges. The first four rounds of doxorubicin (Adriamycin), often called "the red devil," left her depleted. "It felt like a puff of wind could knock my soul out of me,” she says. “I’ve never been so tired in my life. It was more than fatigue — it was like I wasn’t even there anymore.”
Next came 12 rounds of paclitaxel (Taxol). While it started off easier to manage than the doxorubicin, the cumulative effects hit her hard. “Taxol destroyed my body,” she says. “My eyebrows fell out, my joints ached, and I felt like I aged decades in just a few months.”
Amid it all, Jenna’s partner, Stephen, supported her through sobriety and cancer. She says, “I couldn’t ask for a better cheerleader.” Jenna also found strength in small moments. "I learned to celebrate the little wins like being able to climb the stairs or have my favorite sandwich during treatment.” Those moments, shared with her partner, kept her going.
The power of knowledge
After completing treatment, Jenna felt ready to pursue genetic testing. The results revealed that she carried the BRCA2 mutation, which significantly increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
“It was a lot to take in,” she says. “But it also gave me clarity about the next steps I needed to take to protect myself.”
Armed with that information, she made the decision to undergo a double mastectomy and hysterectomy. It wasn’t an easy choice, but it was one she felt she had to make. "I didn’t want to live in fear of it coming back,” she says. “I’d already been through chemo — I knew I didn’t want to go through that again if I could help it.”
Her diagnosis of TNBC played a key role in her decision. Unlike other types of breast cancer, TNBC is known for being more aggressive and having fewer targeted treatment options. Knowing this, Jenna felt a proactive approach was her best chance at mimizing future risk and regaining control over her life after so much upheaval.
Sobriety and spiritual growth
Jenna’s diagnosis came just months after she celebrated one year of sobriety — a milestone in her long battle with addiction.
“I hit rock bottom in July 2022,” she says. “I was drinking alone, hiding it, and fell down the stairs one night. I woke up at the bottom of a dirt basement floor and realized I couldn’t keep living that way.”
Her path to sobriety led her to The Phoenix, a sober living community, where she embraced breathwork, reiki, and meditation. These practices became her foundation for wellness.
“Sobriety was about more than quitting alcohol,” she says. “It was about tearing myself down to the beams and rebuilding in a way that felt right.”
When her cancer diagnosis arrived, the practices she’d built in sobriety became important tools for navigating her treatment.
Support and advocacy
Shortly after Jenna shared her diagnosis, her best friend connected her with a close friend who had been diagnosed with TNBC. Though Jenna and this friend had never met, the two became close, leaning on each other for support every step of the way.
“I always say, ‘I’m in your pocket,’” Jenna explains. “That’s how I felt with my friend. We were just a phone call or a text away for each other.” Jenna realized the importance of having someone to turn to, especially in moments of uncertainty. “When you’re first diagnosed, you feel so alone,” she says. “You think, ‘Why me? Does God hate me?’ But knowing someone is there, someone who’s been through it too, makes a world of difference.”
Jenna's passion for one-on-one support only grew from there. While traveling in India, she met a woman who had just discovered a lump. The woman confided in Jenna that she was waiting for a mammogram when she returned home. After her return, the woman was diagnosed with TNBC, and once again, Jenna stepped in as a steady source of support.
As a Young Advocate with LBBC, Jenna’s approach is personal, one-on-one, and rooted in empathy. “I want people to know they’re not alone — that I’m just a text or phone call away,” she explains. For Jenna, the reward is deeply personal. “My cup gets filled by helping one-on-one,” she says.
She’s also passionate about addressing the language surrounding cancer. “People always say, ‘You’re so brave,’ but they don’t realize we don’t have a choice,” she says. “What’s more meaningful is checking in — asking how someone’s doing or offering something specific, like bringing a meal.”
Finding peace in wellness
During treatment, meditation was Jenna’s biggest source of comfort. Some days, she felt too weak and tired to do breathwork. “Sitting still with a blank mind I could do.” Today, wellness remains central to Jenna’s life. Meditation, gardening, reiki, and breathwork are daily practices that ground her in moments of calm.
“Gardening has always been a huge part of my life,” she says. “Even during treatment, I’d go outside to harvest tomatoes or just breathe fresh air. There’s something healing about being connected to the earth.”
Reiki, which she had practiced casually before her diagnosis, became a deeper part of her daily routine. "Everything is energy,” she says. “Reiki helps align that energy and brings a sense of peace. It’s like easing into a warm bath—it just feels right.”
Her work with the Kula Kamala Foundation and Yoga Ashram allows her to combine her love for wellness and community. “Whether it’s yoga, meditation, or just sitting in the garden, it’s about finding simplicity and calm,” she says.
Her advice to others facing similar challenges is simple yet powerful: “Take it day by day. Celebrate the little wins. And when you can, help someone else see their light. That’s where the real healing happens.”
“Sobriety was about more than quitting alcohol. It was about tearing myself down to the beams and rebuilding in a way that felt right.”
Jenna’s tips for tackling sobriety
Jenna offers these eight tips primarily for those overcoming alcohol addiction, but many are also helpful if you're exploring sobriety, participating in Dry January or Sober October, or simply trying to reduce your alcohol intake.
1. Find your "why"
Understand why sobriety matters to you. For Jenna, it was about rebuilding her life and honoring her health after hitting rock bottom.
2. Seek community support
Join a supportive community like The Phoenix or a recovery program that resonates with you. Though Alcoholics Anonymous is effective for many people, there are other organizations that offer inclusive support, like Women for Sobriety. Even virtual meetings can provide a sense of belonging and encouragement.
3. Focus on small wins
Celebrate every milestone, no matter how small. Whether it’s a single sober day or climbing the stairs after treatment, these moments build momentum.
4. Explore breathwork and meditation
Breathwork and meditation can help manage cravings, anxiety, and stress. Jenna incorporated these practices daily to find balance and clarity.
5. Reconnect with nature
Gardening, walking, or simply sitting outdoors can be healing. Being in the garden and connecting with the earth can restore your body and mind.
6. Accept help when offered
Sobriety can feel isolating, but accepting help from others — whether it’s a meal, a conversation, or emotional support — can lighten the load. It’s a sign of strength, not weakness, to receive support.
7. Be honest about struggles
Acknowledge your challenges openly. Jenna’s willingness to confront her rock bottom and be honest about her needs was pivotal in her recovery.
8. Commit to self-work
Sobriety isn’t just about quitting alcohol — it’s about transformation. Stripping down old habits and embracing new, healthier ones is hard, continuous work, but Jenna embraced the opportunity to rebuild herself.
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The views and opinions of our bloggers represent the views and opinions of the bloggers alone and not those of Living Beyond Breast Cancer. Also understand that Living Beyond Breast Cancer does not medically review any information or content contained on, or distributed through, its blog and therefore does not endorse the accuracy or reliability of any such information or content. Through our blog, we merely seek to give individuals creative freedom to tell their stories. It is not a substitute for professional counseling or medical advice.
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