By Chanda Temple
Six weeks after giving birth to her second son, Kasandra Brundidge went in for what she thought would be a routine checkup. It wasn’t.
Doctors told her she had stage 0 breast cancer. A month later in November 2007, the cancer had advanced to Stage 2, Triple Negative.
For five years, she had been trying to get a mammogram. But every time she was to go in, she was either pregnant or sick. (She had experienced four miscarriages before her second son was born in September 2007. )
Her diagnosis was crushing news. But Kasandra was determined to fight the disease. She had 18 founds of chemo and then 32 rounds of radiation. Testing also revealed she had the breast cancer gene. In May 2009, she had a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.
An avid runner two years before her breast cancer diagnosis, she was in the gym, training, during chemo and radiation. Following her double mastectomy, she couldn’t stay in bed. She started walking in the neighborhood to prevent blood clots and increase her strength.
“The fact that I had a newborn and 9-year-old, ‘I said, Ok, no matter what, I’ve got to do it for them.’ l gotta keep going. So, I just did what I had to do for my children,” she said.
It took her six to eight weeks in recovery, post surgery.
After talking to doctors about diet and exercise, Kasandra made a shift in what she ate. During chemo, she ate a lot of salmon, green beans and rice at home. Her doctor told her that drinking water would help move the chemo through her body. She also cut out sugar, fried foods and bread.
When it came to restaurants, she and her husband enjoyed dining at Fish Market in downtown Birmingham. She liked the lemon butter pasta with grilled shrimp and a side of broccoli.
Today, Kasandra still runs three to five times a week. She’s completed 13 half marathons, and she hopes to run a full marathon in December 2026. Her once newborn son from 2007 is now a high school senior.
Kasandra proudly shares her journey, with a goal that it helps others.
“It’s my hope that women realize it’s better to get tested to know than to not know,” she said.
NOTE: In America, one in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer during their lifetime. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I will be profiling one female breast cancer survivor each day in October 2025. The stories will also highlight a food from a Birmingham, AL restaurant or food vendor they liked at some point during their breast cancer journey or today. The series is called “SurviveHer at the Table: Food. Faith. Fight.”
Each story posted this month is the opinion of the survivor, with a goal to increase awareness about early detection and treatment for breast cancer. Readers should consult with their physician for medical and health advice and their nutritionist for healthy eating tips. Links to area resources will be shared in future posts this month.
Chanda Temple is an award-winning writer living in Birmingham, Ala. She blogs at http://www.chandatemplewrites.com. If you have a food story idea, email her at chandatemple@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram at @chandatemple.
Copyright © 2025, All rights reserved.
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