cancer awareness

You clear your desk. You clear your kitchen. You clear your closet. What if we cleared ourselves? 

What does it mean to CLEAR? 

For the past 3 days I have been so exhausted to the point where I could fall asleep standing up. What is that? I got back up after clearing it. 

In this episode, I explain what it means to clear something from your life. Our bodies act like radio towers and are picking up thoughts, feelings and emotions all the time. We are infinite beings with infinite knowing. 

Consciousness is a choice and when we’re living in tru consciousness, we are one with life. When we’re living in pure, positive energy, we function from total perceiving, knowing, being and receiving. 

It’s when we have the ability to transcend our limited circumstances and actualize unlimited possibilities.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating  and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser and Castbox.

Let's Connect:

• The Get Up Girl
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• Facebook
• Monthly online fitness academy

Cancer is a scary disease and it's never easy to see someone, especially a loved one, suffer and be in pain. While it can create a great deal of uneasiness for people who don’t have experience dealing with it, don’t be ashamed of your own fears or discomfort. Join us in this episode at DT Talks, along with our guests, as we talk about what it's like when a loved one has cancer. 
Don't forget that October happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness Month! We would also like to pay tribute to those who've lost their lives to this disease.
Always take care and know that you're not alone and that you're loved. 

Julieta talked openly about grappling with not being cancer-free after her chemo treatment and the complex layers of love, fear, and hope she’s balancing with her intergenerational family.

Please follow the podcast if you are enjoying the show. Would also be awesome if you can leave an honest rating and review so I know if I am serving the interests and needs of you listeners out there.

Have topic suggestions or feedback about the show?  Contact me on Instagram or email me at talkaboutcancerpodcast@gmail.com. 

Thank you for listening!

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My reflections on the conversation:

I invited Julieta on the show because I wanted to help elevate her message as a cancer advocate in the Latino community, but this intergenerational story we ended up diving into was so much more complex than I expected, such as the way Julieta and her mom try to protect one another by shielding things that may be upsetting to the other person, and how Julieta doesn’t want her daughter to now feel pressured about having to do the same for Julieta. It’s so representative of the kind of delicate balancing act that nobody gives us a “plan” for while dealing with cancer. 

AfterThoughts was created to make visible some of the invisible cancer stories from within the young cancer community.

There are not many people in the world who can make cancer actually, genuinely funny, but Karen Hobbs does it. Being diagnosed with cervical cancer when you're 24  is far from a lol-fest, but Karen took those mutated lemons and turned them into lemonade. If you don't know Karen, she's generous, brilliant and she cares a lot about cancer education. She will also make you laugh. A lot. She joined Toby and Alice to chat about a cancer diagnosis that comes out of nowhere, the responsibility of surviving and  having cancer as a secret weapon to get through anything difficult that comes your way. 

Find AfterThoughts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Find Karen on Instagram.

AfterThoughts is supported by Trekstock. Trekstock gets young adults moving again, physically, emotionally, socially and psychologically, after cancer has stopped them in their tracks.

As ever, AfterThoughts deals with some conversations you may find tricky to listen to. If you need any further support, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our friends at Trekstock.

AfterThoughts is produced by Toby Peach and Alice-May Purkiss from Beyond Arts. Sounds by Kieron Lucas and Dinah Mullen.

When life gives you lemons, make limoncello!  Claudia, a straight-laced Christian mother and her daughter, Kate, an LA-based comedian are the dynamic duo you need to know.  Claudia and Kate use their podcast, Stage 4 Clinger, as a way to navigate through Claudia’s breast cancer diagnosis with a dose of humor because, well, laughter is the best medicine!  The girls share their story navigating through tough times, the importance of more humor and less stress, & a necessary reminder for all women to make their health a top priority.
 

Press play to hear:  

• How to grow through what you go through
• The importance of using humor to shift energy
• How to have a healthy mother-daughter relationship & more
   

As always, we love to chat! Text us to join our BQE community at: 917-540-7949 or email: team@bigqueenenergypod.com (for anything else!).

Follow Nicole @nicolerosestillings

Follow Claudia & Kate @thestage4clingers

Follow BQE @bigqueenenergypod

Check out the Stage 4 Clinger Podcast here

Listen to:  Bombshell Confidence & Eat The Fries Mentality

When you think of superfoods, what comes to mind?  Berries with their high antioxidants often top this list.  Or perhaps dark leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables with their phytochemicals.  Salmon and olive oils sometimes get thrown in the superfood category due to their high Omega-3 fatty acids.   And what about mushrooms, bee pollen, acai and goji berries, chia seeds, fermented foods, maca, green tea, and kombucha?  All of these are great choices.  But what we are going to talk about today is next level superfood, get ready because we’re gonna talk about algae.

 My guest today is Catharine Arnston.  Catherine is the CEO and Chief Science Officer of Energy Bits, the first company in the United States to launch a premium brand of algae for health-conscious consumers.  Catherine is an expert in algae nutrition, a wellness thought leader, an experienced entrepreneur, and sought-after speaker.  As you will hear in this episode, Catharine’s passion for algae is contagious, inspiring, and thought provoking.  Join us this week as we take a deep dive into the amazing health benefits of the world’s most potent superfood – algae. 

 You can connect with Catharine and Energy Bits in the following ways:

 Website - www.energybits.com
Instagram – @energybits
Twitter – @ENERGYbits
Facebook – @ENERGYbits

 Here are links to some of the topics we discussed today:

 Seaspiracy Movie
Nutritional details for Spirulina and Chlorella
Algae and COVID-19 Information - (this page has the hemoglobin/chlorophyll graphic that Catharine referenced).

 Are you interested in trying Energy Bits algae?  

You can order Energy Bits (spirulina) HERE, and Recovery Bits (chlorella) HERE.  Don’t forget to use coupon code “silveredge” when checking out for a 20% discount.

 Not ready to invest in a bag of 1,000 bits?  You can crab a couple of sample packs of Energy Bits HERE, and the Recovery Bits HERE.

 Listen to the Over 50 Health & Wellness show wherever you get podcasts or click below.

 Click HERE for transcript.

Want to rewrite the narrative of your life and health? Visit the link below to see if our 1:1 coaching services are a perfect fit for your long term goals:

https://calendly.com/thesilveredge/coaching-inquiry

Want more over 50 health and wellness goodness? Check out our private Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/silveredgefitness

Ilene shared her journey as a 7-year metastatic breast cancer endurer and how picking up the pen and paper to write again has, in more ways than one, helped her continue to live beyond the statistics.

• Ilene's blog is called Cancerbus
• You can find her on Twitter @ilenealizah
• You can find out more about the wonderful retreat she went to at the Commonweal Retreat Center
•  She also mentioned the book The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully by Frank Ostaseski and the podcast On Being. 

Please follow the podcast if you would like to hear more stories from cancer endurers, caregivers, and family members. I would really appreciate it if you can leave an honest rating and review in Apple Podcasts or Podchaser so I know if I am serving the interests and needs of you listeners out there. You can also share any feedback and suggestions directly to me by visiting my Instagram page or email me at talkaboutcancerpodcast@gmail.com.

Thank you for listening!

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My reflections on the episode:

We covered so many big and small topics during our conversation, but there were two things that really stuck with me even after the recording.

First, it was so powerful to hear Ilene explain how defining herself as a writer helped her live. I myself appreciate how therapeutic writing can be - I’ve actually done some journaling to process my dad’s death before I started this podcast - but what Ilene explained was way more profound because it wasn’t just about writing being therapeutic, but that it gave her a new identity which led her to make connections, build community, and find opportunities to give back. I know Ilene prefers to be called a cancer endurer, but that to me is thriving.

Second, I was so struck by what Ilene’s husband referred to as the “longest goodbye.” I even said so during the recording but couldn’t quite put into words on the spot what I was reacting to. So I reached out after to see if I can get Craig to share what he meant, and this is what he wrote back in an email:

“I live with the uncertainty of waiting for her health to deteriorate and ultimately when she won’t be with me anymore. It’s hard to watch the person you love and who’s your partner go through so much pain and so many treatments only to ultimately have them fail her. It’s also difficult to make future plans any further out than a few weeks. It’s as though she is packing for a trip without me, but may never return.”

I’ve never met Craig, but it’s as if he was explaining what it was like for me to say goodbye to my dad. 

Episode 42

In today's episode I'm sitting down with Lorie, host of the podcast 'sailing through life'. Lorie's world was turned upside down in 2017 when she was diagnosed with skin cancer, and she dives deep into her story during this episode. We'll talk about how adversity has lead her to live with more purpose and narrow down on what truly matters. Mindset has been a key player in Lorie's journey and how she was able to keep positive through extremely tough times.

Connect with Lorie
Lorie's Podcast: Sailing Through Life
Lorie's Instagram: @sailingthroughlifepodcast

Connect With Erin
Life Styled Instagram: @lifestyledpodcast
Erin's Instagram: @erinelizabethh
Erin's Website

My guest this week on the Over 50 Health & Wellness podcast is Jo White.  Jo is a 54 year old husband, father, and adventure training instructor.  Jo is also a cancer survivor and a cancer fighter.  In 2014 Jo was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer and had an operation to remove part of his bowel, liver, small intestine, and finally his entire pancreas.  Then in 2018 he received news that he had a secondary tumor on his liver and was put on Chemotherapy tablets for the rest of his life.  Rather than giving up, Jo decided to get back into fantastic shape and in May of 2020 started an initiative called the 365 Days of Action, where he got outside and exercised every day and covered 9,679 kilometers and 138,807 meters in elevation as a fund raiser for charities.  Now that that is completed, Jo is launching a new challenge this fall called 1,000 Mountains, where he plans on climbing – you guessed it – 1,000 mountains in the next ten years, again for charity.  Join us this week as Jo shares his inspirational story and how he manages to keep pushing, and never give up!

 Please consider following Jo on social media and sharing his journey with your friends.

 You can connect with Jo in the following ways:
Instagram/Facebook/Twitter/YouTube - @oldboystraining
Website – www.oldboystraining.com

Listen to the Over 50 Health & Wellness show wherever you download podcasts or on my website at www.silver-edge.com.

Want to rewrite the narrative of your life and health? Visit the link below to see if our 1:1 coaching services are a perfect fit for your long term goals:

https://calendly.com/thesilveredge/coaching-inquiry

Want more over 50 health and wellness goodness? Check out our private Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/silveredgefitness

So, this episode is slightly different. Today I am going to take you behind the scenes on an operating day.

For those who have never had surgery, you may wonder what happens on a day when a surgeon operates? What time does it start? How does the day run? What are the different activities that happen behind the scene to make sure that all surgeries are done and all patients are taken care of?

This episode was recorded nearly 12 months after the first lockdown was instigated. You can compare this episode to the one I recorded when the UK went into the first lockdown here:

https://mybreastmyhealth.com/episode14.

It would be interesting to hear your thoughts when you compare the two episodes.

Do connect with me on Instagram @DrTashaG and let me know what you think about this episode, and let me know if you want me to do more of these behind the scenes types of podcasts.

Happy listening. 

Tasha x

We have our first sister duo on the show to share their story with us. You will hear about how they managed stress family members and friends had unintentionally caused and how they were always a team in getting through every situation. 

I had fun chatting with the sister duo Bella and Tonia. As someone who didn’t grow up with a sibling under the same roof, I marveled at the close relationship they have with one another. But what was very interesting to me was that, even as close as they were, they still needed to find support and release away from each other sometimes. Like how Bella talked about feeling like she was on an island during treatment even though Tonia was at every doctor’s appointments, or how Tonia would only cry when she wasn’t around Bella, because Tonia knew it would have only stressed Bella out more to see her in distress. I’m glad they both then also talked about what helped them get through, like how Bella found the support groups on FB so she didn’t feel so alone anymore and Tonia would take time out to do things she wanted to do and not be anybody’s caregiver every once in a while. 

One thing Bella said that opened my eyes was to surround yourself with people who not only love you, but more importantly, people who will challenge your decision because they know you are making them based on fear or anger. I’m a big advocate for respecting a patient’s decision about their own treatment, especially when it comes to the decision to not pursue treatment. But Bella helped me understand that sometimes a bit of reasoning may be warranted, especially if you can tell that the patient’s decision-making process may be too clouded by negative emotions. 

Lastly, I loved their message about there being no shame in asking about resources that may be available to cancer patients. A bit of TLC - whether it’s free massages or gift cards - isn’t going to make everything better but it can help in getting through one day to the next. And as in the example they shared, unless you ask, you won’t always be told what’s available… which honestly boggles my mind but that’s a topic for another day.

Here are some of the resources Bella and Tonia shared: 

• https://www.cancersupportcommunity.org/
• https://imermanangels.org/ For survivors and caregivers, website  also in Spanish
• https://www.sephorastands.com/classes_for_confidence/

Please follow the podcast if you would like to hear more stories from cancer survivors, caregivers, and family members. I would really appreciate it if you can leave an honest rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser so I know if I am serving the interests and needs of you listeners out there. You can also share any feedback and suggestions directly with me by visiting my Instagram page or email me at talkaboutcancerpodcast@gmail.com. 

Thank you for listening!

Victoria talked about turning to alcohol to numb the anxiety and pain she experienced in the aftermath of cancer treatment and reminded us to let go of the expectations we put on ourselves and get support to develop healthier ways to cope with trauma.

I so appreciated Victoria for coming on the show to share her story about the trauma she experienced with cancer and alcohol abuse. She brought so much humanity to an issue that may not be talked about very often - which is that in dealing with the mental and physical trauma of cancer, some of us might unintentionally end up coping in ways that are harmful to ourselves and those around us.

The truth is, alcohol use is so common in our society, especially during this past year when almost everyone has had to cope with the disruptions brought on by the pandemic. So many of my friends and family drank just to relax from the workday so it’s not hard to see why people would turn to alcohol when dealing with the trauma they are experiencing from cancer.

Victoria’s message about giving yourself grace in a situation like that is so important. Everyone’s experience with cancer has so many dimensions so even if you’ve had a successful treatment outcome, for example, it doesn’t mean everything else goes back to normal. Victoria and I continued to chat after we stopped recording for a bit where we talked about how many human experiences are really not an “either-or” dichotomy, but that often, seemingly contradictory things can be true at the same time. In her case, she was absolutely grateful that her cancer treatment worked, but that didn’t mean that it wasn’t hard to work through the trauma that came with it.

You can find more information about Victoria’s coaching services and her podcast at: https://www.victoriaenglishmartin.com/

Victoria recommended the book This Naked Mind by Annie Grace for people who want to better understand alcohol addiction and recovery.

That’s a wrap for today. Please subscribe to the podcast if you would like to hear more stories from cancer survivors, caregivers, and family members. You can let me know which topics you would like to hear more about or share any feedback about the show by going to my Instagram page or email me at talkaboutcancerpodcast@gmail.com. 

Thank you for listening!

In this episode, I had the honor of being on the "Get Jasched" Podcast hosted by my friend Jess Jasch in Australia. She asks me about how my relationship with body positivity impacted my initial decision to get breast implants in my 20s and what eventually led me to remove them over a year ago. She is a great host and sparks insightful conversation. Plus, it gives me a chance to get in the hot seat!

Jason spoke lovingly about his memories of his mom - who battled three types of cancer for over a decade - and the ways in which he continues to remember and honor her legacy since she died in 2019. He also shared some interesting stories about kilts and prostate cancer awareness.

What a storyteller Jason was. There was literally a story to illustrate every point he made in our conversation! It was really interesting to hear how Jason’s experience as an officer for more than 20 years has influenced his perspectives about life and death.

One part that stuck with me was how Jason didn’t make it in time to see his mom before she died, which was so crushing but I could see that Jason was able to move forward from that because he had an important job to do - which was to MC the celebration of life she planned. I mean, what a gift she had given to Jason so that he knew exactly what he needed to do to honor her life and get closure. And then there were the actual gifts for the family as well! What an amazing way to let her family continue to experience her love beyond her death. 

I had a mini epiphany from our conversation. If you recall, at one point I was talking to Jason about not letting what happened during the last few months of my dad’s life consume my memories of him, because it was a small part and shouldn’t define his life and who he was as a person. When I thought about that more after our conversation, I realized that only when I was able to move on from those imageries of suffering in my head did the unexpected moments of breakdown start to happen less. Maybe it just took time for those imageries to become more blurry and be less painful in my mind. I do often wonder at what point will the unexpected moments of intense emotions stop occurring. Is it 5 years? 10 year? Or maybe never? I don't know yet. 

You can find Jason at: 

• What’s Your Emergency podcast: http://wyeradio.com/
• Kilted to Kick Cancer: https://www.kiltedtokickcancer.org/

A couple of books Jason recommended for people who want to better understand the experience of someone who is facing their own mortality. 

• Chasing Daylight by Paul Kalanithi
• When Breath Becomes Air by Eugene O’Kelly

Please subscribe to the podcast if you would like to hear more stories from cancer survivors, caregivers, and family members. You can let me know which topics you would like to hear more about or share any feedback about the show by going to my Instagram page or email me at talkaboutcancerpodcast@gmail.com. 

Thank you for listening!

Stephanie took us through some of the toughest parts of her cancer journey, including how she had to postpone her wedding, how she got lost in the dark space, and what helped her to get through and eventually reconnect with life again. 

A big shout out to Stephanie for doing such a deep dive during our recording. She was so transparent in sharing some of the most vulnerable moments on her journey, and because she is such a great storyteller - which I attribute to her journalist background - I felt like I could see in my head the specific moments and conversations she described as we were chatting. 

One thing that really blew me away was the great communication Stephanie and her husband had with each other. As Stephanie described, getting a cancer diagnosis can trigger so many insecurities and emotions because of the physical changes and limitations you experience. In absence of a strong foundation to lean on, it’s not surprising that new conflicts will often come up between family members. 

I also really appreciated Stephanie calling out the importance of caregivers taking care of themselves, which is something we talked about in episode 8, but the message almost has more merit when it’s coming from a non-caregiver. Stephanie recognized that while it’s the patient who has to endure all the trials and tribulations in a physical sense, there’s nevertheless an emotional impact on the caregiver. 

And her message about leaning into the pain is so powerful, and something that many of us have had to do in the last year when life had to slow down during the quarantine, so the issues we managed to bury with our busy schedules and endless distractions on our phones eventually surfaced. In retrospect, it is one of the big reasons why I finally pushed this podcast through - that I finally had time and mental space to organize my thoughts - even though I had been thinking about doing this since 2018. 

You can find Stephanie at: 

Website: https://thepatientstory.com

Twitter: @Patient_Story or @StephChuang

I can’t recommend it enough as a resource for people who are newly diagnosed. Please check it out and share it with others who can benefit from it.

Please subscribe to the podcast if you would like to hear more stories from cancer survivors, caregivers, and family members. You can let me know which topics you would like to hear more about or share any feedback about the show by going to my Instagram page or email me at talkaboutcancerpodcast@gmail.com. 

Thank you for listening!

Michelle shared a lovely story about how her whole family came together to share the caregiving responsibilities when her dad’s health started to decline. And how they worked as an incredible team to support their dad and stepmom in the most difficult times, as well as each other through their grieving process.

Listening to Michelle’s story really warmed my heart. There were similarities in our experiences with our dads’ declines but I was so blown away by the way her whole family came together to support one another and made the experience better and more manageable for everyone. It was also really amazing to hear about the way they are continuing to support one another during their grieving process, and they are going about it in a way that gives each person space to work through things in their own way and on their own time.

One thing that I would like to call out is that sometimes people think the grieving process only starts after your loved ones die, but it often starts way before that point. For many, we experience grief each time a change happens - whether that’s weight loss, having a harder time walking, or experiencing chemo brain. Obviously, these types of changes hit the patients the hardest but caregivers experience grief in their own way as well as somewhat helpless bystanders, which in truth is one of the hardest parts of being a caregiver - is that feeling of not being able to help lessen the suffering your loved one is experiencing.

The other thing that stood out was Michelle’s conversation with her dad - how she told him that he didn’t have to keep fighting for the family. This stood out to me because I so often hear patients say that the one thing they fear the most is what is going to happen to the family members they leave behind. So I thought it was so courageous for Michelle to have had that candid conversation with her dad because it gave him the permission to prioritize his own needs in the time he had left. I never said the same thing to my dad because I assumed he wanted to keep fighting for himself, but lately, I’ve been wondering if that assumption was true just based on what I have been hearing from other patients.

You can find Michelle at https://breatheandbe.net/. She offers many great services and resources for people practicing faith, like meditation, yoga, and journaling.

Please subscribe to the podcast if you would like to hear more stories from cancer patients, caregivers, and family members. You can let me know which topics you would like to hear more about or share any feedback about the show by going to my Instagram page or email me at talkaboutcancerpodcast@gmail.com. 

Thank you for listening!

Rudy shared his experience as a brain cancer endurer, about how he learned to embrace new ways to live his life, and identifying a greater purpose that has kept him going beyond two “expiration” dates. He also helped me understand why the term cancer “survivor” is not a universally welcomed label. 

I had a lot of fun talking to Rudy. His mind goes a mile a minute and we covered so many topics in this episode. I appreciated that he very gently called out the fact that he doesn’t like the label cancer “survivor” and it made me wonder why I was so oblivious to the debate about all the different terminologies. But I quickly realized it was because my dad was not a native English speaker and so he didn’t really think of himself in those terms. I use the term “survivor” because it seems to be the most common term used by well-known cancer organizations, but from now on, I will ask each guest what they would prefer to be called, although I still haven’t figured out what to do with my website?!

The other thing Rudy mentioned that stuck with me was about the normalization of death. As he becomes one of the lucky ones to survive beyond his “expiration” dates - which obviously is a positive thing - he also has to deal with the grief of surviving those who were so important to him on his cancer journey. This again is an example of how complex the emotional experience is for people living with cancer and it’s so important for everyone to find ways to take care of their mental health through all the ups and downs.  

You can find Rudy on: 

Twitter: @fschmnn

Brain Cancer Diaries

• Youtube: https://braincancerdiaries.com
• Instagram: @braincancerdiaries
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrainCancerDiaries/

Guys with cancer podcast

• Website: https://guyswithcancer.com
• Instagram: @guyswithcancer
• Twitter: @guyswithcancer
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guyswithcancer

Please subscribe to the podcast if you would like to hear more stories from cancer survivors, caregivers, and family members. You can let me know which topics you would like to hear more about or share any feedback about the show by going to my Instagram page or email me at talkaboutcancerpodcast@gmail.com. 

Thank you for listening!

Carrie shared her experiences of first being a caregiver to her brother and then becoming a cancer survivor herself. She talks about the anger she still feels about losing her brother but how she has been able to channel that anger towards serving others. As a survivor who’s been in the shoes of a caregiver, she’s taken on the added responsibility of stay strong for her family members because she understands the trauma they have already gone through with losing her brother. 

I had so many thoughts about Carrie’s story, mostly because when I started recording the show, I didn’t really consider the dual experience some of us have to go through as caregivers AND survivors. I was so struck by how Carrie had to comfort her mother about her own cancer diagnosis even though it was no less scary for Carrie to think about. 

Also, I loved how she explained that while things are not always “sunshine, unicorn, and roses” as she says, she knew she would be ok. It’s a subtle difference in words but the difference in mindset is huge. This is also why I think Carrie is able to experience anger - as we vividly heard in her words and voice - but not be immobilized by it. 

Lastly, I couldn't agree with her more about the importance of not compare yours or your loved one’s cancer journey to other's. It is a destructive mental game for most things in life, and you are certainly not going to win when it’s about cancer. 

You can find Carrie at the following places: 

• Website: https://www.coachcarriev.com/
• Email: carriev@coachcarriev.com
• Linkedin: Carrie Verrocchio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarrieVerrocchio
• Instagram: @iamcarrievee
• Clubhouse: @carrievee

Please subscribe to the podcast if you would like to hear more stories from cancer survivors, caregivers, and family members. You can let me know which topics you would like to hear more about or share any feedback about the show by going to my Instagram page or email me at talkaboutcancerpodcast@gmail.com. 

Thank you for listening!

In this episode of Inside the GENOME, Dr. Slavin sits down with William J. Harb, MD, FACS, FASCRS. They discuss the importance of raising awareness for colorectal cancer.

About Our Guest:
Dr. William Harb is a board-certified colorectal surgeon, specializing in the treatment of diseases of the colon and rectum. Through his dedication and national recognition with hereditary colorectal cancer, genetic testing has become an integral part of his practice. Dr. Harb works at the Colorectal Center in Nashville, Tennessee.  https://thecolorectalcenter.com/ 

Stacey shared her experience being a three-time cancer survivor and how the recurring adversity makes her strong and propels her to take the learnings from her own experience to help others recover. She also talks about how the phrase “cancer prevention” just doesn’t sit right with her and why her cancer experience does not conform to the typical Lifetime movie plotline.

I so enjoyed talking with Stacey about her cancer journey.  For someone who has had to go through the cancer experience three times already at such a young age, plus losing family members to cancer, her attitude about life is incredibly admirable. It’s also very inspiring to hear about how she channels the hardships she experienced to help others, and in turn, draws strength from giving back.

A few thoughts about our conversation:

She explained why the term cancer “prevention” can be problematic by inadvertently placing blame on survivors. I never thought about it that way before but as soon as she mentioned it, I knew it to be true just based on my past conversations with other survivors. Her message about not beating yourself up is so important because more often than not, it is not in our control.

It was also interesting to hear her call out the fact that the media’s portrayal of cancer can be rather one-dimensional and the reality of how each person reacts to the treatments can vary a lot.  Cancer treatment for the most common types of cancer has improved significantly in the last few decades to become more effective and targeted, which allows patients to have a better quality of life.

I know I was very grateful when we found that my dad’s first targeted therapy didn’t interfere with his life too much. Although that did change when he proceeded on to the second, third, and fourth lines of treatment.

Please subscribe if you would like to hear more stories from cancer survivors, caregivers, and family members. You can let me know which topics you would like to hear more about or share any feedback about the show by going to my Instagram page or email me at talkaboutcancerpodcast@gmail.com. 

Thank you for listening!