Season Three, Episode Nine (Part Two of Two) Christine is a musician (pianist and singer songwriter), a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, the Founder & Executive Director of The Yellow Umbrella Organization - an HPV awareness organization, she’s one of five women featured in the documentary, “Someone You Love: The HPV Epidemic,” she’s mac-n-cheese connoisseur, and the mother of the cutest papillon ever - Harold, “the Prince of Pickering Wharf” I loved talking with Christine and felt like we were two peas in a pod which is clearly why she and I just dove right into some pretty vulnerable topics! Christine has been cancer-free for two years. 0:00:00 How it was discovered 0:08:00 Treatment 0:19:00 Blocking out the pain 0:31:30 The long and painful silence 0:41:00 Scars to Stars - recorded November 12, 2020 Season Three, Episode Nine (Part One of Two) Christine is a musician (pianist and singer songwriter), a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, the Founder & Executive Director of The Yellow Umbrella Organization - an HPV awareness organization, she’s one of five women featured in the documentary, “Someone You Love: The HPV Epidemic,” she’s mac-n-cheese connoisseur, and the mother of the cutest papillon ever - Harold, “the Prince of Pickering Wharf” I loved talking with Christine and felt like we were two peas in a pod which is clearly why she and I just dove right into some pretty vulnerable topics! Christine has been cancer-free for two years. 0:00:00 Diagnosed after thirteen normal Pap-smears 0:15:00 Hysterectomy immediately 0:21:00 Where’s the music? 0:38:45 The vulnerability of cervical cancer 0:50:50 The Stigma of HPV & Awareness 1:02:00 The Yellow Umbrella Tour 1:15:15 Relationship Impact 1:36:00 Healing within our families - recorded November 12, 2020 Season Three, Episode Eight Jake O’Brien is a young outgoing man who has always been fascinated with all things health & self development. He’s been thrown a whole bunch of challenges through his life, all of which he has found a way to overcome. Jake is passionate about fitness, mental health & showing up as the best he can be - no matter what! I really enjoyed this conversation with Jake because - to put it simply, it’s raw. Jake is strong, honest & vulnerable and willing to be seen exactly where he is even while he’s still in the process of picking up the pieces. Instagram @JakeOBrien Jake has been cancer-free for six months. 0:00:00 How the cancer was discovered 0:12:00 Emotional health & masculinity 0:31:30 Biopsy & prognosis 0:42:00 Alternative approaches 0:53:15 Radiotherapy 0:59:25 Being on the knife’s edge 1:14:25 Fitness & mental health 1:29:00 Combining traditional & alternative treatments “The Mask We Wear” - Trailer - recorded February 17, 2020 Season Three, Episode Seven Rachel is the founder and managing partner at Rasa Spa in Ithaca, NY and in charge of services and operations the Spa at the Inns of Aurora. She’s a committee member of the Community Foundation’s Women’s Fund, a board member of Family & Children’s Services, and the current Chair of the Tompkins Chamber and Convention and Visitors Bureau. Rachel has been a photographer for many years and her passion was reignited when she started pointing her camera at birds and it became quite a valuable part of her life as she found her way through her diagnosis and treatment. I saw Rachel somewhat regularly thought her cancer journey, starting with me all but barging into her home to make sure she was ok, so it was a real treat to catch up with her and learn a little bit more about how she found her way through her diagnosis. Rachel has been cancer-free for five years. 0:00:00 How the cancer was discovered 0:11:35 Unexpected second surgery 0:19:25 Second opinion 0:25:50 Radiation 0:37:50 Tattoos 0:44:00 Radiation side-effects 0:49:00 Getting rid of cancer sheds that which must go 0:56:00 Life opens up through diagnosis & treatment 1:02:30 Tamoxifen - recorded July 9, 2020 Season Three, Episode Six Bethany is a Mindset Coach, a Cancer Thriver, and author of her first book or as she puts it, her first book baby “My Guru Cancer.” A big proponent of living life to the fullest, Bethany is on a mission to help others find freedom with everything life brings, especially those curveballs. What I enjoyed most about the conversation with Bethany was how grateful she is for where she is today and her understanding that she would not have gotten here had she not been diagnosed with breast cancer. Bethany has been cancer-free for five years. 0:00:00 How it was found 0:10:25 Excited about cancer 0:27:05 You don’t have to believe your thoughts 0:38:45 Infertility 0:44:34 Allopathic vs Holistic treatments 0:58:37 Laughing at the insanity of it all 1:10:30 Silicone “Gummy Bear” implants 1:17:35 Nipple saving mastectomy 1:31:05 Finding peace and acceptance 1:41:45 Having say in how your life will go 1:51:45 Mortality 1:57:08 My Book Baby 2:10:43 Mindset Coaching - recorded October 7, 2020 Season Three, Episode Five Diane and her boyfriend, Cory Stone, reside in a historic neighborhood northeast of downtown Nashville with their 2 cats, Photon and Minnie. They both record and perform together as the duo Coffee with Her online and in local venues. These days, Diane works for one of the “big three” major record labels on a global data team, with the best group of people she can imagine. In her free time, she and Cory enjoy a great cup of espresso, connecting with friends, running, and living a sweet and simple life. 0:00:00 How it was discovered 0:07:15 Couch to 5K 0:15:20 Insurance & 2nd opinions 0:22:00 Headlamps for Headlights 0:27:05 You can’t fake a full marathon 0:36:10 Worst best year of my life 0:43:50 Post-surgery drains 0:51:55 Couch to 5K - what it took 1:02:15 Expander then implants 1:14:30 Routine appointments 1:20:15 The little big things 1:27:40 What’s truly important ⁃ recorded October 8, 2020 4/29/2021 Kara Skrubis - Survivor of OsteosarcomaSeason Three, Episode Five Kara was diagnosed when she was 18 years old - she’s now 19. She’s a dancer, an artist, an animal lover, and a pediatric cancer advocate. She lives in New York State and she’s a double major in psychology, and health and human services. She aspires to work in child life to support those going through rough times. 0:00:00 How the cancer was found 0:09:45 Amputation the way to go 0:18:15 Prosthetic options 0:24:30 Getting acclimated to a prosthetic 0:32:45 Waking up without a leg 0:38:00 Phantom limb pain 0:47:30 Six months of chemo 0:58:40 Stroke symptoms 1:05:20 Physical Therapy - recorded January 29, 2021 Season Three, Episode Three Shayla is a New York City girl. She’s a runner and loves to work out. She cherishes her time with her friends and she loves to travel! Shayla speaks with a groundedness that got all of my attention the first time I heard her a speak. She calmly explains how through the world of cancer she discovered something called feelings. A word she wasn’t particularly familiar with. Me being someone deeply impacted by his feelings on a daily basis, I really enjoyed listening to and understanding Shayla’s experience. Shayla has been cancer-free for two and a half years. 0:00:00 How the cancer was found 0:10:55 Feeling powerless 0:22:35 Mortality ever present 0:28:25 Move the trauma through 0:38:30 No support group for a young black female 0:42:50 “People call them feelings” 0:47:50 Being present 0:55:55 Strong or simply enduring what’s so 1:08:00 Side-effects 1:14:15 Three breast reconstructions 1:20:00 The divine feminine 1:24:45 Post-treatment medications - recorded December 5, 2021 Season Three, Episode Two One of the things that stands out to me about Rachel is the amount of attention she has devoted to her own growth as a person and how it is clearly reflected in how she engages with me and no doubt her clients. This time of year, besides supporting her clients and building her business (cycadianhealth.com), Rachel enjoys gardening and hiking. She lives in coastal Northern California with her partner and dog buddy. She enjoys cooking, creating random art, reading, body movement and building a mind-body connection, and being in nature and with loved ones. Rachel has been cancer-free for five years. 0:00:00 How the cancer was discovered 0:07:45 Post-surgery 0:11:30 Re-entering the world 0:19:20 Self-advocacy 0:25:50 Patient advocacy 0:33:00 The power of the patient 0:38:35 Benefit of the patient advocate 0:47:34 Diagnosed again at 35 0:55:00 Adult Follicular Lymphoma 1:01:50 High dose chemotherapy 1:16:13 Powerfully engaging with your physician 1:28:30 Creating ceremony in survivorship 1:39:45 Facing mortality and maladaptive behaviors 1:57:00 Empathy - recorded 3/26/2021 Season Three, Episode One I’m really moved by everything Carole has been through and who she’s created herself to be in the face of it. She’s out there advocating for all of us. I so appreciate you Carole. Carole is the mother of four sons and she currently resides in Connecticut with her life partner Michael. She is a co-founder of BLUEM, a Colorectal Cancer patient access space, she’s an Ambassador with Fight CRC as well as The Global Colon Cancer Association, she’s a survivor model for The Colon Club, and her story and advocacy work have been published in many local, regional and national media outlets Find Bluem on Facebook at Blue and on Instagram & Twitter @my_bluem Carole has been cancer-free for three years. 0:00:00 How the cancer was found 0:10:20 Prognosis 0:19:15 Hepatic Infusion Artery Pump 0:28:20 Liver Aneurism 0:35:46 Liver donor 0:45:30 Liver transplant 0:50:30 Multiple birthdays 1:03:20 Colorectal Screening 1:11:08 Tertiary Care Units 1:20:00 My_Bluem 1:24:00 Fully ALIVE with cancer! - recorded 3/19/2021 |