Season One, Episode Eight Jason is Vice President for the Board of Directors of the Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes, and the co-founder of the Colorectal Support Group as well as the Young Adult Support Group, now named “Beth's Group” in memory of his co-founder, Beth Brunelle. Jason has been cancer free for 10 years.
www.crcfl.org 0:00:00 Surgery and life with a shortened colon 0:08:30 Struggles with radiation 0:12:12 “No thanks” to elective surgeries 0:16:48 Life doesn’t just “go on” 0:24:47 Medical procedure anxiety 0:26:14 How a shortened colon effects diet 0:29:55 Prolapse of the stoma 0:33:10 Avoiding public places 0:38:37 Returning to the regular world 0:43:56 Dating with a colostomy 0:55:04 A life of gratitude 1:05:48 Cancer prepared me for the death of my husband 1:11:58 Cancer and covid 1:14:37 The gift of tears 1:19:14 It wasn’t all gratitude 1:27:15 Oral chemo verse intravenous 1:35:50 Surgery reveals a change in diagnosis 1:43:20 Masculinity and treatment Season One, Episode Seven Sara has worked as a professional book editor, a dishwasher, a philosophy professor, a ballet instructor, a waiter, and an English teacher in Slovakia and Lithuania. She’s ordained clergy, an astrologer, and lives in Ithaca, New York, with her beautiful husband, brilliant son, and a slightly above-average pit bull. Sarah has been cancer-free for eight years.
0:00:00 How the breast cancer was discovered 0:07:30 Breast feeding 0:12:18 Surrounding yourself with strong advocates 0:16:02 Loved ones who don’t show up 26:39 Doctors working in tandem 29:00 Chemotherapy 38:30 Eating through treatment! 42:51 Marijuana to manage side-effects 46:44 Chemo-brain and recovery from anesthesia 50:21 Post-treatment elective surgeries 56:26 Misdiagnosed 4x 58:09 Mastectomies and reconstruction 1:03:15 The body and societal norms 1:10:31 Caregivers 1:18:34 Cancer coaches and therapists 1:21:17 Cultural expectations of men & women 1:24:13 Positive thinking or just lucky? 1:28:19 Finding freedom in my diagnosis 1:35:29 Cancer woke me up! 1:42:13 Cancer as a gift? -recorded 3/06/2020 Season One, Episode Six Rosemary lives in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of New York State and enjoys hiking and riding motorcycles with her husband and best friend. Rosemary is an inquiry, discovering what it is to live life beyond cancer. Rosemary has been cancer-free for 2 1/2 years. 0:00:00 Clinical Trial to postpone surgery 0:10:50 Recurrence/Ileostomy 0:14:20 Community Support 0:17:00 Human touch 0:22:55 Nasogastric Tube 0:25:30 Change in treatment plan 0:30:14 Acceptance 0:43:20 Grief and Shame 0:52:40 Lower Anterior Resection Syndrome 0:59:10 Long-term Survivorship 1:11:21 Allowing the sadness to be 1:17:20 Physically expressing our emotions 1:23:06 Sex after cancer 1:27:41 Self-love 1:35:17 The Hero’s Journey - recorded 2/22/2020 Season One, Episode Five
Eamonn is married to Marilee Murphy and she is the Executive Director of the Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes, and they have two sons. Eamonn is the owner and sole practitioner at Finger Lakes Acupuncture in Ithaca. Eamonn has been cancer-free for three years.
0:00:00 The biopsy 0:05:10 Being empowered in your diagnosis 0:08:15 Determining your treatment 0:15:05 Prostate education and support 0:17:55 Surgery & anesthesia 0:23:15 Vulnerability and uncertainty 0:30:39 Coming to terms with cancer 0:36:00 Fulfilled while facing your mortality 0:43:25 Evolving awareness 0:49:15 Cracked open 0:56:12 Post-surgery 1:04:03 Catheters 1:11:04 Laparoscopic surgery 1:14:45 Quality of life 1:17:38 Follow-up testing 1:26:33 Scanxiety - recorded 4/14/2020 Season One, Episode Four  Carrie Ann teaches Maturation to elementary and middle school kids. Her passion is to help everyone love and accept their unique individual body and for Carrie Ann this starts with teaching our youth that puberty is not to be feared but to be embraced. 0:00:00 How the cancer was discovered 0:08:35 Port-a cath 0:15:28 Six weeks to live 0:22:00 Telling her children 0:30:10 A gift of awareness 0:35:15 Uterus, ovaries, cervix & breasts removed 0:42:35 Self-love 0:46:04 Navigating chemotherapy 0:51:47 Still alive at Christmas 0:57:35 Cancer-versary 1:07:15 Radiation 1:12:20 Masculinity 1:17:00 Cancer as a curriculum 1:33:45 Mentors 1:38:29 Living freely with cancer 1:49:50 The support of others 1:53:51 Dating after cancer 2:08:45 Funeral and wake considerations 2:14:15 Being the observer of our own thinking 2:19:39 Living in gratitude Season One, Episode Three Shera is a mixed-media artist and painter. She’s a flat-closure advocate and activist - often using her art and social media platforms to share and connect. Shera has been cancer-free for eight years. 00:00:00 Cancer almost not discovered 00:13:59 Self-advocacy and multiple opinions 00:23:35 Community support and masculinity 00:28:09 Keeping cancer private 00:32:35 Strength and vulnerability 00:40:50 Navigating chemotherapy 00:44:15 Mastectomy and reconstruction 00:49:10 Second breast misdiagnosed 00:57:00 When it all seems like too much 01:05:35 Breast implants 01:07:08 Colorectal resection 01:11:41 Second breast misdiagnosed 01:14:35 Very first infusion caused menopause 01:21:35 Unseen struggles with cancer 01:26:18 Breast implant illness 01:37:03 Life without breasts 01:44:40 Post-surgery intimacy 01:51:40 Oncology phone calls 02:02:34 Post-cancer limitations 02:10:53 Committing to self-care * The photo above was taken at the massage office of Shira Melen and Kate Dimpfl in January of 2020 when in-person podcasts were still an option. Thank you both so much! Season One, Episode Two  Joe is an archivist at the Corning Museum of Glass and he lives in Ithaca, NY with his wife, his two kids, and their dog Hamilton. Joe has been cancer-free for five years.
00:00:00 How the cancer was discovered 00:05:40 Tumors & physical discomfort 00:09:20 Informing friends 00:20:40 Only one leg 00:25:30 Accountability Partners 00:33:15 Connecting with fellow survivors 00:34:30 Standing infection & open wound 00:36:25 Infected titanium rod 00:47:44 Recovery from anesthesia 00:50:50 Whether or not to keep the leg 00:58:00 Immobility 01:03:07 Radiation & chemo 01:08:05 Aggressive surgery 01:12:00 Two months of radiation 01:18:30 Ask more questions 01:24:20 Prosthetics or second surgery 01:32:25 Creating stability 01:36:00 There’s no single approach 01:39:40 Life after treatment 01:41:48 Chronic pain 01:48:36 Post-treatment checkups * The photo above was taken at the massage office of Shira Melen and Kate Dimpfl in January of 2020 when in-person podcasts were still an option. Thank you both so much! Season One, Episode One  Sharon is a teacher, an Instructional Technology Specialist, a plant-based food enthusiast, a wife of a very supportive husband, and a mother of three amazing kids! Sharon has been cancer-free for six years. 00:00:00 How the cancer was discovered 00:05:30 Inspired by fellow survivors 00:07:00 Re-diagnosed 00:10:35 PET Scans 00:18:40 Speaking w/ children about cancer 00:23:40 Caregivers getting the support they need 00:29:00 What we can not control 00:34:15 Creating a support network 00:36:45 Bert’s Stage IV Diagnosis 00:48:05 Family & friends struggle with our diagnosis 00:51:30 Freedom through sharing my experience 01:00:10 Getting a second opinions 01:16:00 Fecal Incontinence 01:24:22 Second Opinions revisited 01:22:00 Disability & Employment Rights 01:33:00 Colostomy 01:39:30 The power of forgiveness 01:47:00 Compassion for others |
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