On this week’s episode Maddy is talking to Matt Ode, Stage 3C Testicular Cancer Survivor and now keynote motivational speaker and cancer advocate. At 24 years old, Matt was a personal trainer and super healthy, but one day he started throwing up blood and discovered after a long line of tests that he had testicular cancer that had spread throughout his body.

Matt opens up about how his body reacted to chemo, how as a man It can be difficult to open up about emotions, how his faith helped him persevere throughout his cancer experience, his complicated surgery after chemo and being in a two week coma, and what inspired him to become a motivational speaker after cancer.

He also speaks to how we all need to be kinder to ourselves and “take imperfect action.” If you’re ready to get motivated and inspired, you don’t want to miss this episode!

Request to join Matt’s Facebook Group - Take Back Your Life From Cancer

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Check out his website at mattodespeaks.com

And his YouTube channel @mattode

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Christie Finley was diagnosed with Leukemia at 28, had 2 recurrences within 16 months, and is a bone marrow transplant survivor. She’s been in remission for almost 16 months! Christie shares all the details of how she was diagnosed, living life in the hospital for the majority of her treatments, and all of the ins and outs of what is involved in a bone marrow transplant.

She shares the different side effects of all her treatments, how you have to be extremely careful after a transplant due to your extremely low immune system and how she’s been recovering both physically and mentally. At the time of the recording Christie was campaigning to raise money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, and recently won Woman of the Year by raising over $150,000!

You can follow her on Instagram @fueling.your.soul and check out her blog at fuelingyoursoul.com.

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This week’s guest is Rachel Engstrom, author of Wife, Widow, Now What, certified health coach, blood cancer advocate, and social worker. Rachel opens up about about being her late husband’s caregiver as he battled Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and what inspired her to write her book Wife, Widow, Now What?

Rachel talks about how she felt as the wife both during and after her husband’s experience with Leukemia, how she dealt with the loss, raising money for LLS and details on what her book includes. Her book not only tells her story, but it’s also a toolkit of resources for widows and includes medical insurance tips, how you can ask for help when your family is going through cancer, finding your own support system and time for yourself as the caretaker, and so much more.

You can purchase the book on Amazon and follow Rachel on Instagram and Facebook @wifewidownowwhat.

https://www.amazon.com/Wife-Widow-Now-What-Navigated/dp/B08KBV5DBL

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On this week’s episode Maddy talks to Peyton Adams about her story with ovarian cancer. Peyton was just finishing college and about to start a new job in Arizona when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She talks about how weight loss was a big symptom and how that led to body image challenges, not being taken seriously by doctors because of her age, being misdiagnosed and doing chemo for no reason, and why she kept her diagnosis private until after her final surgery.

Peyton is super passionate about spreading awareness around advocating for our health as young adults and gives tips on how women should be asking their doctors to get tested for ovarian cancer.

You can follow Peyton and learn more about her story @peyton_adamss on Instagram.

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 This week's guest is Rachael Johnson, a Stage IV Hodgkins Lymphoma survivor, health and fitness coach, podcast host of Life As You Thought You Knew It and soon to be published author! At only 19 years old Rachael was diagnosed with Lymphoma during the Covid-19 pandemic. We discuss how It was doing treatment and appointments during Covid, how she accepted that she had cancer before treatment started, the staging process of cancer, how she was able to feel less isolated throughout treatment, what led her to becoming a health and fitness coach and so much more! 

Rachael reminds us how important It is to listen to our bodies, be grateful for what they do for us and that having all different kinds of emotions through any sort of traumatic experience is okay. 

You can follow Rachael on instagram @rachaelllllannnn and check out her podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Mfsoiob6tztTIkUoNGN8K?si=9vtN70mIRzq2lcAUwF6vJg

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This week’s guest is Shannon Cury, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma survivor, writer and comedian. At the time of the interview Shannon was waiting to get her follow up scan after chemo to see whether to not she would need to do radiation, but she is officially NED (no evidence of disease) now!

Shannon explains the whirlwind she went through to discover her diagnosis, how her mass was so large that it broke her sternum, and gives us advice for some super common chemo side effects. She also speaks to how much cancer has taught her about herself, realizing where she was putting her energy before cancer and how now she's taking more time for herself and the things she loves to do.

Shannon is currently working on her comedy and writing - you can check out her blog at shancury.medium.com and follow her on all social media platforms @shancury

Keep up with us and our guests on Facebook and Instagram @canceractuallysuckspodcast

Follow your host Madison Pollack @cancersurvivor_nutritioncoach

We're changing things up on this week's episode of Cancer Actually F***ing Sucks! Brandi Benson from the previous episode is interviewing host Madison Pollack! Maddy dives deeper into her experience with Hodgkins Lymphoma, how she was diagnosed in the first place, her chemo routine, getting her port in and side effects. They also discuss life after cancer, and how that can be even harder than when you're in treatment. Brandi asks Maddy about what's changed in her life since having cancer, what type of legacy she wants to leave behind, her life motto and more. Maddy also discusses how she found health coaching and how It's brought her more purpose.

Follow along for updates and our guests on Facebook and Instagram @canceractuallysuckspodcast

Follow Brandi Benson on Instagram @brandil.benson

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This week I'm speaking with Brandi Benson, a Ewing Sarcoma survivor, US Veteran, Author of The Enemy Inside Me, Public Speaker and Founder of Resume-Advantage! Brandi was just 24 years old and fighting for our country in Iraq when she was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, and her prognosis was not a positive one. Listen in to hear how she was misdiagnosed at first, dealing with depression and how finding a support system through your journey can be the most helpful thing in the world. Brandi also opens up about starting her company, Resume-Advantage, which helps veterans to find jobs after their service.

Now Brandi is a brand ambassador for the Sarcoma Alliance and public speaker, has big plans for the future to help early detection of Ewing Sarcoma, and is more driven and persistent toward her goals than ever before. She is truly so inspiring; thank you Brandi for sharing your story with me! 

Follow Brandi on Instagram @brandil.benson

Keep up with us and our guests on Facebook and Instagram @canceractuallysuckspodcast & follow Maddy @cancersurvivor_nutritioncoach

This week's guest will have you laughing the entire time! Lauren Tarpley is a current HER2+ Breast Cancer patient and at the time of recording with her, she had just finished chemo and was waiting to start immunotherapy and have a double mastectomy. We talk about how there are so many different types of breast cancer and endless choices to make with the disease, the "Previvor Movement," how cancer running in her family influenced her decisions, racial disparities in the American healthcare system and so much more. 

Lauren is hilarious and honest, and really opens up about cancer taking everything from you and losing complete control of your health and life. She is also a fellow podcast host @lifewithlittleones.podcast and you can follow her journey on Instagram @typeaguidetocancer! 

Follow us and keep up with our guests on Instagram and Facebook @canceractuallysuckspodcast 

On this week of Cancer Actually F***ing Sucks, Maddy is talking to Samantha Martin. Sam was diagnosed with cervical cancer at just 26 years old in 2020 and has been NED since November 2020. She was diagnosed after a routine check up and explains how important It is for women to advocate for their health and go to their gynecologist regularly. She also opens up about what It was like getting a hysterectomy at such a young age, deciding between freezing eggs or not, external and internal radiation, digestive issues during treatment and how dealing with depression and PTSD after treatment can be really difficult. Thank you Sam for being so open and real with us! 

You can follow her on Instagram @samanthahaileyartistry

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Follow Maddy for nutrition tips after cancer @cancersurvivor_nutritioncoach