Cancer U Thrivers

Marci Greenberg Cox is the author of Mommy Has a Boo-Boo: Explaining Breast Cancer to Children. In 2018, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer, had a double mastectomy with no reconstruction, and is now cancer-free.

• 02:02: Maybe it's just something because I overdid a weight.
• 04:40: She gets on the phone, and you hear those words, I am so sorry you have cancer.
• 06:37: I mean as soon as I found out, I was on the phone with doctors.
• 08:58: She goes it's because I smoked.
• 10:13: I had that choice of a lumpectomy versus a double mastectomy.
• 12:08: It was a 13-hour surgery.
• 14:14: I'm done because I said no more surgeries.
• 17:40: I'm very happy with my decision because I have a whole new wardrobe.
• 20:20: Did you have to have any other treatment?
• 22:43: It's going to put me into menopause.
• 24:51: I'm on that pill for 10 years.
• 26:58: What was your worst moment during all of this?
• 29:34: That was a game-changer for me because I didn't get sick after that.
• 30:25: What was your best moment out of all of this?
• 33:10: If you could only do one thing to improve health care in the U.S., what would it be and why?
• 35:44: Are you ready for the Thriver Rapid Fire questions?
• 37:13: Aside from Cancer U, what is a resource you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?
• 39:45: You've got to have those discussions because those kids are so intuitive.
• 42:06: It's all this practical stuff that you learn.

Resources

• Marci’s website
• Marci’s Facebook page
• Call Marci at 480.695.9683
• Email Marci

.

Karla Mans Giroux is a cancer thriver living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Karla was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003. Eleven years later, a metastatic cancer challenge arose. With a goal to live to be 100+, this did not align, and so she began to manage the hell out of this challenge.

• 01:13: Can you take us back to that first journey with breast cancer?
• 03:00: I had a head-shaving party.
• 05:10: I felt the lump on my own and I thought oh this isn't right.
• 06:57: I went for a free flap reconstruction.
• 09:09: What is one of your theories and what did you change?
• 12:02: What changes those cancer cells from being able to grow and not die off in the way that they're supposed to?
• 13:23: Eleven years later it came back.
• 15:24: There was something suspicious on my spine.
• 17:20: You've got a history of breast cancer and now we see it in the bone.
• 19:21: They never actually got a clean biopsy.
• 21:12: I kept at my lifestyle changes and continue to look at whatever toxins in my life I can control.
• 23:23: I did it because it was the right thing to do, but I stepped up my game.
• 25:09: All those classes are always constantly preparing you for some performance.
• 27:08: What was your worst moment?
• 29:27: The worst [moment] was the metastatic diagnosis and just the fear that came up from that diagnosis and not understanding what that meant.
• 31:47: What was your best moment?
• 33:10: If you could only do one thing to improve health care in the U.S., what would it be and why?
• 34:57: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.
• 36:54: Are you ready for the Thriver Rapid Fire questions?
• 40:32: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?
• 43:02: I have found that an integrative approach that [with] conventional meds and these lifestyle changes can make the world of difference for people.

Resources

• Karla’s personal website
• Karla’s Health Navigator website
• Call Karla at 1.847.902.0659
• Email Karla

About the sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Side Effect Support, an online resource for cancer patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers to reduce harmful oral side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.

• Go to SideEffectSupport.com
• Get 10% off your first order with the coupon code CANCERU. 

Cathy is a graduate of the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, a Certified Professional Cancer Coach, and a breast cancer survivor. Her personal and professional experience has given her a profound understanding of the importance of cultivating health during cancer care and for cancer prevention.

• 02:20: My mom had had breast cancer five years before me.
• 04:37: If that technician had not grabbed me on my way out the door it could have been much worse.
•  05:54: She said we found some in the lymph nodes and I started to cry right away.
•  08:10: I had you know for safety’s sake I think they took out 13 of them.
•  10:19: Did you do the reconstruction after chemo and radiation?
•  12:29: Why did you choose reconstruction?
•  14:30: My thought process was I want to do everything in my power to never go through this again.
•  16:09: I didn't ask other people's opinions about what I should do.
•  18:15: I don't want to dive into things that I really can't do anything with.
•  20:30: What they do is they can take the fat and they can put it up into the breast area.
•  22:04: My cancer was estrogen positive.
•  25:30: What was your worst moment?
•  29:05: What was your best moment?
•  32:40: It took a while for it to sink in.
•  34:48: What is the one thing that you wish you had known at the beginning of your cancer journey?
•  36:10: If you could do only one thing to improve health care in Canada, what would it be and why?
•  37:05: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions
•  38:10: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?

Resources

• Cathy’s website
• Cathy on Facebook
• Call Cathy 416.473.1299
• Email Cathy

Onyx Keesha is an award-winning director of film and stage. She is passionate about telling women’s stories. Her art is her activism. After being diagnosed with breast cancer and enduring surgery, 20 weeks of chemo, and 9 weeks of radiation she now has a new perspective on life. One she is ready to share.

• 02:03: I was able to catch my breast cancer when it came relatively soon.
• 04:08: My treatment was very aggressive because I had it at such a young age.
• 06:14: He gave me the push to fight and that's what I did.
• 08:07: My doctor said 20 weeks of chemo.
• 10:44: I traveled when I was on chemo.
• 12:15: Now we're onto the hormone therapy for 5 – 10 years.
• 15:13: I had to do is continue to show up and continue to fight.
• 17:54: That's the journey I'm starting right now and talking to a holistic doctor.
• 19:03: What was your worst moment?
• 21:25: What was your best moment?
• 22:39: Did you already have that community before being diagnosed?
• 25:12: I just think it's important that as women, we share our stories.
• 26:05: What is the one thing you wish you'd known at the very beginning of your cancer journey?
• 29:42: If you could do one thing it's hard to improve health care in the US, what would it be and why?
• 32:30: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions
• 34:23: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?

 Resources

• Onyx on Facebook
• Email Onyx

Karey Spransy is a stage IV-4 colon cancer survivor who uses her experience to teach others how to be more resilient through the Joy Of Moving On. She uses grace and humor to make you laugh, cry, and cry-laugh about the absurdities of life and feel inspired to find your JOMO.

• 02:20: We met in the totally again romcom way at a sales conference in the US.
• 04:10: Yoga was just part of my routine, at least three or four days a week.
• 06:19: I'm in so much pain, I can hardly stand up straight.
• 08:32: They’ve got to make sure that my colostomy is working properly.
• 10:05: My mother had already beaten breast cancer.
• 12:14: Colon cancer was not even on my radar at all.
• 14:03: I was incredibly sensitive to cold, even room temperature water felt like I was drinking glass.
• 15:57: So instead of there being a green stem, that's the exit for your body.
• 18:26: That thing on your left ovary has grown.
• 20:04: I went on the family medical leave act at that point.
• 22:06: I told my friends and family how much they loved me.
• 24:30: I ended up getting a full hysterectomy.
• 26:26: With a colostomy, you can pretty much eat like you normally do because it's way down in your colon, and it comes out like normal solid stool.
• 28:13: I still get bad bouts of diarrhea that will keep me home for two or three days at a time.
• 29:12: What was your worst moment?
• 32:31: What was your best moment?
• 34:08: What is one thing you wish you had known at the beginning of your cancer journey?
• 36:10: What is one thing that you would do to improve health care in the US?
• 38:59: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions
• 40:20: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?

Resources

• Karey’s website
• Karey on Instagram
• Email Karey

Barbara Vercruysse is a life coach. After surviving stage 4 skin cancer at 32, she decided to live her second life to the fullest. After running a construction business for 18 years, Barbara now dedicates herself to her true passion now: guiding people through deep transformations.

• 02:52: My husband who is a lawyer was also combining that with being the salesperson in my business.
• 05:05: We got the results; it's melanoma and it is very deep.
• 07:16: The first night in the hospital was the first time since the birth of my children that I was without kids.
• 09:14: When I had my second surgery, I was practically told I had six more months.
• 11:05: I didn’t realize how far the cancer was.
• 14:33: Where did that knowledge or that idea that you needed to have a positive mindset, where did that come from?
• 16:23: I have the best of relationships and it made me who I am.
• 18:13: No, I will not die.
• 20:14: I started reading books on spirituality, psychology, human behavior self-development.
• 22:38: I survived the stage four cancer to end up here.
• 24:36: What was your worst moment during that time?
• 26:53: What was your best moment?
• 28:04: What is one thing that you wish you had known at the very beginning of your cancer journey?
• 30:40: Instead of getting out of the thunderstorm, learn how to dance in the rain.
• 32:44: If you could only change one thing in the health care system in Belgium, what would it be and why?
• 34:23: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions
• 35:15: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?

Resources

• Barbara on LinkedIn
• Barbara on Facebook
• Barbara’s coaching website Start The Life Of Your Dreams

Pravjoth (Prav) is a 20-year-old, young entrepreneur, and a student at Birmingham City University studying Business Management. Prav owns and manages her own company which sets to become a platform providing personalized fitness and nutrition plans targeting people with disabilities and medical conditions. Prav is also an endometrial cancer survivor.

• 02:46: I used to get bullied quite a lot in my school and I developed an eating disorder.
• 04:29: We ended up switching to another gynecologist and that's when he figured it all out.
• 06:40: Monday morning me and my mother went to the hospital.
• 09:08: It made sense to me why all of that happened—six years of symptoms.
• 11:38: They wanted to test to see if chemotherapy therapy drugs were on the table.
• 13:17: I had a bad infection from it.
• 14:58: They managed to do the hysterectomy.
• 18:19: What was it like for other family members including your sister?
• 19:30: What was your worst moment?
• 21:29: What was your best moment during that cancer journey?
• 23:22: What is the one thing you wish you had known at the very beginning of your cancer journey?
• 24:01: If you could only do one thing to improve health care in the UK where you live, what would it be and why?
• 26:16: When you're a young woman having your period is enough of a pain.
• 28:12: When I had those heavy periods, I was put into the mini pill just to suppress it.
• 30:25: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions 
• 31:54: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource you recommend for cancer patients and caregivers? 

Resources

• Find Prav online: https://linktr.ee/pravjothgill
• Watch Prav’s videos
• Prav’s company Movement, Fitness & Nutrition
• Accelerating Rare Cancer Research

Terry Tucker has been an NCAA Division I college basketball player, a business executive, a police officer, a basketball coach, a motivational speaker, an author, and most recently, a cancer warrior. He and his wife have lived all over the United States and currently reside in Colorado.

• 02:00: He took an X-ray and he said, you know, I think you have a little cyst.
• 04:29: In 2018, I had my left foot amputated.
• 06:02: Now, your left leg has been amputated at the knee.
• 09:05: I was fortunate to be in Texas and be able to be treated at M.D. Anderson in Houston.
• 12:05: I'm not real hung up on dying either.
• 15:42: Even if you have the same cancer, you're going to react differently to a drug.
• 18:05: I mean I shake very bad but it's not painful.
• 21:45: It's been nine-plus years that I've been dealing with this.
• 23:24: Maybe that data will help somebody ten years from now when they perfect this drug.
• 25:40: What has been your worst moment?
• 26:20: What about your best moment?
• 28:00: What is one thing you wish you'd known at the beginning of your cancer journey?
• 29:06: If you could only do one thing to improve healthcare in the US, what would it be and why?
• 32:26: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions
• 33:38: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers? 

Resources

• Terry’s Website
• Terry’s LinkedIn profile
• Terry’s book Sustainable Excellence
• Email Terry

Karen has been in the Health and Wellness industry for over 14 years. Karen’s road has had many twists, turns, and speed bumps but she wouldn’t trade it for anything. She is a cancer and divorce survivor. She helps others find the health and freedom they have been searching for.

• 00:25: Karen has been in the health and wellness industry for over 14 years.
• 03:00: What does the lump on my thyroid mean?
• 05:25: We can remove half your thyroid, but there's a bigger chance it can come back.
• 07:13: I got a lot of grief from my family and a lot of grief from other people, but this is my life, not theirs.
• 09:04: Patients will make decisions, not because they want to, [but] because that's what their family wants.
• 12:17: Is your voice not being heard and you're not speaking your truth?
• 14:04: I love to learn about health and started learning about mind, body, spirit.
• 16:45: Why do you think you became lost?
• 17:35: What was your worst moment?
• 19:05: I always had digestive issues.
• 21:40: What top foods are high in pesticides?
• 22:26: When the blood test came back [and showed] you’re fine.
• 23:45: What is one thing you wish you had known at the very beginning of your cancer journey?
• 24:55: If you could only do one thing to improve healthcare in Canada what would it be and why?
• 28:52: She didn't believe you needed to heal the body from the inside out.
• 29:28: I'm looking for a doctor who is open to both alternative medicine and Western medicine.
• 33:10: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions
• 34:34: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers? 

Resources

• Karen’s website
• Karen on Facebook
• Karen on Instagram
• Email Karen
• Call Karen at 1.416.738.1148

Brad Power is a lymphoma cancer survivor. He is trying to accelerate cancer treatment through innovation, and he’s building on his experience with process reengineering and managing technology.

• 01:50: The physician came back, and he said, we've done the scan, we think you have lymphoma.
• 04:20: I needed to be seen and get treated as fast as possible.
• 06:00: The scan showed hotspots where there was more cancer activity.
• 08:34: There was this thing that was pressing against my organs, and it was that pressing that was causing the pain.
• 11:01: How did you feel as a patient?
• 13:53: What did that chemotherapy regimen look like?
• 16:25: I'm a super health nut — always have been.
• 18:15: The idea of pushing myself to the limit physically for exercise was something else that I did.
• 20:29: I do think there's a balance between fasting, extreme fasting and I like that you fasted for 16 hours, not for 20 hours.
• 21:22: What was your worst moment in all of this?
• 22:02: What about your best moment?
• 24:23: At the time of my diagnosis, I was also writing articles for the Harvard Business Review.
• 26:39: Wow, thank you very much for sharing. You as a patient have a voice.
• 29:00: What is one thing that you wish you had known at the beginning of your cancer journey?
• 31:13: If you could only do one thing to improve healthcare in the US, what would it be and why?
• 34:50: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions
• 36:01: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers? 

Resources

• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• Lymphoma Research Foundation
• CancerHacker Lab

About the sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Side Effect Support, an online resource for cancer patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers to reduce harmful oral side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.

• Go to SideEffectSupport.com
• Get 10% off your first order with the coupon code CANCERU.