Cancer U Thrivers

• Uncover the essential role self-awareness and support play in the journey of cancer diagnosis and treatment.
• Discover how holistic approaches enhance the healing process for breast cancer patients.
• Weigh the pros and cons of multiple breast cancer treatment and reconstruction methods.
• Identify and mend toxic relationships to foster a healthy environment for healing and personal growth.
• Reclaim your sense of sexuality and body image after facing the impacts of cancer.

When Kristen Vengler noticed a difference in her right nipple, she had no idea that it would lead to a life-altering cancer diagnosis. With strength and resilience, she bravely navigated the pandemic and the world of cancer care, emerging as a beacon of hope and determination. But what else has Kristen's journey revealed?

"I didn't battle it. I was just like, I got to go do this. And I was kind of a robot because I had so many appointments." - Kristen Vengler

Kristen Vengler, a breast cancer survivor and advocate, joins Andrea Wilson Woods on the podcast to share her journey and insights on ongoing care, recovery, and cancer prevention practices. Having experienced a challenging battle with stage three breast cancer, Kristen navigated through various treatments, including chemotherapy and a bilateral mastectomy. She brings firsthand knowledge and a deep understanding of the emotional and physical challenges cancer patients face. Kristen also highlights the importance of a strong support system and practicing self-care during and after treatment.

When Pamela McColloch wakes up unable to breathe and in agony, she discovers a tumor and is forced to fight cancer with a 50/50 chance of survival, summoning her warrior-like strength to defy the odds and celebrate life.

You will learn:

1. How Pamela McColloch coped with being diagnosed with cancer and undergoing treatment.
2. How Pamela's family and friends supported her during her cancer journey
3. How Pamela found medication that helped with her mental health during her cancer journey.

Pamela McColloch is a 48-year-old single mom who, while raising her teenage godson, navigated major surgeries, double dosing of chemotherapy, and her high end sales job to battle colon cancer.

Miracles can happen: discover the power of faith, gratitude, and a good colonoscopy in Marcia's inspiring story of beating colorectal cancer.

Marcia Reese is a successful entrepreneur and cancer survivor who has experienced numerous miracles throughout her life. After selling her sidewalk chalk business to the world's largest toy company, she moved to Chicago and eventually back to Denver, where she met her husband.

This is an encore episode.

After 11 years of battling stage four liver failure, Steve Patterson's unwavering faith in himself pays off when he is miraculously granted a liver transplant, but his journey is far from over as he must now overcome the challenge of Hepatitis C to survive.

Steve Patterson is a former US Army veteran who was diagnosed with stage four liver failure in 2011 and was given six months to live. He has since recovered and is now a certified licensed drug and alcohol counselor and a Shamanic practitioner.

• 02:56: I had an accident where I fell, and I woke up in the hospital.
• 04:49: She delivers stage four failure, six months to live.
• 06:22: I never thought of the VA.
• 07:15: they had found two tumors about this big in my liver.
• 08:51:I'm not looking for a friend; I'm looking for the best.
• 10:31: I didn't turn yellow with jaundice.
• 13:33: He said, I want you to turn down this liver.
• 16:02: I know that they all thought I was gonna die.
• 18:14: My gallbladder was removed.
• 19:59: I hopped on an airplane with everything I had.
• 22:28: I started the year with three terminal diseases.
• 25:52: What was your worst moment?
• 27:41: What about your best moment?
• 29:26: What is one thing you wish you had known at the beginning?
• 32:30: If you could only do one thing to change healthcare in the US, what would it be and why?
• 33:31: Thriver Rapid Fire
• 35:01: What's one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?

After fourteen years of marriage, Kim Hamer is thrown into a tumultuous journey of navigating the best and worst of her marriage as her husband's stage four cancer diagnosis shifts their lives into chaos and irony.

Kim Hamer is the author of 100 Acts of Love: A Girlfriend's Guide to Loving Your Friend Through Cancer or Loss, an easy-to-read book filled with practical, quick, and effective ways to support a friend or coworker. Kim experienced firsthand the kindness of others when her husband passed away from cancer in 2009.

After experiencing the devastating loss of her parents to diseases that modern medicine could not cure, Dr. Amy Rothenberg discovers her true calling to use natural medicine to fight cancer and empower others to take control of their health, despite the overwhelming odds.

You will learn:

1. How Dr. Amy Rothenberg went from feeling disillusioned with medicine to becoming a successful Naturopathic doctor.
2. How Dr. Rothenberg uses natural medicine to enhance the efficacy of conventional care for cancer patients.
3. What Dr. Rothenberg learned about genetic inheritance and obesity when treating her family.

Dr. Amy Rothenberg is a Naturopathic doctor who has been married for 36 years and has three children. She has treated thousands of patients over her career, including her own mother and sister, who had breast cancer. She is an expert in integrative oncology and wrote a book about using natural medicine to enhance conventional care.

When Lori Marini, a healthcare professional of 20 years, is given a devastating diagnosis of breast cancer, she must choose between aggressive treatments, risking her mental and physical health, or risking her life by not doing anything at all.

You will learn:

1. What happened when Lori Marini missed her mammogram when she was 40.
2. Lori Marini's experience of a double mastectomy and the tissue expansion process.
3. How Lori Marini dealt with her metastatic cancer diagnosis and the treatments she is now undergoing.

Lori Marini is a breast cancer survivor who works as a healthcare professional and advocates for patient education. She underwent a double mastectomy, tissue expanders and is currently undergoing chemotherapy and ovarian suppression.

Experience the journey of recovery and courage with a man who pushes through to face his cancer head-on.

Here's what I cover with Ray Suarez in this episode:

1. A 275-mile bike ride that was much harder than it should have been was a sign of something wrong.
2. A diagnosis of cancer that involved having tumors removed and chemotherapy.
3. The experience of having a port inserted in the chest and the protocols involved with chemotherapy treatment.

Ray Suarez is an American journalist, author, and broadcaster who has experienced many personal and professional stress and setbacks, including a cancer diagnosis four years ago. He has since recovered and is now a podcast host.

"Take control of your health and be an advocate: you can beat the odds and outlive cancer."

Here's what I cover with Penny Casselman in this episode:

1. What does the experience of being diagnosed with cancer look like for someone who has already lost their mother to the same disease?
2. How can genetic testing help inform and shape a treatment plan for cancer?
3. What choices did Penny Casselman make to ensure she was on the right side of the ground and to reduce her risk of cancer reoccurrence?

Penny Casselman is a 45-year-old advocate for her own health who has outlived her mother's metastatic breast cancer. She is a doer who has undergone a radical hysterectomy, bilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy, and a year of Herceptin, as well as a Zometa infusion to lower her risk of recurrence.