Cancer U Thrivers

Susan Keller is the author of Blood Brother: A Memoir. Articles about her story of hope and survival have been widely published. She is a monthly blogger for Psychology Today and CURE Magazine. Susan is a presenter at Dominican University and a CME-presenter to the staff at Stanford Cancer Center.

• 02:27: I was diagnosed on September 15, 2005. 
• 04:37: What's that on your neck? 
• 06:45: I have a lump.  
• 08:50: They discovered that over 90% of my bone marrow was cancerous. 
• 10:43: Where were you being treated?  
• 12:56: I believe she saved my life. 
• 17:05: At what point was a bone marrow transplant necessary? 
• 18:59: I have three brothers. 
• 23:04: Did you call your husband?  
• 26:09: I got my transplant on March 26, 2006. 
• 28:33: The best moment was the morning of the transplant. 
• 31:30: He is such a sweet guy.  
• 35:14: I thought there was a recurrence because of a number of symptoms. 
• 35:41: What's one thing you wish you had known at the very beginning?  
• 39:39: I love that this cancer gave me this new career.  
• 40:52: If you could only do one thing to improve health care in the U.S., what would it be why?  
• 42:31: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions
• 44:59: Aside from Cancer U, what's one resource you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers? 

Resources

• Susan's website
• Susan's book Blood Brother
• Cure Magazine

Ann is a serial entrepreneur, author, and cancer advocate. After her own cancer diagnosis in 2014, Ann, who spent several decades as a surgical assistant to a glaucoma specialist, recognized how little she knew about the cancer journey, even with her vast medical background. This raised a question in her mind, “If I found the experience difficult, what must it be like to have no medical background and receive a cancer diagnosis?” This question was the impetus for her to pen, Holy Crap I Have Cancer! Now What? What to Expect When You Weren’t Expecting, a book that assists patients, who are newly diagnosed with cancer through their treatment and into survivorship.

• 02:22: I had dense breasts and a family history of cancer. 
• 04:31: I go to the surgeon, and I fall in love with him immediately.  
• 06:40: I spent 20 years in medicine as a surgical technician. 
• 08:22: I was in such bad shape. 
• 10:19: I was on a 21-day cycle. 
• 12:45: It's the first time I've ever thought of giving up. 
• 14:00: East Coast chemotherapy can be far different from West Coast chemotherapy. 
• 16:15: I had radiation after the mastectomy.  
• 18:20: Silicone was banned for a long time, and they brought that back.  
• 20:21: I was stage three. 
• 22:08: After you got the implants, were you happy with them? 
• 24:26: I suddenly started having vertigo all the time.  
• 27:52: In Arizona, people have to be told about breast implant illness prior to getting implants.  
• 28:48: What was your worst moment during that time? 
• 29:24: Staph infections are typically more painful than the original injury or surgery. 
• 32:29: I would give you a 15% chance of being here next year.  
• 35:34: What's nice about the clinical trials is that they keep a close eye on you. 
• 36:14: What was your best moment?  
• 39:49: What is one thing you wish you'd known at the very beginning of your cancer journey?  
• 41:12: If you could only change one thing in health care in the U.S., what would it be and why?  
• 45:18: Thriver Rapid Questions
• 46:33: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?

Resources

• Ann Low's book Holy Crap I Have Cancer! Now What?: What To Expect When You Weren't Expecting
• Email Ann

Patricia Doucet speaks and writes with clarity, compassion, and humor–encouraging women to never give up. A Christian wife, mother, cancer survivor, cancer caregiver, divorcee, mental health and relationship coach, artist, and pianist–she is on a mission to inspire women who are on their own journey–from brokenness to beloved.

• 02:45: It was very slow-growing thyroid cancer.  
• 04:14: I got another lump in the same place. 
• 06:17: I have never heard of that kind of surgery. 
• 08:54: Did you say anything to him at the next follow-up appointment? 
• 11:05: I did a lot of therapy so I could keep my neck upright. 
• 13:06: She had melanoma before I got cancer.  
• 14:37: How was your experience as a caregiver different than when you were a patient?  
• 15:06: What was your worst moment in those five years? 
• 17:31: She had gotten breast cancer quite young. 
• 19:20: What was your best moment?   
• 22:17: I didn't learn how to love myself 100% until my 40s.  
• 23:27: What is one thing you wish you'd known at the beginning of your cancer journey?  
• 24:26: If you could do one thing to improve health care in Canada, what would it be and why? 
• 25:56: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions

Resources

• Patricia's website

Dr. Effie Andrikopoulou is a Cardio-Oncologist and a cardiac Imaging expert caring for her patients in Birmingham, Alabama. She is passionate about providing excellent care driven by her core values of active listening, empathy, and respect.

• 02:05: I went from Greece to Baltimore. 
• 03:59: Did you always want to be a doctor?  
• 05:30: When I came to Baltimore, I also did research on surgery.  
• 08:57: The clock starts ticking the minute the person comes to the hospital.  
• 11:31: Tell us a little bit more about interacting with people who have cancer.  
• 14:34: Every medication is helpful, but it comes with different types of side effects. 
• 17:42: What has been your worst moment as a physician?  
• 20:26: Did medical school prepare you to go through that experience knowing that some of your patients will die? 
• 24:34: In the past couple of years, I've started digging deeper into psychology and leadership. 
• 25:50: What has been the best moment?
• 27:43: I always tell my patients the minimum that their heart needs to stay healthy is 30 minutes of decent-paced walking, five days a week.  
• 31:08: She survived her cancer, but she was left with heart failure as a result of that.  
• 34:27: There should be a bare minimum level of self-care that we do that will allow us to be present for our patients and their families. 
• 36:30: If you could only do one thing to improve health care in the U.S., what would it be and why?  
• 43:22: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions.  
• 47:22: Aside from Cancer U, what's one resource you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers? 

 Resources

• Dr. Effie at UAB
• Dr. Effie on LinkedIn
• Dr. Effie on Twitter

Joy Huber is a stage 4 cancer survivor, speaker, author, blogger, and “Dose of Joy” podcast host. Joy endured three years of chemotherapy suffering complete hair loss in her 30s. During her cancer journey Joy realized, “While no one’s happy they have cancer, you can have cancer and still be happy.”

• 2:00: My diagnosis was in March of 2010. 
• 04:32: I had noticed kinds of these lumps or bulges. 
• 07:27: I need to set you up with the ear nose and throat specialist. 
• 10:02: Even if you love your doctor, you should get a second opinion when it comes to cancer. 
• 12:41: What's challenging is they'll needle through the skin. 
• 14:56: It’s not uncommon for someone to get a port.  
• 17:01: What were you doing for work at that time?  
• 20:03: How many treatments you were supposed to have?  
• 22:15: Lymphomas tend to recur relapse and come back.  
• 24:07: I had to do chemotherapy and his funeral within 48 hours.  
• 27:18: What was your best moment?  
• 30:32: I'm 33, but all my hair is gone.  
• 32:34: People have different reactions when they hear the word cancer.  
• 33:16: What is the one thing you wish you had known at the very beginning of your cancer journey?  
• 34:09: If you could only do one thing to improve healthcare in the U.S., what would it be and why? 
• 36:19: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions.  
• 39:32: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers? 

Resources

• Dose of Joy Facebook page
• Dose of Joy Podcast on Spotify
• Email Joy

At the age of 24, Matt Ode was diagnosed with Stage 3C Testicular Cancer. By the age of 25, he was led into a 2-week coma with multiple near-death experiences having to relearn to live his life over again. Fast forward 5 years, Matt is now a keynote motivational speaker and coach helping individuals transform their setbacks into their superpowers.

• 02:22: We have what's called scan anxiety.  
• 04:10: I had to get rushed into the emergency surgery. 
• 07:30: They found out I had the highest stage of testicular cancer.  
• 09:11: There are so many ways of doing chemotherapy. 
• 11:35: Your tumor is wrapped around what's called your inferior vena cava.  
• 13:18: I was in the hospital for an entire week.  
• 15:18: After 53 days I couldn't eat anything. 
• 17:27: I was in a coma. 
• 19:15: We offered um 40 hours of personal training for free to all our employees.  
• 21:23: What was your worst moment?  
• 22:58: Why did you stop doing physical therapy?  
• 25:33: How did you propose? 
• 27:23: What's one thing you wish you had known at the very beginning?  
• 29:57: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions.  
• 31:05: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers? 

Resources

• Matt's website
• Matt on Facebook
• Matt on LinkedIn
• Matt on Instagram
• Matt on YouTube
• Testicular Cancer Foundation

In November 2019, Greg Ciola was diagnosed with stage 3 unresectable malignant metastatic melanoma. It spread to his brain as an egg-sized hemorrhaging stage 4 tumor that almost killed him. Going from feeling perfectly healthy to being in a battle for his life, Greg felt a spiritual call to start a support group to help people battling cancer.

• 02:37: I knew nothing about melanoma. 
• 04:43: You have metastatic melanoma.
• 06:12: How often do you have to have the infusion? 
• 08:45: I had to do constant blood draws to see what was going on.  
• 10:03: All the scans were clear up until October of 2020. 
• 12:19: We see something in your brain.  
• 14:41: It can show up anywhere.  
• 16:40: Was your wife allowed to be with you in the beginning?  
• 19:07: Did you only have to do the procedure one time?  
• 22:55: If anything's off, they won't give you the immunotherapy.  
• 25:31: Prior to cancer, you were into fitness wellness working out supplements.  
• 27:05: Do you think this was harder for you to go through it as a patient or as a caregiver?  
• 29:01: What has been your worst moment? 
• 30:54: What about your best moment? 
• 33:14: What's one thing you wish you had known at the very beginning?  
• 33:50: If you could only do one thing to improve health care in the U.S., what would it be and why? 
• 36:15: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions.  
• 38:23: Aside from Cancer U, what's one resource you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers? 

Resources

• Crossing Jordan Ministries
• Greg on LinkedIn

Martha Tettenborn is a registered dietitian, low-carb health coach, and a recent ovarian cancer survivor. She used nutritional strategies to dramatically reduce her side effects from chemotherapy and Martha is on a mission to share this information with others facing chemo.

• 02:35: It was like I was laying on an egg or something.  
• 04:54: The gynecologist that I was referred to was on a month's holiday.  
• 07:19: The marker that would have indicated cancer was really low.  
• 10:29: I had my tonsils out when I was five. 
• 12:43: Did you have the hysterectomy prior to chemo? 
• 14:48: There was no tumor to radiate.  
• 16:50: If you don't get any recurrence in about five years you were in group A.  
• 18:58: I feel incredibly blessed that this cyst was way too big for me to ignore. 
• 21:40: I was terrified of chemotherapy. 
• 23:19: I discovered that cancer has a different metabolism. 
• 25:26: What does it mean to be ketogenic? 
• 27:34: I wanted to keep the cancer from having a happy growth environment? 
• 30:06: I went through six rounds of chemo. 
• 32:34: What was your worst moment? 
• 34:10: How has this changed your practice as a dietitian now that you've lived it as a patient? 
• 36:02: I do wardrobe and backstage. 
• 38:05: What is one thing that you wish you had known at the very beginning?  
• 39:08: If you could only do one thing to improve health care in Canada, what would it be and why? 
• 40:18: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions.  
• 42:54: Aside from Cancer U, what's one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers? 

Resources

• Martha's website
• Martha's Hacking Chemo Facebook page
• Martha on LinkedIn
• Email Martha
• Martha's book Hacking Chemo

Savio P. Clemente coaches cancer survivors to overcome the confusion and gain the clarity needed to get busy living in mind, body, and spirit. Savio is a Board Certified wellness coach, #1 best-selling author, syndicated columnist, podcaster, stage 3 cancer survivor, and founder of The Human Resolve LLC.

• 02:18: I was someone who never even took aspirin. 
• 04:17: I'm just someone who always did things on my own. 
• 06:17: Did you tell friends at all? 
• 08:45: I'm the only son.  
• 11:40: If you feel like your heart's racing, please let us know. 
• 13:11: I was always either researching or looking at things on the internet. 
• 15:14: How old were you when you were diagnosed? 
• 17:28: I also researched and looked up some passages in the Koran. 
• 20:17: I created a Google alert for my cancer.  
• 22:17: What was your worst moment during that time? 
• 23:50: What was your best moment?  
• 24:42: What do you wish you had known at the very beginning? 
• 25:38: If you could only do one thing to improve health care in the U.S., what would it be and why?  
• 28:20: I just focused like a laser beam on my health and well-being, 
• 29:24: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions.  
• 31:57: Aside from Cancer U, what's one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers? 

Resources

• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Savio's website The Human Resolve
• Savio's book I Survived Cancer
• Savio on LinkedIn
• The Human Resolve on Twitter & Instagram

Book Marketing Mentor Judy M. Baker helps business authors get more bang for their book, turning intellectual property into multiple streams of income with minimal effort. After conquering ovarian cancer in 2014, she became an author advocate and self-publishing evangelist. She plans to publish her memoir/guidebook in 2022.

• 01:42: We went out to lunch, and I couldn't eat it. 
• 04:05: I don't need a colonoscopy. 
• 06:46: I was like out of it, but the pain didn't stop.  
• 09:29: At what point did they tell you it was cancer? 
• 11:48: He never completely regained the use of his arm.  
• 14:39: I couldn't breathe because it was pressing on my diaphragm. 
• 16:07: Did you have any significant tumors on your ovaries?  
• 18:24: I walked because you know that's what they tell you to do after hysterectomy.  
• 23:02: There's no sort of playbook for how to break up with friends. 
• 23:56: What is one thing that you wish you had known at the very beginning? 
• 27:53: If you could only do one thing to improve health care in the U.S., what would it be and why?  
• 29:46: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions.  
• 33:14: Aside from Cancer U, what's one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?

Resources 

• Deborah Myers Wellness
• Judy's website
• Get Growing With Your Book