Cancer U Thrivers

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. 

Steven is a Confidence Coach helping people leverage their strengths to take action.

• 00:33: In November 1986, Stephen Sullivan was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia, also known as AML.
• 02:23: I had him get on the phone and talk to my dad.
• 03:58: There's so much beauty around you, stop and appreciate it.
• 06:16: I didn't realize at the time is it nearly killed me.
• 08:26: The treatment plan was pretty standard back then. They said that they would do three rounds of induction with chemotherapy.
• 12:43: I came down with a serious illness that put me back in the hospital.
• 15:02: We discovered that I picked up hepatitis C.
• 17:33: I really questioned whether to even pursue any more treatment.
• 20:16: We've successfully achieved remission again, but because you relapsed, you're probably going to relapse again.
• 22:40: I was fortunate my father was a physician [and] had access to medical libraries.
• 26:04: I'm going to live with my remission as long as I have it.
• 27:34: Do you think that there's a tendency in that Hippocratic oath to do no harm, do you think there is a tendency specifically in cancer to overtreat?
• 31:53: What was your worst moment?
• 34:04: What was your best moment?
• 38:25: What is that one thing you wish you had known at the very beginning of your cancer journey?
• 39:20: If you could do only one thing to improve health care in the US, what would it be and why?
• 40:20: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions
• 41:47: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?

Resources

• American Cancer Society
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
• Connect with Steven on LinkedIn

Gary Burley is a retired National Football League (NFL) veteran. And he’s been in a Superbowl. Gary is also a cancer survivor whose mission after recovery has been to pay it forward.

• 00:33: Gary Burley is a retired National Football League veteran and he's actually been in a Super Bowl.
• 02:07: One day I started noticing my knee would swell.
• 04:05: I'm thinking all right, you're going to have to find a donor.
• 06:07: I took more antibiotics and medicines than you could ever dream of.
• 08:35: I went back to the doctor to find out that I needed a kidney transplant.
• 10:18: You’re going to have to do dialysis at some point, not right now, but get all your affairs in order.
• 12:14: How can we help other people that are going through this?
• 14:10: If I hadn't gotten early detection, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you today.
• 16:14: You're so talented that you might want to consider going to college.
• 18:09: I land in the middle of the night in a town that I've never been in before.
• 20:08: He said cultivate every relationship that you possibly can because you're only going to play for so long, that’s why they call the NFL not for long.
• 23:38: What was your worst moment?
• 24:50: What was your best moment?
• 26:48: What is the one thing you wish you had known at the very beginning of your cancer journey?
• 27:42: If you could only do one thing to improve health care in the US, what would it be and why?
• 31:00: Every year there's a fight to get federal dollars for cancer and it's a struggle.
• 33:54: People just don't realize how serious cancer is until you get it.
• 34:45: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions
• 36:02: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?

Resources

• UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Prostart Academy
• Email Gary
• Gary on Facebook

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. 

Dr. Shani Fox guides cancer survivors through their greatest challenges, including taming fear of recurrence, repairing devastated relationships and making the most of the life they survived for. “For all the excuses I could think of, the dream wouldn’t go away.”

• 00:25: Dr. Shani Fox guides cancer survivors through their greatest challenges.
• 02:55: That’s quite a life to have lived where you can say that you live your life exactly the way you wanted to be able to live it.
• 05:46: I realized that actually, ever since I was a child, I really wanted to be a doctor.
• 09:05: Tell us how you went about that. What it was like and how did you create this new career?
• 12:05: Nine months later, I was accepted to medical school and decided I would move.
• 14:11: Cancer takes us down to the bottom of the bottom.
• 16:05: We really help people get back to a place where they feel okay.
• 18:25: Primarily I'm known now for helping people fighting people through this after journey.
• 20:55: What is one thing that you wish you had known at the beginning of your father's cancer journey?
• 25:50: If you could only do one thing to improve health care in the US, what would it be and why?
• 28:20: Yeah, people are addicted to food. They need to stop, and it’s an addiction.
• 29:38: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions
• 30:33: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?

Resources

• Reach out to Dr. Shani Fox
• Dr. Shani Fox’s Facebook page
• Women Rising Beyond Cancer Facebook Group

Joel Evans was the first person in his family to go to college. While he was working, he was a part-time MBA student. He then switched to full-time status and got his Ph.D. For 44 years, he was a business professor at Hofstra University. He has a great wife, two adult daughters, and two sons-in-law. Right now, he’s teaching a class virtually for graduate students in product management. He is a professor emeritus.

• 00:33: Joel Evans was the first person in his family to go to college.
• 02:02: So, I got the CT scan and then he said I want you to come over to my office.
• 04:10: There was a lot of stuff he didn't tell me because he didn't want me to get more nervous.
• 07:33: And I said, we're not canceling the wedding, and I am going to be there.
• 09:11: Can you explain what the Whipple [surgery] is?
• 11:46: He was able to get all the cancer out.
• 13:08: For those that are not diagnosed early enough to have surgery, the mortality is usually within six months.
• 16:13: You need to work with a doctor that considers you to be an adult and talks to you.
• 18:40: We’re going to work as hard as you do to make sure you live as well as possible for as long as possible.
• 20:01: I also had low white blood cell counts a few times.
• 23:08: I think it makes a huge difference when patients have a goal.
• 24:22: I started to sit down, and I got dizzy. And that's the last thing I remember until I was in the hospital.
• 26:13: I promised myself that I was not going to miss any other time after the surgery until I retired.
• 29:10: I didn't want to steal from her center of attention, but every time people saw me, they started crying.
• 31:10: What was the worst moment for you during all of this?
• 36:02: What was your best moment?
• 36:45: What is one thing that you wish you had known at the beginning of your cancer journey?
• 39:10: If you can only do change one thing to improve health care in the US, what would it be and why?
• 40:10: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions
• 41:58: Aside from Cancer U, what is a resource that you recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?

Resources

• Joel’s book Surviving Cancer and Embracing Life: My Personal Journey
• Joel’s blog Survivingcancerembracinglife.com
• Email Joel [email protected]

Cancer has plagued Krystal Barter’s family for generations: her Mum at 36, her Nan at 44, and her great-grandma at 68. In her twenties, Krystal discovered this was not by chance, but that she was the carrier of a genetic mutation, BRCA1. At the age of 25, she surgically removed her breasts and she became a preventative cancer advocate launching Pink Hope.

• 01:10: Why don't you take us back to the beginning of your cancer journey?
• 03:25: The only two survivors in my family are myself and my mom.
• 05:39: I don't ever think I ever really got my mom back.
• 07:20: How did it affect your relationship with your mother?
• 09:24: How much are they aware of this family history from a young age?
• 11:05: When did you get tested? Why was that the right time? And what did you do?
• 13:50: The geneticist said Krystal you're positive, but your outcome will be completely different.
• 17:14: I went for a mammogram every year and an ultrasound.
• 18:58: I decided that I was going to try and help others get access to genetic testing.
• 20:58: I've had lots more surgeries that pale in comparison to the mastectomy.
• 23:18: I shared my story on 60 Minutes.
• 27:20: I found it hard to get the support I needed.
• 29:13: It was hard being in high school and hating my breasts in my own body.
• 29:40: What was your worst moment?
• 31:14: I had to have everything removed, obviously [a] hysterectomy.
• 35:18: What is one thing that you would do to improve the health care system in Australia?
• 39:23: We have lobbied for change for BRCA gene testing.
• 42:05: The health care system is broken and that's being kind.
• 42:53: Thriver Rapid Fire Questions
• 44:30: Aside from Cancer U, what is one resource that you would recommend for cancer patients and caregivers?

Resources

• Pink Hope
• Pink Hope on Instagram
• Facing Hereditary Cancer Empowered (FORCE)
• Krystal on LinkedIn
• We Humanise Health