Life After Cancer? WTF Now?

Two days before her double mastectomy, Naomi sits down for an honest, funny, and emotional chat about life with the BRCA1 gene and everything her boobs have been through.

In this episode, she shares what it’s really like preparing for surgery: the fear, the relief, the drains (not glamorous), and the hope that maybe, just maybe, she’ll like her new pair. Naomi opens up about her fertility journey, losing a baby during chemo, having one frozen embryo, and the card reader who told her another baby is still in her future.

If you’re navigating BRCA1, breast cancer, or life before major surgery, this episode is a grounded, relatable take no toxic positivity, no fluff, just real talk and a few laughs about the weird bits no one warns you about.

In this episode of Life After Cancer? WTF Now?, Jo Mason shares her powerful journey from an initial breast cancer diagnosis in Dubai to living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.

Jo opens up about the rapid treatment path she faced from mastectomy to chemotherapy, and the mindset shifts that helped her navigate fear, fatigue, and uncertainty. She discusses how nutrition, lifestyle choices, and self-kindness became cornerstones of her healing, and why self-advocacy is essential in the healthcare system.

Now the founder of The Confidence Collection, Jo helps women rebuild self-belief and emotional strength after cancer. Her story is one of resilience, empowerment, and thriving beyond diagnosis.

Key Takeaways

• ​Jo was diagnosed with breast cancer in Dubai and underwent mastectomy and chemotherapy.
• ​She emphasises the power of mindset in coping with cancer’s emotional and physical challenges.
• ​Lifestyle and nutrition choices play a major role in healing and long-term wellbeing.
• ​She advocates for better nutritional education in the medical system.
• ​Encourages everyone to be their own health advocate and question the status quo.
• ​Transitioned from teacher to women’s confidence coach, creating The Confidence Collection.
• ​Stresses self-kindness, rest, and listening to your body’s cues.
• ​Shares her experience with PTSD after cancer treatment and how she sought help.
• ​Believes confidence comes from inner self-worth, not appearance.🔊 ​

In this episode of Life After Cancer? WTF Now? Naomi sits down with Kevin Donaghy, a stage 4 melanoma survivor whose story is as powerful as it is hopeful. Kevin opens up about his journey from diagnosis to recovery, the emotional toll of living with cancer, and how community and honesty helped him keep going when things felt impossible.

He also shares the inspiration behind his book, Stories of Cancer and Hope, a moving collection of 39 real-life accounts from people affected by cancer, reminding us that no one walks this road alone. This conversation dives deep into resilience, hope, and finding purpose after cancer, offering real talk and real encouragement for anyone navigating life beyond diagnosis.

Takeaways

• ​Kevin's cancer journey began with a blemish on his arm.
• ​He was diagnosed with stage two melanoma and later stage four metastatic melanoma.
• ​The emotional weight of a cancer diagnosis is often unexpected.
• ​It's normal to feel a mix of gratitude and fear during treatment.
• ​Community support is crucial for those diagnosed with cancer.
• ​Kevin's book aims to provide hope and connection through shared stories.
• ​The writing process was both cathartic and emotionally challenging for Kevin.
• ​Stories in the book resonate with various cancer experiences, not just melanoma.
• ​Maggie's centers provide vital support for cancer patients and their families.
• ​Hope is a constant theme throughout the cancer journey.
• ​

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Serendipity

02:20 Kevin's Cancer Journey Begins

05:28 Processing Stage Four Diagnosis

10:23 The Emotional Roller Coaster

14:50 Finding Hope and Perspective

18:33 The Birth of the Book: Stories of Cancer and Hope

26:20 The Roller Coaster of Life and Cancer

27:37 Finding Connection Through Shared Stories

30:03 Stories That Leave a Lasting Impact

33:11 The Constant of Hope

35:00 Creating Support Networks

42:14 You're Not Alone: The Power of Community

44:40 Advice for the Newly Diagnosed

https://storiesofcancerandhope.co.uk/

What if you realised your genes are not your destiny? That you do have some control after all?

You’re handed a gene that comes with a warning label and a side of existential dread, now what?

This episode is for people who carry BRCA1 and are not here to quietly accept the script that came with it. We discuss how everyone, yes everyone, has a BRCA1 gene, and ours just needs some support. We delve into practical strategies, and conversations with people rewriting their lives instead of waiting for fate to call the shots.

We talk prevention, genetics, food, and the weird psychological whiplash of walking around with “maybe-cancer” in your DNA without letting it run your life.

If you’re living with a BRCA1 variant and want proof you can hold risk without surrendering to destiny, you’re in the right place.

You get told you have cancer, and before you know it you wake up in a body you barely recognise. Scars, implants, hot flashes, new hormones… it’s like living in someone else’s skin.

In this episode, we talk about the uncomfortable, often hilarious, and surprisingly empowering process of making peace with the body you didn’t ask for.

Because maybe, just maybe, this new version of you isn’t broken. It’s just different, and maybe- just maybe, you can learn to love it.

When I asked "why did I get cancer", I was told, "You're just unlucky". I refused to believe this.

So I paid for some tests, and what did I get back? Words my over priced consultant couldn’t really explain. Cue: confusion, panic… and ChatGPT.

In this episode, I talk about how I used AI to decode my test results, calm my post-cancer fears, and build a plan that actually makes sense to me.

Because sometimes “doctor speak” sounds like Klingon, and a chatbot can actually do a better job translating science into sanity. 

Also featuring: an eye-wateringly expensive pee test, a few WTF moments, and the reminder that understanding your body is the most powerful thing you can do for your healing.

Find links to all the tests I had done below:

https://www.lifecodegx.com/detoxification-report

https://www.lifecodegx.com/detoxification-report

https://www.lifecodegx.com/hormones-report

https://www.regeneruslabs.me/

https://invivohealthcare.com/education/articles/gut-health-and-microbiome-stool-test/?srsltid=AfmBOormOHpfduvMvlBIAYns0KQo98AkU3Qeuho4RLCLNPVHHzyK8b6-

So you’ve survived cancer. Hooray! Balloons, cake, roll credits… right?Not quite. In this episode, Katie joins me to talk about what really happens after the treatment ends-the weird mix of relief, confusion, and the awkward realisation that life doesn’t snap back to “normal.”

We dig into the messy bits of survivorship: finding purpose when everyone else thinks the story’s over, handling the lingering side effects no one warns you about, and figuring out how to live fully when the fear of recurrence lurks in the background.

Katie’s story is honest, funny, and refreshingly real proof that surviving cancer isn’t the end of the journey, it’s the start of a whole new (and sometimes bizarre) chapter.

🎧 Timestamps

• ​0:00 – Introduction & DiagnosisKatie shares her background and the moment everything changed.
• ​3:00 – Treatment Journey & ChallengesFrom the medical grind to the unexpected hurdles along the way.
• ​9:00 – Life After Treatment: Finding a New NormalWhat “normal” looks like when the old version doesn’t exist anymore.
• ​15:00 – Support Networks & Emotional Well-beingHow friends, family, and community played a role in recovery.
• ​21:00 – Mindset Shifts & Life PrioritiesThe perspective changes cancer leaves behind.
• ​27:00 – Open Dialogue & Personal RelationshipsTalking honestly about survivorship with the people who matter most.

Cancer’s a rollercoaster nobody asked for. In this episode, I share my four biggest ups and downs, zero sugar-coating.

Follow @lifeaftercancer_wtf

So, cancer shows up in your life and everyone expects a neat storyline. Be brave. Stay positive. Move on.

But the truth? It’s rarely that simple.

In this first episode, I dive into the messy, funny, and often unspoken reality of living with cancer-before, during, and long after treatment ends. From the fear that lingers in the background, to body changes no one prepares you for, to the identity shift that makes you wonder who the hell you are now, we talk about it all.

This isn’t about toxic positivity or being told to “just be grateful.” It’s about honest conversations, a bit of dark humour, and creating a space where we can say the things that usually get swallowed down.

Whether you’re in treatment, finished treatment, years out, supporting someone you love, or simply trying to make sense of how cancer has changed your life, this podcast is for you.

Because survivorship isn’t a moment.

It’s a journey.

And we don’t have to do it quietly or alone.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Life After Cancer Podcast

04:21 The Journey of a Cancer Survivor

12:16 Navigating Life After Cancer

13:05 Creating a Community for Survivors