Precarious

Within six weeks, Nora McInerny lost both her husband and father to cancer and had a miscarriage. She was 31 years old and her world fell apart. Nora believes that we don't "move on" from grief. Instead, we learn to move forward and live with our loss. Leah and Nora share personal stories about their losses through laughter and tears. They encourage us to remember that grief is the price we pay for love and they wouldn't have it any other way.

Nora hosts the podcast, "Terrible, Thanks for Asking", the author of numerous books including her memoir, "It's Okay to Laugh, and Crying is Cool Too", "No Happy Endings" and "The Hot Young Widow's Club". In 2018, her TED Talk, "We Don't 'move on' From Grief, We Move Forward" has now close to 4.5 million viewers.

Knowing you are going to die is an incredible gift. Just like grief teaches us about love, death teaches us about life. Leah shares her thoughts and feelings about facing her own death and how it has taught her to face her life.

Amy Newmark, Chief Editor and Publisher for the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2018. She worked as much as she could through treatment. As part of her job, she reads hundreds of stories of people's precarious moments and their resulting resilience. Living through her own precarious moment, Amy saw these stories through a whole new light and found comfort in them when she needed it the most. Stories Heal.

Amy Newmark is the bestselling author, editor-in-chief, and publisher of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. Since 2008, she has published more than 150 new books, most of them national bestsellers in the U.S. and Canada, more than doubling the number of Chicken Soup for the Soul titles in print today.

How do we hold on to hope in the face of daunting odds? Well, it starts with understanding what hope is. It's not a souped-up version of optimism. It's actually something quite different. Leah talks about how she has found, and lost, and found hope numerous times through her cancer experiences. She encourages us to believe in the healing power of Hope.

What if your skin color is what made your life precarious? Not an illness, not an accident, not some experience that happened to you, but the color of your skin. Leah talks with Saja Butler, a musician and owner of Urban Monk Studios in Fort Collins, CO about her experiences of being Black in America. Through sharing personal and painful stories, Saja challenges us to sit with the discomfort that we are feeling right now. She inspires us to look at ourselves honestly even if we don't like what we see. Here is where the change begins. And, of course, Music Heals!
Saja Butler Graduated from the Colorado Contemporary Music College with a degree in Music Theory and Instruction. She opened Urban Monk Studios in 2007.

"There are no happing endings. Endings are the hardest part. So just give me a happy middle and a very happy start." A quote by the late Shel Silverstein. In this episode Leah challenges us to think about how much we focus on endings and finish lines as a way to measure our value. She encourages us to think about our worth through a very different lens.

If you asked Dan Via, he would tell you that he lived a pretty idyllic and privileged life: a successful pediatrician, a Juilliard-trained musician and happily married. Then in 2011, while on vacation, he suffered a spinal cord injury that left him initially paralyzed from the neck down. Dan shares his story of letting go of the life he knew and being open to a life of renewed possibilities - a life examined.
Dan Via is a pediatrician with Sentara Pediatric Physicians in Williamsburg, VA. He has been in practice for 23 years. Supporting moms and dads in their journeys as parents has been immensely rewarding. Dan grew up in Charlottesville, VA, attended Duke University, received a Master’s degree from the Juilliard School in New York, and then spent seven years as the principal bassist of the Virginia Symphony. He then returned to Duke for medical school, was a resident physician at the UNC-Chapel Hill Medical Center, and subsequently moved back to Virginia to begin practice in Williamsburg. In 2011, Dan suffered a significant spinal cord injury that initially left him paralyzed from the neck down. He was hospitalized for three months and underwent several surgical procedures. Graced with a substantial recovery, he has a renewed vision of life and its possibilities. Dan’s wife, Susan, is a violinist and a member of the music faculty at William and Mary. They have 2 sons, Forrest and Nathan – one is a William and Mary law student, and the other is a graduate of James Madison University. Dan enjoys recumbent cycling, yoga, reading, and cooking.

Sarah Gray was 3 months pregnant with twins when she found out that one of them had a rare birth defect. He died 6 days after he was born. Sarah and Leah talk about how we never really get over these awful events. Instead, we can see them as an opportunity to grow. Sarah Gray is the author of the award-winning, Washington Post bestseller, A Life Everlasting: The Extraordinary Story of One Boys Gift to Medical Science. Her work and her family's story has been featured on CNN, WNYC's RadioLab, The Moth RadioHour, TED Talk of the Day, The Associated Press, Science Magazine, Reader's Digest, The Atlantic and other major media outlets. Sarah Gray is an organ, eye, tissue, and blood donation advocate and regularly speaks around the country.

Leah gives a health update about her cancer status and how her most recent doctor's visit was the impetus for this episode of the podcast. Bucket List is a term that has been tossed around as a way to get clear about what you want to experience in your life before you die. Not a bad idea. The pandemic has certainly put a damper on pursuing "big" experiences. And, maybe that's a good thing. This has certainly given Leah clarity about her bucket list. It's not about big experiences. It's about people.

This is a very special episode of the podcast. Leah interviews one of her primary oncologists, Dr. Diana Medgyesy. Listen to this intimate and revealing conversation about how Diana works to balance hope and the reality of her patients' cancer experiences. She shares personal stories illustrating the strength, courage and love she witnesses on a daily basis even in the face of death. You will leave feeling hopeful about humanity.

Originally from Romania, where she completed medical school, she received her postgraduate training in Internal Medicine at Yale University and New York Medical College at St. Vincent's Medical Center in CT. This was followed by a fellowship in Medical Oncology and Hematology at University of TX and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. She is a board-certified diplomat in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology and Hematology. She has a special interest in breast and gynecologic cancers. She has been practicing medicine in Fort Collins, CO for 20 years.