By Hall House Productions
Two friends share stories and ideas about cancer
It’s gonna get bloody
We're not dead -- we've just been in loving isolation. In our latest episode, we discuss: Wrongly blocked from TwitterTruncationEndless mask theatreNo more group chemo sessionsCaregiver isolation in liminal spacesNever seeing faces of care team and patients Muffled communicationOld time...
** Getting sick of cancer is a privileged problem of survival ** Keep moving like a shark ** Do what you can do: that is enough ** Find carcinomies who get it ** Step back when you need to
**Resentment: everything is more difficult**Relationships: celebrate the new amazing**Restoration: getting tougher**Rebuilding: plan long term
** Guardian Article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/10/subway-air-pollution-new-york-washington-dc ** BBC Article: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-51049326
What classes would be the funniest and most useful at a cancer university?
** Cancer can be a time to get involved in the politics that now directly affect you. ** Governmental funding has contributed to most of what we know about cancer. ** Our health is dependent on our neighbor’s health--we...
** Is it a cancer souvenir or is it just trash waiting for me to process? ** Use souvenirs as performance art-- it can be therapeutic ** Don’t be afraid to throw things out: the cancer won’t come back...
** People will try to stop you from getting a new pet during cancer; maybe they are right, and maybe they are wrong.. ** Borrow or petshare if possible. ** Research shows great things about people with pets, and...
** Embrace the dynamic relationships ** Take a walk with your caregivers--we should all be walking more ** Know and communicate your needs and wants ** Don’t be afraid to walk alone ** You can’t control others--you can only...
We discuss the cognitive changes from chemotherapy, including forgetfulness, reading difficulties, planning, and possible super powers.
** Embrace your inner artist and change your perspective ** Ask your doctor about the cheaper generic medications ** Emotional trauma makes for amazing friends, so find your community ** Cancer may (or may not) make you a better...
** Common symptoms: breast lump, pain, discharge, dimpling, swelling, change ** Telemedicine has expanded, and can be awesome ** Fatigue or weird dreams can be a warning sign: what is your body telling you? ** Get checked if you think...
We social distance record coronavirus part II: it’s getting weird out there.
** Cancer and financial toxicity is not your fault. ** Family Reach provides money to cover life expenses with low barriers to entry. ** Insurance and crisis finances is a whole new language, and Family Reach has financial planning...
** Wash your hands and don’t touch your face ** Isolate if necessary ** You should always have enough food in the house for two weeks, and rotate through on the regular ** Practice fasting—it’s good meditation, minimization, and prep...
** Everything hurts more after cancer: resist the urge to live in the trauma or play the victim. ** Acknowledge the shittiness of the situation, but don’t live there. ** Cancer + Fertility + Uncertainty = ??** No one...
** The latency period means best case it takes a generation to figure out what causes cancer. ** Kaiser Permenente Childhood Stress Study should be REQUIRED READING for parents so they know which childhood traumas to avoid: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/acestudy/about.html **...
** Embrace your needs and don’t be shy about communicating clearly. ** You ARE as amazing as you hope and fear you are. ** Don’t take yourself so seriously. ** Pay it forward: consider giving to a cancer patient....
** For the Friend: 1) Give the gift of no expectations: DO NOT EXPECT A RESPONSE and don’t let the cancerpath bear the emotional weight of the holidays. 2) Invite, even if you think they will say no. 3)...
** Don’t tell me your a boob man if you don’t know what breast cancer feels like ** Other people can see cancer from different perspectives--herd knowledge ** Corporations co-opt the cancer thing and go off road with it...
** Be proactive about making new connections ** Travel ** Communication is healing ** Go meet people in real life ** You find community by MAKING community
** Diagnosis is a pretty arbitrary date: it’s way after you STARTED being sick, and way before you are DONE being sick-- it’s a celebration of discovering what’s wrong with us? ** Mourn your 1.0 self and life --...
We go behind the scenes with YouTube’s Rudy Fischmann and Brain Cancer Diaries, and check out our video debut for the cliffs notes version!
** The Intersection of Cancer and Life with gem Emily Garnett ** DJ Breast Cancer Tina Conrad ** The CanSurvivor with Kelsey Smith ** Cancer Casually Lindsay DeLong ** But You Don’t Look Sick with Kelsey Bucci
** Yoga, stretching, or biking ** Gardening ** Do some art: painting, writing, etc ** Eat extra well and mindfully ** Find your witchy brew: B complex, magnesium, turmeric, activated charcoal, etc ** Massage, manicure and pedicure (don’t let...
** Cancer doesn’t just require you to change once—it’s constant adaptation. ** Check if any of your survival strategies have turned against you. ** Try to sit with the idea that existence is enough, and if that...
** Try to clarify surgical options early on: what’s the best possible, what’s the worst possible, what’s the probable middle? Manage your expectations as much as you can. ** Know your options. For mastectomy, that’s flat, implants, flap...
** Leanna doesn't’ know when women got the vote: she thought it was 1912, but it was 1920. Less than 100 years ago. Bananas! ** Informed consent can feel like a rubber stamp: “this is what I have to do...
** Testicular cancer is almost always curable… IF you find it early and get treatment. ** Everyone should know how to do a testicular self exam, whether for yourself or for a partner. ** Talk about your...
** Cancer is weird and it makes you weird--you’ll do weird things ** Cancer pushes you out to the ends of the bell curve--out to the extremes ** You are liberated to embrace your weird--no shame in the game **...
We are one year old! Thanks to our listeners (and to cancer!) for coming along with us on our journey to find the elusive new normal and victories in the dark.
** There is no timeline or flowchart for how to “move on” ** It’s definitely time to move on when there is no other choice ** You always have to think about cancer logistics (insurance, cancer treatment...
** You get to know your unique body. Mimi has a crazy heart —which we all could have guessed by listening to her. (HAHAHAHHA!) ** Bask in and enjoy all the love and caring from people who want to...
** There is no escaping the guilt and shame—deal with it now or later ** You will have survivor’s guilt, or guilt about how much people have sacrificed to help you ** You will have shame about...
Listen to our raw, unedited recap of Podcon 2, featuring a 6 hour flight delay, melancholy jellyfish, ThanksCancer cosplay, and occasional sprinkles of cancer.
We discuss Leanna’s experience with her mother’s stage IV cancer.
The diagnosis process is generally awful at work ** You don’t have to be open about cancer--if you are open, you can help the next generation of patients ** Tell fewer rather than more--you can ALWAYS tell more people, and...
We want to label “shoulds” to put people into boxes ** The “shoulds” come from fear ** You can figure out your own “shoulds”--and change your mind about it ** Explore the “coulds” ** Eliminate “should” from your vocabulary as...
** Try magnesium, edible marijuana, or melatonin ** Your bed should only be for sleeping ** You will have to detox from anything you lean on to sleep, whether it’s ativan or Netflix
You have more choices than you think you do. ** You can say no. Before you do, ask what the consequences are. Ask a lot of questions. ** Don’t check out on making choices--check IN! ** Try not to pop...
Fertility is always a mindfuck. ** If you are going through hormone treatment, be aware of how hormones mess with you. ** Talk to someone before you leave them your eggs in a will. ** Google for fertility scholarships and...
** Look into intermittent Fasting for chemo. ** Find your cancer community. ** Carefix and Marenas have pretty great post surgical bras--you will feel better if you look better. ** Figure out how to talk to your doctor ** Plan...
** Raising money is a good way to help the next generation of patients and channel the “after” energy. ** Put the fun in fundraising. If it’s not fun, don’t do it! ** Use fundraising to build a community. **...
*** Recovery is going to take longer than you think, especially if you have to go to work and be professional. *** You have a new baseline, and you have to figure it out on your own. ...
Surprise! We have an interstitial episode where we touch base about our summer and how much we miss the podcast. Looking forward to season 2!
1) Recognition: see where you are (possibly admitting weakness/dependence). 2) Rebirth: starting to feel healthy again (possibly moving to Spain). 3) Regeneration: Trying new things (possibly online dating). ...
** Use your 2.0 as a chance to rebuild, and exercise is essential to the rebuild. ** Activity before / during / after is going to make you feel better physically and psychologically ** Use it or lose it: do...
** Doctors will give you aquaphor or a petroleum product-- maybe try coconut oil or cbd oil. ** Plan for the utter exhaustion of radiation, and plan for naps. ** People want to help you. Let them help you. **...
** Be humble and be kind, not obnoxious and a jerk. ** You never know what someone else is going through: "the cancer experience" is not always universal. ** Know your context within the cancer community. ** Your motivation matters,...
