That 6-Letter Word

Colon cancer goes by many names: colorectal, rectal, bowel, and obviously colon cancer. Unfortunately, Sarah is well versed in these interchangeable names. Sarah was diagnosed with Stage 3C colon cancer in her early thirties. She had the mantra "do whatever it takes" when it came to ridding her body of cancer. So, she underwent surgery and chemotherapy to increase her 5-year survival rate by a dramatic difference and spoiler, it worked. Sarah also drew on her professional background in TV development to help deal with the chemo challenges. She started "The Chemo Chat Show" where she invited her comedian friends to come sit with her during chemo and recorded their chats. We loved getting to know Sarah and her story and hope you find it as inspiring as we did!

Lindsey had just received her MBA, was working in corporate finance, and at the age of 29 was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor. In this week's episode, we sit down with Lindsey as she takes us through this life-altering diagnosis and her steps to becoming the person she is today. She gives insight into how your mindset, alongside meditation, makes all the difference in your journey. We are so excited for her to share her advice and story in this episode!

On this week's episode, we sat down with the fabulous Liya Shuster-Bier! Liya has experienced cancer as a caregiver, a patient, and now, as a 33-year-old two-time survivor of primary mediastinal b-cell lymphoma. Throughout both her own and her mother’s experience with cancer, Liya recognized that there were gaps in the cancer-care market and decided to take action. On January 11, 2021 - her 3-year cancerversary - Liya launched Alula, a radically honest resource on a mission to make cancer less lonely. Alula helps people, families, and friends through the entire lifecycle of cancer, from diagnosis and treatment, to recovery, survivorship and bereavement. The platform offers everything from a marketplace of products curated by patients and guided by medical experts, to a library of content that centralizes all of the information you need to know on how to live with cancer. We are so excited to share Liya & Alula's story!

Cancer always catches us off guard and throws wrenches in plans, but rarely are plans so deeply and quickly impacted as when one is already in the middle of a major life transition, as with today's guest, who was 14 weeks pregnant with her first child when she was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer. Alessandra joins us to share her experience navigating life as a pregnant cancer patient. We're so glad to have her here to speak about her pain, joy, fear, and excitement throughout this unique journey, and we're so excited to welcome her son Luca into the world!

Libby grew up in a loving home, with two healthy parents and a little brother. Pre-pandemic, they split their time between England and the United States, and frequently her parents hosted get-togethers, or should we say parties. When everything appeared to be going smoothly, they were hit with an unexpected change: that 6-letter word. Her father was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Libby shares with us this week about her changing relationship with her father, her family, and herself. She gives insight into the differing thoughts that pass through her mind, and shares some advice and wisdom on caring for a loved one with cancer.

Cancer affects approximately 1 in 285 children in the US, and today we're proud to share the story of one such kid, who beat cancer at age 7 and has grown into an incredible young woman. Sarah talks with us about her experiences with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and how they have shaped her perspective, career, and relationships. We are so excited to share this story of our friend who has learned to proudly dance through life!

Our new friend Emily has experienced a lot since turning 21: two cancer diagnoses, many rounds of inpatient chemo, and two major surgeries, one of which left her with a disability. But she's also started an incredible blog, found a "cancer buddy" in her sweet dog, and embraced her changing life with grace. Emily joins us this week to talk about her journey with Ewing sarcoma as a young woman, and gives us a little insight into how she copes, which includes writing her awesome blog, Wonky Arm. We're so excited to share Emily's story!

Did you know that the average recommended age for women to start getting mammograms is 40? Our guest Lauren started at 30 due to a family history of cancer and an inkling that she may eventually get cancer...but she didn't expect to be proven right so early. In this episode, Lauren shares her breast cancer story. She takes us through the diagnosis, her continuing treatment, and her experience as a patient of color. Oh, and did we mention she has a newly growing family? She has a young son, and she and her husband were trying to expand their family when she got this news. Lauren shares all of the trials and tribulations, along with some nuggets of wisdom along the way. We're so excited to share this episode!

When we think back on freshman year of college, we think about leaving home, living in dorms, making new friends, drinking...on occasion... Well, Lauren got all of that, and much more. In this week's episode, Lauren W shares her personal story about her battle with lymphoma during her early college years. She discusses how her cancer journey led her to a career in social work, and eventually to her current position with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

NOTE: WE ARE NOT IN THE MEDICAL FIELD!!!

Fill in the blank: Does ______________ cause cancer? Most of the time, whatever you fill in the blank with, is probably false. In this episode, Nikki and Emily discuss their favorite myths and share their opinions on each of them. Reminder to everyone: please Google it before saying it.