The C Word

You don't have to wear green lycra and bust a gut at the gym to be healthy! Dr Lynnette Jones from Otago University is a world leader in researching the health benefits of exercise for people who have had breast cancer. She joins Helen to discuss what healthy survivorship really means and shares some of her best exercise tips

When Julianne O'Brien walked into the oncology unit at Auckland Hospital she felt an overwhelming sense of sadness. Following a diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer she had a mastectomy and was advised to have chemotherapy treatment. Julianne chose a different path and shares how she found hope and a new way of living on this episode of the C Word. Note: All views expressed are the person's own and are not meant to act as medical advice. Please discuss any concerns with your health with a medical professional.

Helen met the Happy Lady at a cancer retreat. While she hung around at the back of the room avoiding eye contact, the happy lady glowed with health and optimism. Shona Hurndell aka 'The Happy Lady' joins Helen to reveal how she dealt with the sudden death of her husband AND breast cancer.

Did you sail the cancer sea on a yacht or were you hanging onto a piece of wood like Jack from the Titanic while Rose took up all the space? Portland fashion designer Claire Doody was 34 when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She joins Helen to talk about learning to accept help when you're fiercely independent, choosing cancer treatment over fertility and some of the hilarious things chemo does to your body.

Don't let the title scare you away - come join the conversation about dry vaginas! Helen talks to the author of "Me and My Menopausal Vagina" Jane Lewis about the often debilitating symptoms menopause can bring.

Stress and burnout have become accepted consequences of modern life. Faye Lawand is on a mission to turn this attitude on its head. Following her own experience of burnout she developed a programme for addressing the cause of anxiety, burnout and internal conflict. Faye joined Helen to talk about the importance of dealing with stress before it gets to burnout.

Puberty is hard enough without being diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer. At 13, New South Wales based Kiwi Gautami Motupally thought she was just bloated when doctors discovered she had cancer. She joined Helen to talk about how her experience has impacted her mental health and body image.

Cancer has been blamed on witch craft, misfortune and the downfall of a modern life. But what really causes cancer? Helen talks to Dr Kat Arney about her latest book Rebel Cell: Cancer, Evolution and the Science of life to get to the bottom of what causes cancer.

Comedian David Downs learned to be careful what you wish for when he made New Year's resolutions to lose weight and spend more time with his family. Sudden weight-loss and feeling like he had a touch of a flu led to a cancer diagnosis. David joins Helen to talk about going from being given a terminal cancer diagnosis to being cured of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. David's book "A Mild Touch of Cancer" is available here https://www.mildtouch.nz/

Radio host Sarah Gandy joins Helen and Belinda to talk about the campaign Change and Check, she has brought to New Zealand to raise awareness of the nine signs of breast cancer. They share stories of being diagnosed at a young age and Helen reveals her love for alpacas.