If you've ever fantasized about not attending the gathering, not picking up the phone, or not pretending to be okay for everyone else's comfort, this episode is your permission slip.

In this powerful episode, Charlotte gets real about something every caregiver has felt but few say out loud: the need to hide from the world, and the overwhelming guilt that follows. 

Charlotte explores why rest is repair, not rebellion; why guilt floods in when you try to protect your peace; and how to rewrite the internal script that says your worth depends on your presence.

With compassion and clarity, she offers caregivers a lifeline, practical strategies, breathing practices, self-talk rewrites, and boundary-setting scripts to help you opt out without apology.

This episode is a sacred exhale. You don't need to earn rest. You don't have to perform wellness. And you’re allowed to say, “I just can’t this year.”

Find your Free Scanxiety Toolkit at https://www.cancercaregiverpodcast.com/tools

Cancer caregivers know how overwhelming diagnosis and testing can be. In this episode of The Cancer Caregiver Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Robert Bard, an internationally recognized expert in 3D Doppler ultrasound imaging, to discuss how non-invasive cancer screening is changing what’s possible for patients and their caregivers.

We explore how this advanced technology improves early detection of breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue—and why male breast cancer is often overlooked. Dr. Bard also shares insights on environmental exposures (like toxins, firefighting, and military service), how caregivers can support loved ones in getting second opinions, and why patient involvement in diagnostics can be life-saving.

If you’re a caregiver navigating cancer or someone searching for answers about screening and treatment options, this conversation will give you the tools, language, and confidence to ask better questions and advocate for your loved one.

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome & introduction to Dr. Bard

02:00 – What inspired Dr. Bard’s focus on early cancer detection

05:00 – How 3D Doppler ultrasound improves on mammograms & MRIs

08:00 – Understanding male breast cancer and why it’s overlooked

13:00 – Environmental toxins, firefighters, and screening risks

16:00 – 3D imaging for treatment guidance

20:00 – Alternative & complementary approaches to cancer care

23:00 – Why patients should always ask questions and get a second opinion

28:00 – Firefighter and first responder screening programs

30:00 – Upcoming global male breast cancer conference & resources

Credits

Guest: Dr. Robert L. Bard, Bard Cancer Diagnostics

Learn more at: www.BardCancerDiagnostics.com

In this special crossover episode, Charlotte shares the mic with two voices she deeply respects: Dr. Tina Kaser and Dr. Leah Sherman, the brilliant hosts of The Cancer Pod.

Both naturopathic doctors, Dr. Kaser and Dr. Sherman blend science, warmth, and humor in conversations that help people navigating cancer feel informed, supported, and truly seen. And in this episode, they’re taking on something that can feel complicated for anyone touched by cancer: gratitude.

But don’t worry—this isn’t one of those “just think positive” chats.

Instead, you’ll hear:

• What real gratitude looks like when life is genuinely hard
• The science of how it impacts your health
• How toxic positivity and cynicism can cloud the experience
• Personal stories and clinical wisdom from two seasoned professionals
• And a surprisingly sweet lesson from a dog named Panda about waking up grateful

This episode is honest, funny, and refreshingly relatable. It won’t tell you what to feel—it simply gives you space to feel it all.

So take a deep breath and settle in as The Cancer Pod explores gratitude in a way that feels real, not forced.

At the ThyCa Conference, Charlotte sits down with caregiver and Thyca volunteer Miguel Meléndez for an honest conversation about what caregiving really feels like behind the scenes.

Miguel shares the one piece of advice he gives every caregiver, the challenges men face in caregiving roles, and how caring for a spouse while raising three young children reshaped his sense of identity and resilience.

They talk openly about self-preservation, the emotional toll of patient portals, maintaining connection during long cancer journeys, and the quiet loneliness that can come with caregiving. If you’ve ever felt unseen or unsure how to take care of yourself while caring for someone else, this conversation will remind you that you’re not alone.

You can find more information about the Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc at http://www.thyca.org

What happens when traditions begin to feel heavy, performative, or completely out of alignment with your current life as a caregiver?

In this episode, Charlotte explores the grief, guilt, and quiet relief that can come with releasing old traditions and why it’s okay to do so. Through personal stories, reflection prompts, and a breath practice for letting go, she invites you to examine the rituals you’ve been maintaining. Are they still nourishing you? Or are they quietly exhausting you?

This episode is about evolving with honesty. It’s about recognizing that letting go of how things used to be doesn’t mean letting go of love it means making space for what your life needs now.

Find your Free Scanxiety Toolkit at https://www.cancercaregiverpodcast.com/tools

It’s the season of gratitude… but what if you’re too exhausted to feel thankful?

If you’ve ever sat at a table, forced to answer “What are you grateful for?” with nothing but a lump in your throat, this episode is for you.

In this powerful episode, Charlotte speaks directly to the caregivers who feel emotionally spent, overwhelmed by expectations, and disconnected from the glossy gratitude culture of November.  

Charlotte redefines gratitude in a way that’s real, accessible, and grounded in survival. She introduces the practice of micro-gratitude, noticing the smallest moments of relief, without forcing positivity or emotional performance.

With honesty, compassion, and practical tools, this episode gives you permission to stop trying so hard to “feel grateful” and start honoring the truth of what you’re carrying. Because sometimes, survival is the win, and noticing one moment of ease is more than enough.

Find your Free Scanxiety Toolkit at https://www.cancercaregiverpodcast.com/tools

Caregivers are constantly in motion, doing, managing, anticipating, giving. But in this powerful episode, Charlotte offers something different: a full-body invitation to pause.

There’s no to-do list here. No lesson to absorb. No advice to implement. Just a guided, gentle space to rest.

Through breath, body awareness, and quiet affirmation, this episode leads you out of survival mode and back into your body. It offers the kind of restoration caregivers rarely allow themselves, but so deeply deserve.

You don’t have to wait until everything is done. You don’t have to feel guilty for taking 10 minutes. You don’t have to earn this moment.

You can rest now. And you’ll still be enough.

Find the Scanxiety Toolkit at https://www.cancercaregiverpodcast.com/tools

If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t have time to be mindful,” this episode is for you.

In caregiving, time always feels tight. So mindfulness? It sounds like a luxury you can’t afford. But what if mindfulness isn’t about carving out more time but simply showing up to the time you already have?

In this episode, Charlotte shares how presence, not perfection, is the most powerful act of self-preservation. You'll learn the difference between mindfulness and meditation, how to shift your focus from spiraling to grounding, and how to use ordinary moments (like washing your hands or starting the car) to return to yourself.

Using the Anchor Practice, Charlotte walks you through how to integrate mindfulness into your caregiving life without needing more time, silence, or space. Just presence.

Find the Scanxiety Toolkit at https://www.cancercaregiverpodcast.com/tools

When you’re caregiving, your mind is focused on tasks, timelines, and to-dos. But your body is paying attention to what you’re not saying out loud.

In this episode, Charlotte explores how the physical body holds stress, tension, and emotional weight long before we consciously recognize it.

If your shoulders are constantly tight, your breath is shallow, or your patience is wearing thin, this isn’t weakness; it’s your nervous system asking for help.

You’ll learn how chronic caregiving stress impacts your biology, why burnout doesn’t always announce itself, and how to start noticing the small signals your body is sending before they become a scream.

With a calming guided practice and real-world insight, this episode offers more than information—it gives you permission to reconnect with yourself through quiet, consistent attention.

Find your Free Scanxiety Toolkit at https://www.cancercaregiverpodcast.com/tools

Mentioned in this episode:

Find Overlooked at www.overlooked.pod

After caregiving for so long, you might feel like you’ve lost parts of yourself you didn’t even know were missing.

This episode isn’t about returning to who you were before cancer. It’s about reconnecting with the person you're becoming now.

In this season finale of Becoming You Again, Charlotte shares four powerful entry points to help caregivers reintegrate into their own lives: presence, choice, expression, and boundaries.

Through personal stories, simple grounding practices, and real-world tools, this episode offers a compassionate roadmap for beginning the next chapter, not by fixing yourself, but by including yourself.

This isn’t about becoming your “old self.” It’s about coming home to the person you are now with all the strength, wisdom, and humanity caregiving has shaped in you.