The Cancer Files

Thanks again to the powers of social media, I first started following Suze via her blog, "Let's talk about Poo". I loved how open and honest she was with talking about somewhat taboo subjects. She's extremely open with her journey from symptoms to diagnosis to treatment and beyond, and we chat a lot about exercise and nutrition, and being a young person with what is often perceived as an old persons disease. Added bonus - we'll tell you what not to say to someone who has cancer.

Grief is loss, not death - Cait Wotherspoon

Cait Wotherspoon was introduced to me by a mutual friend, and when I spoke to her on the phone to ask if she would come on the podcast, it felt like I was talking to an old friend. Cait has an incredible story of how she came to helping people deal with loss and grief and challenges me emotionally in our chat about healing. I have mentioned before that the second hardest thing for me has been survival. Cait and I talk about finding new joy.

So Mum, I have cancer - Christine Franklin. How do you tell your parents that you have cancer? Our family on my mum's side comes from tough, long living family lines. Our family hit their 90's in their stride - our grandmother/matriarch Yvonne is still going strong at 95. Mum and I talk about caring for an adult child with a serious illness, how to stay present but not overstep the mark, and how we hope to be ordering a beer, in a bar, at 90+. Just one though.

Lightening does strike twice: Adam Keam.

For the second time with The Cancer Files, I'm chatting to Adam Keam thanks to Instagram. We have a few things in common - we both lived in Asia, we both live in Sydney, and oh - we both have had bowel cancer. Adam has gone one up on me though and had it twice. Not a spread, but a second primary tumour. He is brutally honest and doesn't shy away from anything - plus he's got an infectious laugh and a voice you could listen to for hours.

Food for Thought. And Healing : Renee Wallace

Renee came into my life thanks to Instagram and Facebook. Like me, Renee was a young mum when she was diagnosed with bowel cancer. We talk about lifestyle, nutrition and her new venture "Living a Life Less Cancer". Renee goes way outside of her comfort zone with videos and online content, sharing her stories as she pounds the pavements, pre-dawn, along the streets in her home in New Zealand.

Kim and I used to steal the show singing Hotel California in karaoke bars and every party we went to whilst living in Singapore. Kim shares her journey through breast cancer treatment, so we get to cover off boobs and bums in this series. She's been through a shit ton of chemo and lost all of her hair, but none of her spirit and sense of humour. We still can't sing Hotel California in Spanish (or any other language, some would say including our own).

The Salt to My Pepper - Arjen Koster.

Arjen and I are living our own fairytale. We had a holiday romance and woke up head over heels in love with each other. Arjen joins me to talk about the early days of diagnosis, dealing with setbacks and day to day life, and living with a wife who sometimes poops in public. It's a laugh.