We all know how hard it is to feel out of place. To not know where we belong. Being part of a community, a tribe, is not only important for our physical well being but it's vitally important for our brain health and mental wellness!

Why am I talking about tribes and communities here on Game On Glio? Because-my friend, you are part of our tribe! You are never alone. You are part of this community. Seth Godin talks about tribes as being essential for growth and leadership. He also explains that in order to pursue something passionately one must have "Faith that leads to HOPE, and it overcomes FEAR. Faith is critical to ALL innovation.” This is important because it's this type of thinking and leadership that has led to some of the most innovative clinical trials out right now. One of those trials is the ReSPECT-gbm trial.

Today we sit down with Andrew Brenner, MD, PhD; a professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. A tumor biologist and oncologist, his focus is in drug development for the management of primary brain tumors and breast neoplasms. Dr. Brenner’s academic work focuses on both clinical cancer management and the development of novel therapies to treat breast and central nervous system tumors. 

And, Dr. Toral Patel who is an Associate Professor and neurosurgeon at the UT Southwestern Medical Center, specializing in brain tumor surgery, including malignant and benign tumors. Her expertise includes advanced surgical techniques like laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) and she also holds a patent for nano-carrier research for central nervous system diseases.

Together, they discuss the importance of clincial trials and the why and how of ReSPECT-GBM and ReSPECT-LM trials.

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What do you do when your partner is diagnosed with glioblastoma? In caregiver, Robert Marx's case, he and his wife made the most of the time they had. 

As a caregiver, Robert decided to approach care-giving in a very methodical, communicative, compassionate way. His advice- "Don't neglect your own well-being. Don't become patient B."

In this episode, we sit down with Robert, who hails from Germany and joined us from London UK, to discuss his late wife and how he has approached his grief and healing since her death.

We have a new recipe for you as we enter fall. Check it out on our YouTube channel at the end of this episode. Listen or watch on all our channels, Spotify, Apple, Audible, YouTube, iHeart Radio.

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Chris Schuler is a fierce advocate for the brain cancer community, a journey that found him due to his experience losing his father to glioblastoma.

My take away from my interview with Chris is his perspective on his anticipatory grief compared to his mother's traumatic grief after his dad's death. The way Chris views the gift he was given during his dad's illness is an eye-opening take away.

A child of adoption, Chris feels he was meant to be adopted by the Schuler's, just as he was meant to help his mom care for his dad. His story on care-giving is beautifully told.

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  In the United States, there are more than 3 million women widowed! But, of that number, only 12% are under the age of 50. Let that sink in for a minute. That means that 360,000 women in the U.S. are widowed before they ever hit 50 years old. You know what else it means? It means 3 million of us loved and loved fearlessly! When your partner dies, you ache- you ache because you loved them. It means you are human.

It might sound like a depressing number, but the reality is, there are more of us out there than we know. We are not alone.

Our guest today, Erica Jane Cheatham-Ormeno, knows this all to well. But the way she has 

Listen now.

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Every once in a while you get a perspective that changes the way you see a certain view of life. Ty Ferrell is not just a cowboy. There's so much more beyond the hat. He's a dad, a farmer, a photographer, a rodeo rider (retired), and an insurance adjuster. He's also single.

We aren't talking about "let's get this guy a date" single. We are talking, hardship in our 40's and living single.We are pulling back the curtain on relationships. Learning the 5 love languages, the 3 insecure attachment styles, the healthiest ways to communicate, and what it takes to combat the loneliness while also owning our single life.

After a divorce left him as a single dad and running a farm on his own, Ty spent a great deal of time trying to tap into his inner vulnerability so that he  could be a better man for himself, his daughter, and a potential partner. And, a brief stint on the reality t.v. show, Farmer Wants a Wife, catapulted him into the spotlight.

Listen now! Game On Glio is syndicated. Listen on iHeart, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Audible and more!

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There is no training manual for how to move through grief. When you become widowed, there are no guidelines that you can turn to. As adults, our brains want to hold onto grief like a weed. Constantly growing back, we replay and run through the death over and over again. The brain processes grief differently than the heart does. But for those who have children, grief is seen through a completely different lens--and sometimes, it changes how grief is viewed.

In today's episode, I talk with Widower Gary Andrews about how culture teaches men and women to grieve differently (yet we all grieve the same). Gary opens up about the need for men to be more vulnerable with their emotions, and how his children helped him navigate grief and taught him a valuable lesson.

Visit our website www.thegameongliopodcast.com and watch video episodes on our YouTube channel where you will also see sponsor details and special food segments.

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Outcome-death, emotion-darkness and grief. How do we move through one of the hardest things that happens in life? The movie, The Color of Rain happened to be airing on Hallmark three or four months after Mike's death. I remember thinking, "Why is this really sad movie on the regular Hallmark channel?" I tried watching 30 minutes of it, I couldn't do it. I was transported back to Mike's death. However, like a sign from the Universe, the movie continued to air on the regular Hallmark channel and eventually I watched it.

Gina Kell-Spehn's story mirrored so much of my own, with two exceptions; she has two children, and she found love in the most unlikely of places.

Shortly after Gina's husband Matt died, across town Michael Spehn was dealt his own tragedy when his wife was diagnosed and died within 17 days of brain cancer. 

This story of love, hope and trust in God is a powerful story. Listen now anywhere podcasts are played or watch on our YouTube Channel.

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Imagine life trucking along, young healthy children, pursuing a dream career, a wonderful marriage, a beautiful home. When you are in your 30's, you don't think that life can change so rapidly. But that's the tricky thing about life, it doesn't matter how old you are, life has a way of veering us of course and onto a whole new path.

Today's guest, Ellen Duncan knows this experience all to well. Her late husband's life was cut short very suddenly-barely into his mid 30's. With two young girls, Ellen was faced with figuring out how to navigate a new path forced upon her.

Ellen learned that she needed to lean in completely. What does that look like--this idea of leaning in? Leaning into what? Grief? Happiness? Widowhood? Motherhood? Life? All of the above. Most importantly Ellen had to lean into her faith and rely on her instincts to help her navigate leaning on herself more than anything else.

You can listen anywhere you get your podcasts or watch this episode on our YouTube channel. Want our homemade creamy Mac & Cheese recipe (lactose friendly)? Get it in episode 3 of this season and watch how it's made on our YouTube channel.

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We are all guilty of it; something overwhelming happens or a trauma and we try to bury our grief, our stress, our feelings over what's happened. But, we can't outrun our grief or trauma. Eventually it manifests in other ways, sometimes physically.

In today's episode, I talk with Grief Coach Kelci Jager of Rise with Grief, & author of A Millions Miracles and the One That Didn't Come. 

For a "how to" on the recipe, visit our YouTube channel. At the end of this episode is a special video of Shannon's homemade Mac & Cheese!

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There is a Chinese proverb- "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed." We never know what we are on the cusp of until we finish the journey. And, while failing teaches us many things, we don't have to be scared of failing. We should only be scared of walking away.

In today's episode, our 50th episode of The Game On Glio Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Sheri Dewan, a board certified Neurosurgeon with expertise in neurological and spine surgery. Dr. Dewan is also a best selling author, having recently published her book- Cutting A Path: The Power of Purpose, Discipline, and Determination. She performs neurosurgery at Ascension Health Wisconsin in Milwaukee, WI, and treats patients with brain and spine issues, brain tumors, degenerative disc disease and SI joint dysfunction. Dr. Dewan specializes in minimally invasive robotic spine surgery. 

She and I sit down, during this brain cancer awareness month, to talk about her life in neurosurgery, her book, where she sees the area of brain tumor advancements, and her hopes for the neuro-medicine and surgery in the coming years.

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