Thoughtful Human

Ali talks with Ben, a former naval aviator whose life took an abrupt turn when he was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 26.

In their conversation, they discuss Ben's unexpected diagnosis, overcoming shame and navigating life with a colostomy bag, how he approached the statistics and faced his mortality, the long-term impacts of treatment, the importance of caregivers, how having a life-threatening disease has changed his worldview, and how to show up for someone with a colorectal cancer diagnosis.

Ali also shares more about testing, her first colonoscopy experience, and where to turn for further guidance.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Fight Colorectal Cancer

American Cancer Society - Cancer Action Network (CAN) for Colorectal Cancer

Ben Moon's “Denali”

Ben White’s Instagram

If you want to follow along in our journey or check out our products, find us at our website thoughtfulhuman.co, or find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

P.S. If you or someone you love need access to a month of free online therapy: betterhelp.com/thoughtfulhuman.

Ali talks with Angelica Catalano, the Director of Social Impact at The Mighty, the world's largest digital health community. Angelica has lived with ulcerative colitis over 25 years. According to the CDC, in 2015 around 3 million U.S. adults reported being diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), either ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.

In their conversation, they discuss Angelica's personal journey with ulcerative colitis, both physically and mentally, they chat about the differences and parallels between their experiences with ulcerative colitis, and they leave specific tips on how to navigate conversations with your loved ones impacted by ulcerative colitis and any health challenges.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

www.themighty.com

The Mighty's Ulcerative Colitis Condition Guide

Crohn's and Colitis Foundation

Girls With Guts

*CORRECTION NOTICE: IBS stands for "irritable bowel syndrome", not "inflammatory bowel syndrome" as stated in the episode intro.

If you want to follow along in our journey or check out our products, find us at our website thoughtfulhuman.co, or find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

P.S. If you or someone you love need access to a month of free online therapy: betterhelp.com/thoughtfulhuman.

Hi friends! My name is Ali O’Grady and I’m so excited to introduce you to Thoughtful Human, the podcast.

I lost my favorite human to colorectal cancer in 2011 and have been on a complex journey with grief ever since. I have watched many family members and friends struggle with addiction and other mental health issues, and seen firsthand the devastating effects for everyone involved.

I began to notice the glaring communication issues all around me and started asking others about their experiences. Two things became very clear: 1) people are absolutely desperate to talk about their pain and struggles and 2) people are absolutely terrified to ask or bring it up. I wanted to change that.

Join me, as I talk with individuals and expert to explore uncomfortable subjects and how we can show up for the people we love within challenging circumstances. We’ll explore why certain topics are so hard to discuss, and how we can break down barriers to communication. We will talk about shame and its role in isolating us and exacerbating many of these challenges. We’ll talk about what has and hasn’t helped for certain people, and some specific sensitivities and vocabulary to consider along the way.

Learn more about us at thoughtfulhuman.co. and help make this podcast your own — share your story, share your feedback, share your needs — we're listening: [email protected]

P.S. If you or someone you love need access to a month of free online therapy: betterhelp.com/thoughtfulhuman

Hey friends – welcome to Thoughtful Human, the podcast. We’ll be talking with individuals and experts about everything from cancer, addiction, grief, and mental health, to some highly stigmatized, often taboo subjects like herpes, domestic violence, suicide, and more.

If the mention of any of these subjects makes you feel a little uneasy, well, that's exactly the point. We’ll use this space to explore why these subjects are so hard to discuss, and how we can break down barriers to communication and get our loved ones the support they need. Each episode, we’ll leave you with tangible tips to help you move through your own roadblocks and approach these conversations in your relationships.