WE Have Cancer

In March of 2011, just four months after Lee and Linda began dating, Lee was diagnosed with Stage II colon cancer. He underwent a partial colectomy and was able to avoid chemotherapy. In December of 2012 Lee and Linda got married and spent their honeymoon in Jamaica. When they returned, it was time for Lee's six-month CT scan. The scan revealed a slowly growing spot on Lee's liver. His oncologist ordered a biopsy. 

On New Year's Eve at 4 pm Lee and Linda received a call from their oncologist, Dr. Jonathan Strosberg with the news they were hoping wouldn't come; Lee's cancer had metastasized to his liver. He would need to undergo liver resection surgery followed by six months of chemotherapy.

In this first episode under the new title, WE Have Cancer, Lee's wife shares her story. She talks about the emotions she's experienced as a caregiver and new wife. She discusses where her positive outlook comes from and how she believes "We have cancer; it doesn't have us."

For over three years The Colon Cancer Podcast has shared stories of information, inspiration and hope of those touched by colorectal cancer; your stories, your family members' stories, your friends' stories, your doctors' stories.   As I've reflected back on all of these incredible interviews I realized that the whole world can be inspired by these stories. The messages contained within these deep, and often emotional conversations, can touch more people, not just those within our colorectal cancer community. And this is why I'm incredibly excited to share this major announcement with you.   Each year, more than 12 MILLION people will hear the same three DEVASTATING words: “YOU. Have. Cancer.”   As many of you know, I myself am a survivor of pediatric kidney cancer and Stage IV colon cancer.   My AMAZING wife Linda has taught me that *WE* have cancer, because every one of us is affected by it in some way -- survivors, family, friends, and medical and support team members...   And we ALL have a story worth telling.   And this is why The Colon Cancer Podcast is transforming to a new name, while sharing the same inspiring stories. Welcome to    WE Have Cancer   As a Stage IV colon cancer patient I will continue to focus on the colorectal cancer community; however, if I come across an inspiring story of a breast cancer patient or a childhood cancer survivor I want to give them an opportunity to share their stories as well. You see, there are no other regularly produced podcast available today that share these stories with the world.   WE Have Cancer will debut on May 8th, when, for the very first time, I interview my wife Linda.    Like before, the podcast will be available on iTunes, the Stitcher app, Spotify, Google Play and on our new website wehavecancershow.com. All of the previous episodes will continue to be available.   The success of The Colon Cancer Podcast happened because of you. You supported the show, shared the episodes with the community and even recommended guests for me to interview. Thank you for believing in me then and thank you in advance for joining me on this exciting new journey.

I had the pleasure of meeting Dana at the 12th annual Call-on Congress. She became very involved in cancer advocacy efforts after losing her husband Jean to colon cancer on Mother’s Day, 2015. He was only 43-years-old. Her 7-year-old  son will need to begin screening at age 25. Also, her32-year-old brother recently had precancerous cells […]

The post Honoring Her Husband’s Memory Through Her Advocacy Work, With Dana Georges appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

This story of Gina’s journey appeared in the 2017 issue of On The Rise and was written by our late friend, Dr. Tom Marsilje. Gina Benedetti may be about the happiest and most hopeful person diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) that you have ever met – and her hope and happiness are infectious! This […]

The post Teaching Hope and Happiness in the Face of Cancer appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Matt and Nikki Moore met while they were in college. They fell in love and were married a short time later. In late 2015, while pregnant with their first child, Matt was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer at the age of 32. Before his death, Matt wanted to inspire people to live life to […]

The post Honoring Her Husband’s Legacy With Nikki Moore of #LiveMoore appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

In this bonus episode Dr. Andrew Albert returns to the show for an informal conversation about colon cancer screening and awareness. He and I talked about embarrassment, stigmas, poop and more. How do we get young people, and their doctors, to recognize their symptoms and understand that there’s no such thing as “too young” for […]

The post Talking Colon Cancer Screening and Awareness With Dr. Andrew Albert appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Paul Shadle was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer in 2016 after noticing symptoms on a family vacation. He had dismissed prior feelings of fatigue and chalked it up to getting older. On vacation, he had bloating and cramping in his abdomen, later noticing blood in his stool. When Paul was diagnosed, the disease had […]

The post Getting Men To Discuss Their Colon Cancer Symptoms, With Paul Shadle appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Tara (pronounced Tar-uh) Principali was diagnosed with Stage 2 rectal cancer five years ago at the age of 30. Though she once lived an unhealthy lifestyle, weighing as much as 270 lbs., she dedicated herself to fitness and healthy eating prior to her diagnosis and lost 130 lbs. In addition to the rectal cancer diagnosis Tara […]

The post Colon Cancer’s Tattooed Pinup Girl, Tara Principali appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Julienne Edwards was finishing law school, dreaming of her new career. God, as they say, had other plans and at the agee of 26 she was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. Julienne is the Grass Roots Advocacy Manager for Fight CRC. Links Mentioned In The Show Fight CRC Clinical Trial Finder @Jules_GEdwards on Twitter […]

The post Leading Grass Roots Advocacy While Dealing With Her Stage IV Diagnosis appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Danielle and Mike met when they were teenagers. “We were best friends” they told me. When she was just 17, Danielle was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer. Nine years later she again would be diagnosed with colon cancer; this time it was Stage 1. Initial genetic testing was inconclusive. Later on she would learn […]

The post Our Seventeen Years With Colon Cancer and Each Other appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.