WE Have Cancer

On this episode of WE Have Cancer, stage 4 throat cancer survivor Marc Julien shares with Lee the brutal truth of his experience with radiation therapy on his road to remission, and his newfound passion today for spreading awareness and fundraising for pediatric cancer research. He proudly says cancer is the best thing to ever happen to him, remission or not, because it’s given him the perspective, patience, and appreciation for life’s most priceless and precious moments. 

Marc Julien became a first-time father just three weeks before his stage 4 throat cancer diagnosis. His wife Cortney became a rockstar caretaker in more ways than one as Marc underwent 7 weeks of intense and “excruciating” radiation therapy to treat the metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in his left lymphoid and tonsil. Now in remission, he’s been training the last two and a half years as a cyclist to compete in the Race Across America with a team of 19 others who have also been impacted by cancer in their own way. Marc and his team have a fundraising goal of $500,000 for pediatric cancer research.

• Diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer, 3 Weeks After Becoming a Father

A cancerous lump was found in Marc’s neck that had been growing for a few months, right before his daughter was born. She was born May 10th, and by June 5th Marc was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in his left lymph node and left tonsil.

• How Did Mark's Wife React to his Diagnosis?

Right after the baby was born, Marc got a biopsy. It was a week’s wait for the results to come in. Marc says he and his wife shared feelings of disappointment and fear for the future, and all the uncertainty that lay ahead. 

• Was it Hard to Be "In the Moment" with His Newborn Daughter?

Marc says he "kind of blocked out" those early days, but that his wife and daughter came to support him at every single radiation therapy session. Everyone involved in his treatment also looked forward to seeing newborn Ella there to support her dad.

• Stage 4 Throat Cancer to Remission: What Did it Take?

When Marc met his first doctor in Miami, he was told he would go through two weeks of treatment and get back to his life. Marc didn’t want anything to be sugar coated, so he sought out a second opinion, just in case. He knew he needed to fire that first doctor from Miami when the second doctor told him the harsh reality that Marc was actually in for; it was not going to be a two week scenario. It was 7 weeks of extremely intense radiation therapy. 

• “Treatment was excruciating.”

Marc shares the harsh reality of weeks and weeks of radiation therapy for his throat cancer, and how the pain and side effects magnified week after week. The chemotherapy after the radiation was still tough, but Marc says the radiation was the hardest part of his treatment by far.

• How Did Having Cancer "Change" Him?

Marc shares, “The person I was before I was diagnosed isn’t someone I recognize anymore.” He says he’s much more patient now, and he’s more present and appreciative with his loved ones. He believes he’s a better father, husband, and friend now than he was prior to his diagnosis.

• Battling Cancer as a Small Business Owner

Before his cancer, Marc was heavily involved with a lot of the decision making processes in his construction business. He had to figure out how to delegate and allocate a lot of the main processes, so he handed over a lot of duties to his team before undergoing treatment. He hasn’t taken any of those duties back. He says it's allowed him to step into a completely new role in his company, in the best way possible.

• Marc's New Passion & Nonprofit

During his time in treatment, Marc found out there’s only 10 cancer drugs that have been created for children, and only 3% of the government’s cancer research funds go to funding pediatric cancer research. Marc soon connected with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and has been advocating alongside them, and he wanted to start doing even more once he entered remission.

• Race Across America: Awareness for Pediatric Cancer Research

As soon as Marc went into remission, he decided he wanted to do the Race Across America to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer research. He got a team of 20 people together that have each been touched by cancer in some way. RAAM is considered the world’s toughest bicycle race, from Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD, totaling 3,069 miles. Marc now has a team of 8 cyclists and 12 crew members prepared to ride in July, 2021.

• Training to Cycle Across America as a Cancer Survivor

Marc says he’s the least experienced cyclist on the team. He’s been training for two and a half years for the race, and by the time this episode airs, he’ll have arrived in Annapolis. He trains and rides at least four days a week, up to 4 or 5 hours per ride, and also spends two days per week in the gym lifting weights. 

• Working Out Complicated Race Logistics

The long-distance crew of 20 won’t have ever met in person prior to arriving in California a few days before the race begins. Marc credits his crew chief and assistant crew chief to leading the charge and managing all the details and race logistics.

• Cancer Can Happen to Anyone

Marc’s fundraising money for the race is $500K. He wants to make people aware of pediatric cancer and the lack of funding for research. Marc reminds listeners that the reality of cancer is not something you can plan for or ever foresee in your own life, or the life of your loved ones. No one ever thinks cancer will affect them, until it does. 

Links mentioned in the show:

Support Marc's Cycling & Fundraising Journey: raam21.com

Support the Child of the Month; Thiago - https://wehavecancershow.com/thiago

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On this episode of WE Have Cancer, Lee is joined by actress and singer Erin Cronican to chat about her experience battling stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, continuing to perform and produce plays with her theater company, and blogging her entire journey since 1998. Erin speaks candidly about the roles of grief and gratitude in her life, and the comfort she finds in her work and daily routine. 

Erin Cronican is an award-winning director, actor, and singer based in New York. She currently serves as Executive Artistic Director at The Seeing Place Theater in New York City. In 2018, she was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, and has been undergoing chemotherapy, treatments, and scans ever since. She has been blogging since the 90’s and continues to document her life at her self-titled blog, “The Erin Cronicals,” where she provides transparency, awareness, and levity as she navigates her cancer journey.

• Do we owe anyone vulnerability?

Sometimes vulnerability and openness can be a double-edged sword. When Erin found out she had stage 4 breast cancer, she went through surgery during the midst of production with her theatre company.

• "I wanted my art to stand on its own."

Erin started chemotherapy in March 2019, and was scheduled to open a show in April 2019. She lost 40 pounds in 4 months due to a tumor leaning on her adrenal gland. She says when she started the show, she was not the energetic person people expected her to be. Critics found all kinds of reasons to call her the “weak link” of the show; they had no idea she had breast cancer.

• Normalize the Daily Struggle 

Erin says, in a way, all cancer patients are actors to a certain extent. Everyone puts on a face around family members so they don’t worry as much, we downplay our feelings, friends tell us “Oh you look great!” 

• The Comfort of Routine, Blogging, and Storytelling

Erin started blogging back in the 1990’s while she was in college. She learned to code websites, and started writing a daily diary on her HTML website. She started her current blog when she moved to NYC in 2005. When she was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2015, the blog morphed into being more medically driven.

• Grief and Gratitude Can Coexist

Erin explains on her blog how she can be grieving the life that she used to have, and also be grateful for the life she has now. She wrote that two months before her mother’s death; and now she's also dealing with the grief of losing a parent and the collective grief of living through a pandemic. Sometimes in the cancer community there’s a toxic positivity aspect; it’s okay to make room for grief. 

• “I’m grateful for my chemotherapy.”

When her blood counts are too low and she can’t get chemo, Erin admits she's very sad. She considers it to be medicine and nothing toxic. Since she's been so stable recently, she's getting her scans every four months instead of every three. She says the "scanxiety" she feels is more a concern in having to change her regimen and less about worrying if the cancer comes back.

• “Even good news brings anxiety.”

Leaving chemo, stable scans, or going off medications are all great, but they can come with extra worries about whether you’re doing the right thing. Erin shares the common fear among cancer patients introducing any change to their regimen: will I pay for this later?

• Battling Cancer Alongside her Mother

Her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer just as Erin was finishing up with radiation treatments from her first bout of cancer. It was completely overwhelming. Her mother was diagnosed as stage 4, but she was on chemo for 11 months. One of her lungs collapsed, and she passed away just before Covid hit in early 2020.

• How has Covid impacted Erin's work as an actress?

Erin says her theater company is "very tenacious," they even created a program called Ripple For Change which pairs them with nonprofit organizations doing social justice work. They pick a play that is themed along the lines that pairs with that nonprofit's work, and the theater raises money and awareness for them through Zoom.

• "I wanted to be married before I died."

Erin and her partner have been together for nine years, they live together, they have two dogs together, and recently they got engaged. When Erin was diagnosed, she realized she wanted to be married before she died. In the middle of the pandemic, they decided to get married. Their small wedding will be in August 2021.

• My Diagnosis Threw a Wrench in My Relationship

When Erin's fiance heard the news about her diagnosis, Erin says "it was difficult and scary." They went to therapy to figure out how to communicate through the fear. After her stage 4 diagnosis, there was a moment where they almost broke up. Erin shares how therapy helped them come back to each other.

Links mentioned in the show:

Ripple for Change: https://www.seeingplacetheater.com/rippleforchange.html

Erin’s Blog: https://www.erincronicals.com/

Support the Child of the Month; Thiago - https://wehavecancershow.com/thiago

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On this episode of WE Have Cancer, seasoned Hollywood voice actor Rob Paulsen shares his unique story battling throat cancer, and the important roles laughter and joy played in his treatment and recovery. Rob brings along some of his most famous characters to put a smile on everyone’s faces during this bright and inspiring episode.

Rob Paulsen is one of Hollywood’s busiest and most gifted voice performers. If you don’t recognize his name, you may recognize some of his most famous characters, including: Raphael and Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pinky from Pinky and the Brain, Yakko from Animaniacs, and many, many others. He was diagnosed with throat cancer at age 60, and the journey of his treatment inspired him to write and publish his own story, Voice Lessons, which is now available in both print and audiobook format. 

• The Joy of Making People Laugh

Rob deeply believes laughter is healing and is one of the keys to health and wellbeing. He says, "Laughter is the best medicine because you can’t overdose and the refills are free!"

• Diagnosed with Throat Cancer at Age 60

Rob's ENT Doctor found a lump on the side of his neck and performed a biopsy. When he got the news with his throat cancer diagnosis, all he could think was how lucky he was to have such a long, fulfilling life. 

• "Everyone was so Kind"

Rob says everyone involved in his case was kind and professional and patient, and that the compassion was remarkable. He believes some people just have a true calling, and it’s a heroic thing to watch.

• Giving Back to Medical Practitioners with Laughter

When people find out what Rob does, it makes everyone joyful. He shares how he was always making his practitioners laugh, which made him feel like a million bucks. He says, "If I get to lighten their load a little bit, that’s all I can ask for."

• Eh, What's Up, Doc?

Rob shares a special moment of getting to meet Mel Blanc before he passed. Blanc was the voice of countless famous cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Barney Rubble. Rob says he learned a lot from him and still carries those lessons with him.

• Learning to Embrace the Unexpected

Rob shares he was not particularly good at living in the moment before his diagnosis. He used to “what if” himself to death, but since his treatment he's learned to take life one day at a time. 

• Why He Wrote His Book, "Voice Lessons"

Rob says, "I’m not a movie star, the characters that I voice are the famous ones. I thought the last thing the world needs was another celebrity bio from another 'non-celebrity.'" After his throat cancer diagnosis, he became very involved in his treatment in terms of trying to learn as much as possible. Then he thought it might be a great story, which then turned into a great audiobook.

• Rob Pauslen's Biggest Lesson

Lee asks Rob what his biggest lesson has been, to which Rob shares his experience learning to simply "be enough." He says he's smart enough to know what he doesn't know, and "it’s a lot." He learned there are certain days where it’s okay to simple "be enough."

Links mentioned in the show:

Rob Paulsen's Book, Voice Lessons

Support the Child of the Month; Benny - https://wehavecancershow.com/benny

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On this episode of WE Have Cancer, womens’ cancer surgeon Dr. Valena Wright, MD chats with Lee about her decades of experience treating gynecologic cancers, and the many preventative measures women may not know about. From symptoms of ovarian cancer to the power of positivity to the benefits of music therapy, Dr. Wright shares her professional advice to empower women to be prepared and informed when it comes to their health and well-being. 

Dr. Valena Wright is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist and surgeon with more than 25 years of clinical practice experience in the realm of women’s health. When Valena lost her older sister to Stage IC Ovarian Cancer, she knew she wanted to start advocating even more about women’s cancer prevention. Her new book, It’s Time You Knew: The Power of Your Choices to Prevent Women’s Cancer is available now. 

• It's All in the Family

Valena's Grandmother was one of the first public health nurses on Prince Edward Island, at a time when not many women had access to such an education. Her trailblazing success greatly inspired Valena to enter the medical field as well.

• "Not Your Mother's Hysterectomy"

Valena says she thinks her grandmother would be astonished by today’s technology, and by how surgery is performed today; but Valena can also imagine her shaking her finger at today's medical practitioners, because public health isn’t what it should be.

• The Most Common Women's Cancer

The most common cancer Dr. Wright treats as a gynecologic oncologist is uterine cancer, which arises in the lining of the uterus and usually occurs after menopause, but not always. Sometimes pre-menopausal women dismiss the symptoms of abnormal bleeding that can point to uterine cancer.

• What are the Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian Cancer symptoms can be subtle, but might include bloating, feeling full even if you haven’t eaten, fatigue, increased urinary frequency. A pelvic mass can grow quite large over time, even if you haven't noticed any subtle symptoms.

• Should You Rely on Family History?

About 20% of ovarian cancers can be hereditary, but family history is not always reliable without genetic testing. After her sister’s ovarian cancer diagnosis, Valena had genetic testing done, and elected to have risk-reducing surgery.

• Diet, Exercise, and What Else?

Diseases can affect women in different ways than men; heart disease is the perfect example. Valena strongly believes it's important to be able to speak up and ask for what you need, and to understand the gynecologic anatomy. And, since many women are frequently multitasking, prioritizing a full night's sleep is extremely important for well-being, mental health, and stress. 

• Integrated Medicine for Women's Wellbeing

Integrated medicine can help with the mind-to-body relationship in patients. It’s important to remain positive because the brain looks for what we focus on the most, which is critically important for cancer patients. Valena reminds listeners, "there is always hope."

• The Rejuvenating Power of Music

Music lights up our brains and neural pathways in unique ways. Music therapy can be very powerful. Athletes use music to train and visualize, surgeons use music to focus, and patients can use music too. 

• How Can Women take the Best Precautions for their Wellbeing?

Women should be aware of the screenings available to them, the importance of nutrition, family history, knowing their risk and getting genetic testing. Recognize their choices and putting them into the context of their daily lives. Valena wants women to have their best health, so that they can truly enjoy their lives. 

Links mentioned in the show:

Dr. Wright's Book: It's Time You Knew

Dr. Wright's Website: Valena Wright MD

Support the Child of the Month; Benny - https://wehavecancershow.com/benny

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On this episode of WE Have Cancer, motivational speaker and testicular cancer survivor Matthew Ode shares his inspiring advice for seeking purpose and joy during your cancer journey. From the power of finding a supportive community to practicing vulnerability to dealing with body image struggles, Matt delivers his top tips with optimism and grace. Matt’s advice for finding peace and purpose is to focus on what you can control, and allow yourself to be supported and encouraged by your inner circle of loved ones.

Matt Ode was 24 when doctors discovered an 11cm tumor in his small intestine, and soon diagnosed him with stage 3 testicular cancer. He even fell into a non-induced coma for two weeks. Cancer free since March 2017, Matt has since founded Mustaches for Matt, started a supportive survivorship Facebook group with over 4000 members, and shares his story as a motivational speaker about overcoming adversity.

• How Matt Inspires Others While Staying True to Himself

Matt says he always tries to find some joy in everything, and he doesn't change himself to make other people happy. He says, "Authenticity is the absolute key to attracting the right people in your life.” Matt believes the more vulnerable and authentic you are, the more comfortable others will feel when opening up to someone in their life. 

• Encouraging Men to Open Up

Matt believes a lot of men’s mental health issues, in general as well as within the cancer community, come from holding in their emotions. When men can open up and share and be vulnerable, anxiety begins to dwindle and men can happily, freely express who they really are. 

• Dealing with Body Image during Cancer Treatment

Matt speaks to the physical and mental effects of being a cancer survivor in your 20’s. He was a personal trainer before his testicular cancer diagnosis; a weightlifter at 8% body fat. In 8 months of intense treatment, Matt dropped from 185 to 110 pounds. To battle the body image issues, Matt says he would ask himself, "What's one thing I can do each day to progress a tiny bit?"

• Matt's Secret Weapons: Faith and Support

Exactly one year after Matt met his girlfriend, he was being released from the hospital and told he was finally cancer free. He and Lauren had just started dating when he received his diagnosis. Matt's faith is his north star, and he deeply believes that faith and loving support from his girlfriend and family are the two things that got him through treatment.

• Losing Friends After Treatment

Matt says he had amazing support while he was actively battling testicular cancer, but afterwards when he didn’t want to go back to his old life, that’s when he says he lost some old friends. Matt shares his friends expected him to go back to his old self: going out on the weekends, reliving the high school glory days, etc. Instead, Matt founded his business, Mustaches for Matt, and surrounded himself with other encouraging entrepreneurs and survivors to begin to cultivate an uplifting community.

• Testicular Cancer at Age 24

As a young, healthy, active personal trainer, Matt thought his sudden chronic back pains were related to weightlifting. Then one night he started vomiting blood at his girlfriend’s house. At the hospital, the doctors found a tumor in my small intestine. From an ultrasound, they discovered it was stage 3 testicular cancer, even though there were no symptoms in his testicles. Matt had RPLND surgery and later, lymph node dissection, to make sure the invasive, aggressive cancer was gone for good.

• Matt's Mission to Inspire and Empower Survivors

Matt began sharing his story in 2019 as a public speaker and frequent podcast interview guest. He now seeks to provide the cancer community value and support with an uplifting survivorship, after his dad encouraged him to start a community group on Facebook. Since January 2021, the lively group has grown from 100 members to over 4000.

Links mentioned in the show:

Matt's Facebook Group: Taking Back Your Life After Cancer

Matt's Charity: Mustaches for Matt

Support Lee & Linda's Get Your Rear In Gear walk - https://wehavecancershow.com/Lee

Support the Child of the Month; Jocelyn - https://wehavecancershow.com/jocelyn

Subscribe to the “WE Have Cancer” Podcast

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Check out Luxe Bidets

Know someone touched by cancer who has an inspiring story? Email Lee

On this episode of WE Have Cancer, Healing Mindset Coach Jeanette Carbajal shares her tips for embracing a healing mindset on the journey to cancer recovery. Jeanette has worked with countless medical practitioners, oncologists, and cancer patients all over the U.S. She shares the importance of gratitude, boundaries, laughter, and joy; and that sometimes healing is simply a matter of forgiveness.

Jeanette Carbajal became a Healing Mindset Coach shortly after caring for three family members dealing with diagnoses and surgeries all at the same time. She learned she loved bringing laughter, joy, and gratitude into patients’ lives. She is a Certified Holistic Cancer Coach, Certified Health Coach, and Master Transformational Life Coach. This year, she was named 1 of 8 Women Shaking It Up In Health & Wellness by Yahoo Finance. Jeanette teaches her clients to manage their emotions, protect their energy, and foster a positive healing mindset.

• What's the Difference Between Healing and Recovery?

Jeanette believes healing is the process of coming home to yourself. The words “healing” and “recovery” are often interchanged, but they aren’t the same. Healing can happen in a moment; healing can happen when you forgive someone or come to terms with your past. 

• Bringing a Healing Mindset to Medical Professionals

While involved with a few different clinics, Jeanette was asked by medical staff to share her tips for burnout, boundaries, and mindset with team members. Gradually, word began to spread as her clients told other oncology professionals about the powerful mindset work she was leading.

• Eat, Hydrate, Sleep

Jeanette shares the three biggest check-ins to have with yourself to begin cultivating a healing mindset: Am I eating well? Am I drinking enough water? Am I sleeping well?

• Make Your Bedroom into a Healing Oasis

Wifi, blue light, "dirty" electricity, and surging signals are all micro irritants on a cellular level. Jeanette suggests using a Christmas tree timer to turn off your wifi before bed every night, and to remove everything out of your bedroom that does not "spark joy."

• Dealing with "Scanxiety" and Making Peace with Time Management

Jeanette helps her clients adopt a "360 approach to living." From teaching them tips to collapse time, to cleaning out their pantry, to singing "One Way or Another" during cancer scans, Jeanette believes that bringing more lightness and playfulness into a cancer patient's mindset will allow for more healing between doctor's visits.

• How to Find the Right Oncologist

"Date" your oncologist! And if you don't like them, or they don't listen to you, or you just get a gut feeling, divorce your oncologist. It's okay to want to seek out your perfect practitioner. There's nothing more sacred to a patient than the person trying to save their life; there should always be love involved. Getting emotional is a good thing.

• Three Loved Ones, Three Surgeries, Two Weeks

Jeanette shares her personal experience becoming a caretaker for her grandmother, mother, and father after each of them received different cancer diagnoses all at the same time. As a family, they went through three surgeries in the span of two weeks. It was then Jeanette learned how much she loved helping patients with their mindset and healing in their own homes.

Links mentioned in the show:

Follow Jeanette on Instagram

Support Lee & Linda's Get Your Rear In Gear walk - https://wehavecancershow.com/Lee

Support the Child of the Month; Jocelyn - https://wehavecancershow.com/jocelyn

Subscribe to the “WE Have Cancer” Podcast

Follow WE Have Cancer on Social Media:

Like our Facebook page

Join our private Facebook group

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Check out Luxe Bidets

Know someone touched by cancer who has an inspiring story? Email Lee

On this episode of WE Have Cancer, fellow cancer podcast host Jess Thomas Nelson shares how her life has changed since being diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Cancer in January 2020. Since then, she’s learned that practically everyone has been impacted by cancer in some way, and has become passionate about sharing her guest’s cancer stories with the world. 

Guest Biography:

Jess Thomas Nelson is the host of the My Cancer Story Podcast, which she started shortly after her thyroidectomy in February 2020. In her own words, “I’m not famous and you wouldn’t know me from anywhere, but I too have been affected by cancer.” She has always loved the practice of acupuncture and utilized both eastern and western medicine while recovering from her surgery last year. 

Table of Contents:

• The Power of the Cancer Community and Sharing Cancer Stories

After starting My Cancer Story, Jess was blown away by people reaching out eager to share their own stories with the world. She’s learned that everyone in a person’s life is affected by cancer, and nearly everyone knows someone who’s had cancer.

• How it Feels to Hear “You Have Cancer”

On Christmas Eve, Jess’s endocrinologist told her the nodes they’d found were most likely thyroid cancer. She kept the news from her family until after the holidays, not wanting to burden them with the weight of her diagnosis. But after she did share the news with her close family and friends, she was moved to see how many people in her life stepped up as proud caretakers and supporters.

• Sharing My Cancer Story with the World

While lying on the acupuncture table, I got the idea to start a podcast. Jess felt that her story was fairly quick and painless in comparison to the experiences of many others, and she knew she wanted to create a space for folks to share those experiences. She says COVID-19 and quarantine pushed her to start since it was already harder to connect with members of the community in person.

• What’s Next for My Cancer Story?

Jess’s podcast began with one episode per month and quickly grew to one episode a week. Even though sometimes the episodes can get heavy, Jess knows she wants to keep sharing these powerful cancer stories with the community. 

• Recovery with Integrative Cancer Care 

Jess became interested in integrative medicine and integrative nutrition a few years before her diagnosis. When she was diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Cancer she went to her acupuncturist for help with her meridians and endocrine system. 

• My Life Without a Thyroid

After Jess’s thyroidectomy, she shares it took a while for her endocrinologist to find the right synthroid dose, and that she had to wait at least 30 minutes before having coffee or eating meals, had to become more mindful of her alcohol consumption, and tried to remember to take all her vitamins. While the adjustment may have been difficult at first, now all the timing considerations and medications are simply a way of life.

My Cancer Story Podcast with Jess Thomas Nelson

The Blind Blogger with Maxwell Ivey

Support Lee & Linda's Get Your Rear In Gear walk - https://wehavecancershow.com/Lee

Support the Child of the Month; Jocelyn - https://wehavecancershow.com/jocelyn

Subscribe to the “WE Have Cancer” Podcast

Follow WE Have Cancer on Social Media:

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Know someone touched by cancer who has an inspiring story? Email Lee

On this episode of WE Have Cancer, fitness guru Fitz Koehler joins Lee to discuss her journey with breast cancer. When it comes to cancer, it can happen to anyone - even those with a perfectly healthy lifestyle. That was the case for Fitz, who through early detection and a no-holds-barred attitude, has managed to make it through stronger than ever.

Fitz Koehler is a fitness innovator with a Master’s Degree in Exercise and Sport Sciences from the University of Florida who has been teaching fitness, announcing marathons, and been participating in fitness for decades. With her unique cancer journey, she took her experience and authored a book explaining the gory, nitty-gritty details of breast cancer and everything that comes with it.

• From A Clean Mammogram To A Breast Cancer Diagnosis 

Fitz had always been adamant about getting cancer examinations and checkups because if there was a chance that she could have cancer, she’d want to know as soon as possible. In late December of 2018, she walked out of her mammogram with no signs indicating anything was going on. Less than 7 weeks later, she felt an itch under her breast during a self-breast examination. Within 30 seconds, she called and made an appointment. Days after that, she was told she not only had a tumor but also several hard swollen lymph nodes.

• Chemotherapy Within 3 Weeks After Discovering Breast Cancer 

After a biopsy and a diagnosis, specialists went back to look at Fitz’s scan from the previous December. The doctors took Fitz’s concern seriously as they realized that it was fast-moving breast cancer that was developing quickly and rapidly. Less than three weeks after finding the lump, Fitz had started treatment. Her official diagnosis was ductal carcinoma, stage 2 breast cancer.

• Two Years Breast Cancer Free

Fitz considers the type of breast cancer that she had to be a fairly curable type of breast cancer in the scope of things. First diagnosed in 2019, she finished chemotherapy Mid-May of 2020 after 15 months, 33 rounds of radiation, and several surgeries. Currently, Fitz is in cancer-free remission.

• Friends And Family Reaction To Diagnosis

When Fitz found herself diagnosed with breast cancer, not only was she surprised, but her family and friends were floored. She was dedicated to fitness, so it didn’t make sense. Her kids were resilient, despite worrying about their mother, and Fitz felt the need to remain strong as a parent for her kids as she fought. As for her fans, they were more surprised than anything. Fitz got up and hosted some of the largest running events in the US and was heavily involved in marathons and running. She was always perceived as loud and strong in front of thousands of people on stage.

• Chemotherapy Hair Loss And Publicly Announcing Breast Cancer

Fitz was worried about chemotherapy hair loss, not because it was her identity, but because it was something that she enjoyed. As she was going through chemotherapy, she was traveling and announcing marathons. With her hair loss starting to show as she stood up in front of thousands of people, she found that she could no longer hide it. Fitz posted a video to her social media, explaining that she had cancer and that she was going to look different, but that she was fine. Eventually, she shaved her head with her family.

• Parenting With Breast Cancer

As Fitz was going through her cancer treatment, she had the mindset of never letting her kids see her cry. She tried to be as happy as possible - but this meant she cried in private. It got harder as her treatment ramped up and became more intense, and she had friends and neighbors drive her kids to school and take them to places. She decided to not let her kids come with her to her treatment appointments so that they didn’t have to see the other sick patients. During this time she relied heavily on her husband to not only support her but the kids too.

• My Noisy Cancer Come Back 

Fitz is famous for being loud, unapologetically herself, and bossy when it comes to fitness. She is famous for making a happy noise, and that’s how she wanted to handle cancer. As soon as she was diagnosed, she decided that she was not going to give up on any of her events, or any special time with her kids. She wanted to truly live her life with cancer, and a lot of suffering was spent off of the stage and behind the scenes. After her cancer journey, she wanted to write a book that shed light on things that she experienced through treatment that wasn’t often talked about.

• Trying To Exercise During Treatment

Fitz’s fitness journey during and after treatment started with Fitz from wiggling in a pool to walking up a hill near her home. Despite being knocked out of exercise for a while, she feels like she’s made progress and gradually increases without hurting herself. After chemotherapy when she really could go back into the gym and start building up her strength, she was so proud. It was not only a physical outlet but a mental outlet. It took a while for Fitz to build her fitness and strength up to where she is today, but she is proud of the journey and where she ended up.

Fitz Koehler’s Website: Fitzness.com

Fitz’s Book: My Noisy Cancer Comeback

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On this episode of the WE Have Cancer Podcast, John Falk joins Lee to discuss his journey with male breast cancer. John shares his experience from first being diagnosed through his journey to beat cancer twice. John is open and transparent about his experience as a way to educate, advocate, and change the perception of male breast cancer. Learn all about John’s incredible journey and how he's looking to improve male breast cancer awareness among the population.

John Falk was diagnosed with breast cancer not once, but twice. After finding a lump in his chest, he decided to get checked out. He was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, and then again in 2016. He advocates and brings awareness to men with breast cancer.

• Introduction

In 2013, John noticed that his left breast had swelled up. After going to his primary care doctor, he was sent to a surgeon who specializes in breast cancer. Getting more tests, like a mammogram and biopsy, the results came back negative. However, in 2014, they came back positive.

• Being a man with a female-dominated illness

John talks about his experience in getting tested and going through the medical processes of being diagnosed with breast cancer and how it’s heavily focused on women. However, he didn’t care and found that the doctors were very empathetic to his situation.

• A quick recovery

When John got the news that he had cancer, he wasn’t afraid. At the time, it was stage 0. Doctors were able to go in and remove it all. He never got any other treatment. After the surgery, he resumed working like normal.

• Being transparent about his illness

Being very transparent and open, John didn’t want people to worry about him. This allowed him to share his story openly and help get through his situation with humor and friends. At work, when he was back from his treatment, a lot of humor helped him stay positive in the workplace.

• Diagnosed with male breast cancer . . . Again

Two years later, in 2016, the lump came back in his breast. John noticed it right away, and they went back in to do surgery to remove it. However, this time around it was invasive. They caught it early enough that other parts of his body weren’t attacked, but he did end up getting 30 radiation treatments.

• State of John’s health today

Today, John continues to take Tamoxifen and monitor his health carefully. His medication causes him few side effects, but other than that he remains in good health. John knows that his battle with cancer wasn’t nearly as difficult or hard as others. It wasn’t until the second time around with his battle that he decided to take action.

• Male breast cancer awareness

John realized how lucky he was to not only face and beat breast cancer once but twice. He noticed that there wasn’t a lot of talk or attention towards the men that struggle with it. John wanted to tell others his story, share his experience, and educate the public. He wanted to be an agent of change. From there, he does interviews, goes on TV, and does other things to bring awareness towards breast cancer in men.

• Finding support

John found most of his support through his family and friends, but that wasn’t the only place. He discovered Facebook groups that shared experiences like his and the Male Breast Cancer Coalition. This inspired him to use his Facebook page to advocate his story, but also gain support through his second diagnosis.

• The change John wishes he saw

John wants to see more recognition towards men that have breast cancer. Although a small percentage in comparison, male breast cancer absolutely exists. He wishes that some women's organizations were more inclusive to men and didn’t just feature women all the time.

• Being aware of your own body

When John first felt the lump on his chest, he knew that it wasn’t normal. He trusted his instinct and his body and made sure he got the help he needed. John wants everyone to advocate for themselves and know what is and what isn’t normal for their body - and to speak up when things change.

John’s Men’s Health Feature

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In this episode of WE Have Cancer, Allison Rosen joins to talk and discuss the changes that she’s seen in awareness, support, and research of colorectal cancer. Allison also discusses how social media has created a new way to reach younger people, and in turn, there is more research, treatment options, and support resources. 

Allison Rosen is a public health care worker in colorectal cancer, outreach, and education prevention. She is project director at University of Texas Health Science Center in Houstin, which was just funded by the CDC for a project that is focused on colorectal cancer prevention. 

Allison Rosen is back on the podcast after a few years to talk about how much things have changed, within her career and within the focus on young onset, colorectal cancer. Younger people were getting diagnosed and passing away at an alarming rate. There weren't a lot of treatment options, or focus on early screening. Now, with advocates and others amplifying their voices, more research is being done. There is more of a direct advocacy for early onset cancer. 

Recalling the time that she was diagnosed with cancer, Allison asked for a psychologist or someone to talk to that was around her own age going through the same thing. She knew that there were going to be hard challenges ahead, but didn’t exactly know what they were. Allison had a lot of personal struggles with body image, and knew that there were people that struggled financially with the disease and treatment. 

Allison talks about how much has changed from when she first got diagnosed to now. At treatment centers, they provide support for the aspects that might be hindered by treatment. From non-profits, to fertility specialists at hospitals, and support for the lasting effects of the treatment. 

People can learn and become aware about colorectal cancer through programs like the Gastrointestinal American Society of Clinical Oncology. They hold virtual meetings for those that want to become an advocate. The power of social media is huge because experts can break things down for people to access whenever, wherever. It’s reaching a new sort of audience. 

The younger population are getting rectal cancer at a higher rate, which means they need more treatment options and research. With less of a stigma, and more people willing to speak up and talk about it, it’s allowing for more support and awareness. Everyone is now listening - and slowly breaking down the stigma of this type of cancer. The more light that is shed on the topic, the more research. 

The conversation now is based on prevention by leading a healthy lifestyle and trying to detect it early on. There are studies that are trying to find out why it happens, and it’s moved towards a focus on the gut microbiome. There is a science behind it, but it still doesn’t exactly explain why younger people are experiencing it. 

Allison aims to give patients and survivors the opportunity to get involved in treatment, research, and creating support groups. She gets direct feedback from the population that is experiencing it, and tries to represent the collective voice by asking questions in the public health field. 

A lot of patients and providers are learning more about the disease because people are speaking out and speaking up about their experiences, especially the barriers that they face. Allison’s project that she’s working on is to identify barriers and help patients and survivors solve them. 

Allison Rosen - Fight Colon Cancer

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