WE Have Cancer

In this episode we revisit my 2017 conversation with Dr. Sage Bolte.

Dr. Bolte is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and an expert on sexual health in oncology. She currently serves as the Chief Philanthropy Officer and President at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute.

During our conversation she talked about sex and intimacy and the impact that a cancer diagnosis can have, not only the patient, but the caregiver as well. We discussed the different challenges that men and women face along with the patient/caregiver dynamic.

This was a frank and informative discussion.

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Howard Brown first appeared on this podcast in May of 2019 where he shared his story of being a two-time cancer survivor.

Howard has recently had several "clean" scans and is now N.E.D. - No Evidence of Disease.

During our conversation we discussed the challenges of transitioning from cancer patient to cancer survivor as well as his book, Shining Brightly, due to be released later this year.

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Cort Davies has been battling stage 4 Paraganglioma. He has funneled his energy into creating the 1 Habit to Beat Cancer online summit. The summit runs from May 25th through June 3rd and is free. You can register here.

1 Habit to Beat Cancer summit- https://www.1habitsummit.com/#

Imerman Angels - https://imermanangels.org/

Jake Bailey speech - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9G1Swk26ac

Burkitt lymphoma - https://lymphoma.org/aboutlymphoma/nhl/burkitt/

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Stacy was diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer on her 44th birthday, September 17th, 2014 after experiencing symptoms of abdominal pain and bleeding. Stacy put off a visit to her doctor since she was a health-conscious, athletic, non-smoker who maintained a normal weight. The symptoms were merely “an annoying inconvenience.” At the time, she was balancing a full-time job with raising her 2 sons, Griffin (now 13) and Emmett (now 11). Emmett suffers with a rare chromosome disorder (one of three in the world) which renders him without the ability to walk, talk, or function for himself in any way. He has multiple special needs and demands constant supervision. He has the mental and physical capacity of a 6 month old baby. Caring for Emmett requires the attention of not only Stacy and her husband Drew, but also a nurse.  To say Stacy had her hands full would be an understatement.

So, busy with her day to day role as supermom, Stacy self-diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or internal hemorrhoids until the pain was too much to bear. A colonoscopy revealed the most shocking and most unexpected horror imaginable: a tumor in her rectum so large that a scope could not get around it. A subsequent scan revealed cancer in her liver, 5 spots on her lungs, and 19 lymph nodes. She was given a 10% chance to survive 5 years and a treatment plan which included chemotherapy, radiation and ultimately surgery ONLY IF she responded, which was a 50/50 shot in itself. The doctors could not believe it, especially considering Stacy’s lack of risk factors, lack of family history, and age (colon cancer is typically diagnosed in people over 50).

With her usual vigor, determination, and sense of humor, Stacy took to the task of beating colorectal cancer. She was fortunate enough to have a response to chemotherapy (a protocol called FOLFOX coupled with a drug called Avastin) which qualified her as a candidate for a 5 hour colon and liver resection surgery in April, 2015. Unfortunately, a medical mistake during surgery caused Stacy severe internal bleeding where she lost half of her blood volume. She was immediately rushed back into a second, 5 hour emergency surgery and spent a week in the ICU fighting for her life. As her oncologist later remarked, “anyone else would have died.” But not Stacy.

She was declared as NED (no evidence of disease) in March, 2016. Stacy continues maintenance chemotherapy for life (43 rounds and counting…) every 3 weeks. She feels and looks great. You would never suspect what all she is dealing with. She credits her faith, family, friends, exercise, positive attitude, and integrative oncology modalities for her remarkable recovery.

“If it were just Stage IV colorectal cancer or just raising a profoundly disabled child, I could probably handle it. But managing both is completely overwhelming. I am enormously blessed to have a support system who helps me, when thee last thing I want to do is ask for help. It’s really not my style.”

Stacy offers a unique perspective. Professionally, she has spent 20 years in healthcare management on the provider and delivery sides, including roles in operations, strategy, sales and training. Personally, her battles as a patient and an advocate for not only herself but also her disabled son have fueled her recent work as a public speaker, fundraiser, and consultant.  Stacy’s mission is to raise awareness of inclusion for all persons with disabilities and exemplify a “keep it real” approach to fighting and beating cancer.

Her website: http://www.stacyhurt.net/

Her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stacyhurt17

On Twitter: @Stacy_Hurt

On Instagram: stacy_hurt

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Michael Willoughby founded Molecular Photos in May of 2019. In this interview we discussed:

• How the idea for Molecular Photos was conceived.
• Why having a "give back" component with the sale of the photos was important to him.
• The process of converting slides of tumor cells to works of art.
• His long term goal for Molecular Photos.

Molecular Photos - https://www.molecularphotos.com/

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Trevor Maxwell was initially diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in March of 2018. During his journey he discovered a need for online support for men touched by cancer.

In our conversation we discussed:

• How Trevor's diagnosis resulted in his clinical depression and how he's been working through it.
• The support he received from The Colon Club.
• The void in online support for men touched by cancer and how he created Man Up to Cancer.
• Why he chose the Wolf as the symbol of Man Up to Cancer.

Man Up To Cancer - https://www.manuptocancer.com/

Man Up To Cancer Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/manuptocancer/

The Colon Club - https://www.facebook.com/colonclub/

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Meg Hirshberg was first diagnosed with cancer - stage 3 breast cancer - in 2001. She had recurrences in 2008 and 2018.

During our conversation she shared how the book, Anticancer; A New Way of Life by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber inspired her to create the Anticancer Lifestyle Program and how the program can greatly benefit those affected by cancer.

The Anticancer Lifestyle program - https://anticancerlifestyle.org/

Anticancer; A New Way of Life by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber - https://www.amazon.com/Anticancer-New-Life-David-Servan-Schreiber/dp/0670021644

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Dan Nicewonger was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in May of 2016 while serving as Pastor of the First Baptist Church Kennet Square, Pennsylvania.

We discussed his book, The Journey Continues, the challenge of serving and caring for a community while battling colon cancer, the power of language when working with your medical team and more.

Dan's Blog - https://www.danielnicewonger.com/

Dan's Book, The Journey Continues - https://www.danielnicewonger.com/the-journey-continues/

Connect with Dan on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/dnicewonger

Follow Dan on Twitter - https://twitter.com/Dan_Nicewonger

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In August of 2016, Lynda Wolters was diagnosed with stage 4 mantle cell lymphoma. Her book, Voices of Cancer, "offers a candid look into the world of a cancer patient." The book "helps educate, dispel fears, and start positivie conversations about what a cancer diagnosis truly means, while shining a light on how best to support a loved one on their own terms."

Lynda's website - https://www.lyndawolters.com/

Purchase Voices of Cancer - https://www.amazon.com/Voices-Cancer-What-Really-Want/dp/1645430391/

Follow Lynda on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lyndawolters/

Connect with Lynda on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lyndawolters1

Epic Experience - https://www.epicexperience.org/

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