The Boob Report

Episode 037 - The Sandwich Generation

Fri, 27 May 2022 21:53:02 GMT

The Sandwich Generation

Release Date: 05/27/2022

Episode Number : 037

Episode Title: The Sandwich Generation

Episode Synopsis:

Touching on the caregiving side of dealing with breast cancer again! Being a caregiver to anyone who is going through a devastating illness, like breast cancer, or aging parents can be overwhelming. You need to make sure that you are taking care of yourself so that you can be there for your loved one. Leah is passionate about helping caregivers!

Episode Guests:

Leah Robilotto-Bass

After spending 20 years in marketing and communications, Leah was moved by her son's illness to return to graduate school to study the psychological implications of chronic illness on families. She is passionate about caregivers' mental health so that the whole family can thrive. She has her M.A. in Child and Adolescent Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She is in her second year of a Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master's program, so she will be a Licensed Professional Counselor.

Leah is now using her expertise and experience to help families manage the stress, anxiety, and fear that can come with a crisis or chronic illness diagnosis.

She can be reached for consultations at leah@robilottowellness.com

Episode 036 - Hope Lives!

Sat, 21 May 2022 02:52:44 GMT

Finding Hope in the Freakshow of Life

Release Date: 05/20/2022

Episode Number: 036

Episode Title: Hope Lives!

Episode Synopsis: We serve as a partner as they heal in mind, body and spirit.

The need for services continues as statistically 400 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in Weld and Larimer Counties each year. According to Lydia, “We want to provide free post diagnosis services to all women in northern Colorado. We are committed to continuing our important work with the supportive help of our professional providers, generous donors, committed board members, staff and volunteers.”

The organization started providing services in January 2002 and since then Hope Lives! has provided services and improved the lives of thousands of women. The name has changed to Hope Lives! The Lydia Dody Breast Cancer Support Center to better describe who we are now.

Episode Guests:

Lydia Dody, Founder & Board Member

Starting a new organization was my creative vision but making it a reality took a village.

While fighting an arduous battle with breast cancer in 2001, my experiences and struggles during treatment led me to reach out to many complementary care providers to ease my Chemotherapy side effects and help me endure my treatments physically, psychologically and emotionally. These services improved my recovery and quality of life so much that it moved me to start The Lydia Dody Breast Cancer Foundation non-profit to help other women in treatment.

Elise Carver, Executive Director

Elise is thrilled to be a part of the staff and mission of Hope Lives! Not only does she have a passion for helping people and giving back, but unfortunately like most, she too, has had various family members and friends affected by breast cancer. Elise brings more than 20 years of managerial, training, and customer service experience in both the corporate and non-profit sectors. Most recently, she held the position of Volunteer Coordinator in Weld county for Pathways Hospice.

Nikki Houser, Manager of Client Services & Communications

Nikki is the newest staff member to join Hope Lives! With a career that includes event, retail, and marketing management, she brings a unique perspective to the team. Recently, she decided to try her skills as a school librarian at a K-8 Charter School.

Aside from being a good fit professionally, Nikki is also a Breast Cancer Survivor! She was diagnosed in 2020 at age 44 with Stage 1C IDC, ER/PR+, Her2-, ATM+ and is currently in remission.

http://www.hopelives.org

https://www.facebook.com/hopelivescolorado

https://www.instagram.com/hopelivesfc/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hopelivesfc/

Episode 035 - Finding Hope in the Freakshow of Life

Fri, 13 May 2022 22:24:13 GMT

Finding Hope in the Freakshow of Life

Release Date: 05/13/2022

Episode Number: 035

Episode Title: Finding Hope in the Freakshow of Life

Episode Synopsis:

Imagine being on your journey with breast cancer and your spouse is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer! Kim has been through so much but has always maintained her sense of humor, an author of two books and a tireless volunteer helping others.

Episode Guests:

Kim Sorrelle

Kim Sorrelle is an entrepreneur, director of a humanitarian organization, a popular speaker, and the author of two books. Her first book, Cry Until You Laugh, is about her breast cancer experience and her husband's battle with pancreatic cancer after being diagnosed four months apart. Her second book, Love Is, chronicles her year-long quest to figure out the true meaning of love, a sometimes funny, sometimes scary, always enlightening journey that led to life-changing discoveries found mainly on the streets of Haiti.

https://www.facebook.com/Kim-Sorrelle-392015434145527

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-langlois-sorrelle-11079523/

https://www.instagram.com/kimsorrelle/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/Kim_Sorrelle

https://www.facebook.com/ksorrelle

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa097sxQXqa9Oafbay9FCiw

616.318.7378

kim@kimsorrelle.com

kimsorrelle.com

Author of Love Is: A Year Long Experiment Living Out 1 Corinthians Love

Author of Cry Until You Laugh: Real Love, Real Pain, Real Funny

Interview with Jack Canfield - Chicken Soup for the Soul

Episode 034 - For Mom ~ Mother’s Day Weekend

Fri, 06 May 2022 22:21:06 GMT

For Mom ~ Mother’s Day Weekend

Release Date: 05/06/2022

Episode Number: 034

Episode Title: For Mom ~ Mother’s Day Weekend

Episode Synopsis: This episode of The Boob Report podcast is all about Mom’s. Our guest Denise Taylor was the caregiver for her Mother during her first and second diagnosis of breast cancer. We are discussing how it can be overwhelming and rewarding all at once. She was able to step in and take over with power of attorney, keeping track of doctors’ appointments, treatments and medications. Amid all of that, she was able to take some time for her and her family by setting up outside help. She stresses how self-care can be so important to make sure you are there for your loved ones.

Episode Guests:

Denise Taylor

DeniseTaylor.live

My goal is to help you build a life you love without apology. A life that is successful in every way you define. With the right "Success Strategies" you can have it all and I want to help you succeed. One of the biggest challenges we face as professional women is warring against the pressure to settle or even give up. Pressure to choose or even sacrifice who we are & what we want - be it love, career,

family, relationship, or lifestyle. I believe we can pursue happiness our way without compromise. We don’t have to settle. There is a harmonious space where we can thrive and have it all. I’m on a mission to help professional women thrive. Hear me loud & clear... Don’t Settle! You can have it all. Now, it will take work, choices and discipline. You will need to rise to the occasion to achieve like you do every day, but partnership is key. Enlisting experienced help is a winning strategy that helps you move ahead with intention. My

clients embrace their success with strategic support for their business and brand. Seeing a winning change in your business requires you to Change the Game.

• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/denisetaylorlive

• Website: http://www.denisetaylor.live/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisevtaylor/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9lC9P-ic0Dh6XqirK5S0bQ

• DeniseTaylor.live FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/denisetaylorlive

• Denise Taylor Facebook Account: https://www.facebook.com/denise.taylor.921

• DeniseTaylor.live IG: https://www.instagram.com/Denisetaylor.live/

Life, Love and the Pursuit of Happiness Podcast, hosted by Denise Taylor

If you’ve secretly wanted more despite having achieved meaningful success & results, you’re going to love this podcast. Here, we believe you can build a life YOU love without apology. As high achievers, we often settle for a version of success that seems to prioritize everything and everyone else. Well, now is your season to soar. Hearing from achievers each week that faced this very choice and succeeded at overcoming obstacles, sticking with their true desire, and shaking off fear will inspire, encourage, and compel you to set yourself free to build a life you love.

• Listen On Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-love-and-the-pursuit-of-happiness/id1560924326
• Listen On Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3T2SAanLkAhy7tpbczNUjB

• Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9lC9P-ic0Dh6XqirK5S0bQ

• Free Podcast Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifeloveandhappiness

First Wives Club

We are a support network for All Wives. All Wives Welcome. No, you don't have to be his first wife or a First Lady. What matters beyond anything is you are His Wife and that makes you FIRST in every way.

We are a network for wives to commit to community. I believe we can become better together, and we can encourage one another as well. This will not be a vent circle or a spouse bashing binge. This is not tied to a ministry or church.

First Wives Club is truly a circle of trust where we can share and get help & support, specifically as wives. If you're honest with yourself, you need this - to both give & receive.

• Free First Wives Club FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/firstwivesclublive

• First Wives Club FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/firstwivesclub.live

• First Wives Club IG: https://www.instagram.com/firstwivesclub.live/

Episode 033 - Diagnosed Not Once But Twice

Sun, 01 May 2022 03:19:37 GMT

Diagnosed Not Once But Twice

Release Date: 04/29/2022

Episode Number: 033

Episode Title: Diagnosed Not Once But Twice

Episode Synopsis:

Morgan is also a former insomniac. She spent almost a decade using prescription sleeping pills despite knowing that her overall sleep quality suffered. Morgan now inspires and teaches other women how to confidently, calmly, and effectively get a good night's sleep without the use of sleep aides.

Morgan is also a two-time breast cancer survivor. She advocates for a lifestyle of disease prevention and integrating holistic strategies for cancer treatment. Morgan lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and dog, Ollie, a shaggy, 15-pound mess of love.

Episode Guests:

Morgan Adams

Morgan Adams is a holistic sleep coach for women who struggle with getting a good night's sleep consistently. Her goal is to help women feel better and live better, and the key to both begins with a good night's sleep.

Morgan is an accredited health coach with additional advanced certifications in sleep science. She’s a sought-after podcast guest and expert for websites like MindBodyGreen.

https://www.morganadamswellness.com/

https://www.instagram.com/morganadams.wellness/

Episode 032 - Working Through My Own Shit

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 21:24:03 GMT

Illness Does Not Erase Our Sexuality

Release Date: 04/22/2022

Episode Number: 032

Episode Title: Illness Does Not Erase Our Sexuality

Episode Synopsis:

Elizabeth Anne Wood is Professor of Sociology and chair of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work at Nassau Community College. She is also Senior Strategist for Woodhull Freedom Foundation, the only national organization dedicated full time to affirming sexual freedom as a fundamental human right. Her debut memoir, Bound: A Daughter, a Domme and an End-of-Life Story (She Writes Press, 2019) explores themes of sexuality, illness, aging, and the dysfunctions of the U. S. health care system and is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats. Elizabeth is a devoted cat person, and when she isn’t writing, teaching, or strategizing you can sometimes catch her on the flying trapeze.

Episode Guests:
Elizabeth Anne Wood

Writer | Sociologist | Coach

she/her or they/them

Web: https://elizabethannewood.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/elizabethannewoodauthor.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/elizabeth.anne.wood

Twitter: https://twitter.com/elizabethsitps

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/li/elizabethannewood

Bound:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bound-Daughter-Domme-End-Life/dp/1631526308

Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781631526305

Audible: https://audible.com/pd/Bound-Audiobook/B09T2G1F2V

Episode 031 - Working Through My Own Shit

Fri, 15 Apr 2022 22:52:05 GMT

Working Through My Own Shit

Release Date: 4/15/2022

Episode Number: 031

Episode Title: Working Through My Own Shit

Episode Synopsis:

Just a quick podcast to talk about how I have been working through my own struggles with pain, survivor’s guilt, the everyday craziness of life. I have mentioned before that I have struggled for years, even before breast cancer, with anxiety and depression and not really dealing with triggers that might set those feelings into high gear! It has also taken me some time to find things that work for me to help me calm down and work with my anxiety and depression. This does include therapy but I also have found things I can do on my own with self care. Once again, it’s not wrong to struggle with your emotions, be angry or cry! That’s all healthy and normal! I tried to find the humor in things, trust me it was hard but I kept at it. Keep moving forward, sometimes it’s all you can do!

Episode Guests: Me

5 Year Breast Cancer Survivor

Visionary at The Boob Report

Friend, ally, shoulder to cry on, an ear to vent and someone to share a glass of wine with!

https://www.theboobreport.com

https://www.theboobreport.com/podcast

www.facebook.com/theboobreport

www.instagram.com/theboobreport

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-boob-report/

Suggested Resources:

The Anxious Truth ~ Drew Linsalata
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZw-DVxl1VzAryk-x_v3C0XWKJFJoPXCL

Shit We Don’t Talk About ~ Mia Voss
https://open.spotify.com/show/54KmmkyI5T7M5l5UH4Tn6E

Womens Meditation Network ~ Katie Krimitsos
http://womensmeditationnetwork.com/podcast?fbclid=IwAR2d4-36HxDwAotCdkvAar8gO_t2I6Z_frLVu1TuAmhMSRvPZ8U9aQ297

Episode 030 - Mind and Body Work

Sat, 09 Apr 2022 02:53:07 GMT

Mind and Body Work

Release Date: 04/08/2022

Episode Number : 030

Episode Title: Mind and Body Work

Episode Synopsis:

On this episode of The Boob Report we are visiting with Dr. Hailey Steinhauser, a chiropractor and a wellness coach. For years she has helped family members, friends, patients, and clients get their health back on track and make the connection between how the mind affects the physical body. Powering up the nervous system, breaking old patterns that keep you in survival mode, and focusing on living in the present moment are all key parts of how she lives her own life and how she guides transformation in her patient's and client's lives.

Episode Guests:

Dr. Haley Steinhauser

Website: https://healthyhabitstudio.com/

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/hailey.steinhauser

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1457940897920372

Free Boundaries Meditation: https://healthyhabitstudio.ck.page/de6791d662

Free Habit Tracker: https://healthyhabitstudio.ck.page/d771d68458

Giveaway for listeners: FREE Discovery Call with me https://calendly.com/dr-haileysteinhauser/discovery-call

Episode 029 - Lifestyle, Attitude, Food & Faith

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 21:51:50 GMT

Lifestyle, Attitude, Food & Faith

Release Date: 03/25/2022

Episode Number : 029

Episode Title: Lifestyle, Attitude, Food & Faith

Episode Synopsis:

On this episode of The Boob Report we are visiting with Dr. Barb Hughson, a woman devoted to helping other women get access to mammograms and thermograms AND educating them on how to live a healthier lifestyle through prevention and early detection.

Episode Guests:

Dr. Barb Hughson

President of Education of the Foundation holds a Doctorate in Leadership and has been involved in education and learning for several decades. A serial entrepreneur, she has literally helped thousands of people in her career and now utilizes her experience to design and develop the education arm of the Becky Baker Foundation.

Contact Dr. Barb at: d rbarb@beckybakerfoundation.org .

https://www.facebook.com/beckybakerfoundation

https://www.instagram.com/beckybakerfdn/

https://beckybakerfoundation.org/

Our golf tournaments - May 18 in Pueblo and CO Springs July 19 - info for sponsorship and registration can be found at https://golf4prevention.org/

Our July 18 Prevention ROCKS retreat can be found at www.retreats4prevention.org . I am still working on building out that site so registration and sponsorship info will be up there soon!

Episode 028 - It’s a Marathon NOT a Sprint

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 23:03:16 GMT

It’s a Marathon NOT a Sprint

Release Date: 03/18/2022

Episode Number: 028

Episode Title: It’s a Marathon NOT a Sprint

Episode Synopsis:

On this episode of The Boob Report we are visiting Tracey Spielman, a self-professed Type A personality who was diagnosed with breast cancer on Valentine’s Day 2020 during the pandemic. She shares with us how challenging it was to deal with not only the diagnosis but the fact that she felt she had no control over what was happening to her.

Episode Guests:

Tracey Spielman

I grew up on a farm in South Dakota and attended South Dakota State University (go jackrabbits!) earning a degree in Engineering. I joined Air Force ROTC in college and served active duty for 9 years and 11 more years in the Air Force Reserves. I also work for an Engineering consulting firm. I’m married with 3 teenagers… a now senior in high school and twin 8th grade girls. All of these experiences made me extra strong…or so I thought. I was diagnosed with HER 2 positive (actually triple positive) Breast Cancer on Valentine’s Day in 2020, just as COVID was hitting. As I was scheduling my routine annual mammogram, I noticed something unusual. We proceeded with the mammogram and even though my mammogram was deemed “clear” my ultrasound and subsequent biopsy confirm all 3 areas they tested - to include my lymph nodes, were positive. I was hysterical; this was not part of my plan. I immediately started chemo in an effort to shrink the tumors, then had a double mastectomy. I did not have a complete response, so I continued with 14 more Kadcyla infusions followed by 7 weeks of radiation, then reconstruction and fat grafting. It’s definitely a marathon vs a sprint, which is not what I wanted to hear, but having a good plan in place has really helped me navigate and stay focused and strong. And while I’m still a huge planner and worrier, this bump has taught me to focus more on today and to celebrate the small victories along the way.

Link:

https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/cancer/12-things-not-to-say-to-someone-with-cancer?cid=63emHLN112320Rankitv2&elqTrackId=58C5FF67103CF2FD4173FEF2AC9824D9&elq=21127430f6ec4498b952d5027364c218&elqaid=4489&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=2263&fbclid=IwA

Episode 027 - How Research Studies Help

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 23:37:50 GMT

How Research Studies Help

Release Date: 03/11/2022

Episode Number : 027

Episode Title : How Research Studies Help

Episode Synopsis:

-What is “metabolism”?

-How metabolism relates to nutrition needs in general (i.e., energy balance) and how this may be impacted in different types of cancer.

-Breast-cancer specific metabolism and nutrition needs during/after treatment (could maybe touch on prevention, but that is not my forte)… general guidelines, some “newer/novel” dietary approaches (intermittent fasting, keto, etc.)

- a brief discussion on research study design and how to know if you’re getting reliable information would tie nicely into the topic of some of the newer dietary patterns because we’re just not there yet in terms of recommendations – there’s certainly promise, though!

Episode Guests:

Dr. Sarah Purcell

received her B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, respectively, at Florida State University. She continued her research at the University of Alberta, where she earned her Ph.D. in Nutrition and Metabolism. There, she investigated energy expenditure (calories burned) in relation to body composition (muscle and fat), dietary intake, and current nutrition recommendations among individuals with active cancer. Sarah completed her NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Colorado - Anschutz. Her research in Colorado investigated relationships among appetite, body composition, physical activity, and energy metabolism and how exercise may impact these variables in people with obesity or previous cancer. Dr. Purcell recently started a new position as Assistant Professor of Nutrition at the University of British Columbia – Okanagan, where she will continue to investigate nutrition and metabolism in different contexts.

Dr. Purcell is passionate about exploring human physiology as it pertains to nutrition and exercise because it is an ever-growing field with great potential to positively impact health and longevity. Sarah’s love of nutrition and exercise translates to her personal life; in her free time, she enjoys training for triathlons and marathons, traveling, hiking, doing yoga, painting, eating, and spending time with her husband, Chase, and chihuahua, Bitsy.

Here are some of the general resources:

American Institute of Cancer Research Heal Well Guide: https://prod-io.livestrong.org/sites/default/files/rs/images-email/pdfs/livestrong-fertility/Meals-to-Heal-Heal-Well-Nutrition-Guide.pdf

American Cancer Society Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines: https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3322/caac.21142

Summary on energy balance from Precision Nutrition: https://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-energy-balance

Caveat is that this is not a government/research source and they do try and sell nutrition certifications, BUT the site generally has legitimate scientific writers and led by a bona fide PhD in exercise and nutrition.

Episode 026 - Using a Cold Cap during Chemo

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 20:42:32 GMT

Using a Cold Cap during Chemo

Release Date: 03/04/2022

Episode Number: 026

Episode Title: Using a Cold Cap during Chemo

Episode Synopsis:

On this episode of The Boob Report we are visiting with Heather Lorince Harrington, a very recent breast cancer survivor who along with most of us did not have a history of cancer in her family. An athlete, wife and Mom, she made the decision to use the cold cap after her Doctor told her about the experimental therapy while going through her rounds of chemo. Would she do it again? It was a difficult process but one she does not regret.

Episode Guests:

Heather Lorince Harrington

Born and raised on a small farm in eastern Colorado

Collegiate volleyball player and semi-bro beach volleyball player

Avid worker-outer! I own 2 gyms in Denver -- Compass Fitness and Compass Wellness

Residential real estate expert with Milehimodern -- 9 years

Mom of a 6 year old little girl named Quinn

Breast Cancer survivor - stage 3 HER2+ discovered in Aug of 2020 -- finished 12 rounds of chemo in late Feb 2021 and continued Herceptin shots until Nov of 2021,

Cold Cap user -- kept my hair successfully throughout chemo (lost eyebrows and eyelashes and every other bit but kept hair on my head)

Links:

compassfitnessdenver.com

milehimodern.com

email: @Heather Lorince

socials: hlorince (insta)

Facebook: heather lorince harrington

My Psycho-oncology Wake-up Call – Diane M Simard

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 21:01:59 GMT

Rene and I enjoyed getting away in early February on our first trip in two-and-a-half years flying on an airplane, this time to Phoenix (Glendale) for a work conference for him. I tagged along and Zoomed, worked on spreadsheets, and answered emails the entire time from our hotel room. Definitely not a vacation, but the change in scenery and view of palm trees outside our hotel window was great.

The night we arrived in Phoenix, Rene and I spoke via Zoom to seven PsyD students in the Intro to Psychosocial Oncology class offered this quarter by the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP). This is the first in the Center for Oncology Psychology (COPE)’s series of four classes that I founded way back when, and it was our third opportunity to share our stories with the intro class taught by Dr. Caroline Scheiber . Dr. Scheiber is a Stanford-trained clinical psychologist who specializes in working with individuals and family members who suffer from serious medical conditions such as cancer.

Speaking of COPE, I checked in with the University of Denver recently (thank you, Ashley Haliko!), and a whopping 163 students took one or more of COPE’s healthy/oncology psychology-related courses between fall 2015 and winter 2022. You have been introduced to several of those students through my column, some of whom have now completed their PsyD degrees.

The moral to this story is that most everyone I interact with these days is more highly educated than me, I don’t use notes, and I’m achieving some of my greatest moments of self-actualization when I’m far, far from home.

I have accidentally morphed into a “psycho-oncology influencer.” And honestly, I have never felt more authentic and alive.

Wait—what is “Psycho-oncology?”

A variety of terms are used, sometimes inter-changeably, to refer to the interdisciplinary field that intersects the physical, psychological, social, and behavioral aspects of cancer for patients, survivors, and caregivers. I use the term psycho-oncology, but the field is also known as psychiatric oncology, psychosocial oncology, oncology psychology, cancer psychology, and on and on.

For those interested in going deeper on psycho-oncology, I overwhelmingly recommend The Human Side of Cancer by the late Jimmie Holland, M.D., who is credited with pioneering the study of cancer’s psychological challenges. Dr. Holland’s book is insightful, comforting, and easy to understand.

An Update and Request from Molly Rosado

Anyway, one of the reasons Molly reached out was to ask for our assistance with her undergraduate thesis, which is to analyze anxiety levels among various age groups of current and post-treatment cancer patients, seeking patterns within gender, age, and medical status. For those of you who have experienced cancer, I would be so grateful for your participation in this anonymous, brief survey. I completed it in about five minutes. Here’s the survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AnxietyandCancer

Thank you, thank you in advance for providing valuable input to assist in the education of our future psycho-oncology leaders and to help bring more attention and resources to the deficit of mental health services for those impacted by cancer within our healthcare system.

Cheers to the Courageous Warriors

Feb. 24 was premiere movie night in the Simard household! My sincere thanks to those who tuned in to watch the streaming premiere of Courageous Warriors: Beauty from the Ashes . This award-winning independent documentary film was a labor of love for Darla Rae, who captured the stories of breast cancer survivors determined to channel their experiences through art, nature, therapy, and education.

Part of the proceeds from the film premiere will go to the Ray of Hope Colorado Cancer Foundation ’s mental health support program. Phase one of the program, which launched a few weeks ago, is a pilot to gather data about the outcomes of individualized mental therapy for Coloradoans impacted by cancer. For the past 18 or so months, I have been working closely with Ray of Hope’s Executive Director, Audra Fleming, to bring this program to life. Audra, her staff, her board, and several committee volunteers have done most of the heavy lifting, and it has been an honor for me to make intros, advise, and advocate along the way. Audra recently let me know that the list of therapists available through the pilot program has become a popular resource for those seeking help for cancer-related distress, and it’s not just for those who want to apply for a Ray of Hope mental health support grant.

Here again is the website for the list of therapists – please share with anyone you know who might be seeking this type of support: https://rayofhopecolorado.org/listoftherapists/

Thank you! Much more to follow about this significant initiative.

Happy Anniversary, Rene

You see, Rene is much more than a craft beer-loving New Englander. He is a human border collie who was placed on this earth to herd and guide others to achieve their greatest potential. It fills my heart to watch him culminate a career of military and civilian organizational leadership with this opportunity.

Life truly does become what you make it.

To generating YOUR inspiration from within,

Episode 025 - So Let’s Talk About Sex

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 22:51:06 GMT

So Let’s Talk About Sex

Release Date: 02/25/2022

Episode Number: 025

Episode Title: SO LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX

Episode Synopsis:

It is something that is really not discussed that often, how much sex can be affected by an illness or a disability. When you lose the ability to perform sex, it is possible to experience depression, that feeling of who would want to be with me if I cannot have sex? Anna, having experienced those same feelings developed a dating app specifically to help those individuals who feel lost and that they can’t talk to anyone about what they are going through.

Episode Guests:

Anna Leonarda

CEO and Founder of Entwine ~ Online Dating App

Anna is a single mother of 2 children and resides in a suburb of Chicago, IL. She is a 9-year breast cancer survivor. Having struggled with Endometriosis, Vaginismus, and the side effects of Breast Cancer treatment, intercourse became too painful. Her marriage later came to an end and Anna wondered how she would date while having sexual limitations. She wondered what men do that have sexual dysfunction such as Erectile Dysfunction. How do they date without the fear of rejection or embarrassment? Anna decided to take action and created an answer. A dating app called Entwine that takes sexual expectations out of dating.

Instagram: @Entwine_dating

FB: @Entwinedating

Twitter: @Entwinedating

www.EntwineDating.com

Episode 024 - Hacking Chemo

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 17:35:35 GMT

Hacking Chemo

Release Date: 02/18/2022

Episode Number: 024

Episode Title: HACKING CHEMO

Episode Synopsis:

On this episode we are talking about how you can get through chemotherapy with a healthier diet. Now it is hard to eat or have an appetite going through treatment, but this episode offers some insight into how taking control of your diet can possibly make a difference. Our guest Martha is a registered dietitian who went through cancer and treatment and describes how this worked for her, she’s even written a book about it!

Episode Guests:

Martha Tettenborn, RD

a Registered Dietitian and certified Primal Health Coach with over 30 years of experience working in various areas of nutrition. My private practice promotes a low-carb and high-fat lifestyle for healthy aging and chronic disease prevention. After becoming a cancer survivor and thriver, I wrote and published Hacking Chemo: Using Ketogenic Diet, Therapeutic Fasting and a Kickass Attitude to Power Through Cancer. I have been a featured speaker at the Low Carb Long Weekend Summit and have also instructed courses for the Nutrition Network and Udemy on the ketogenic approach to cancer treatment.

https://www.facebook.com/Hacking-Chemo-Using-Nutrition-to-Journey-through-Cancer-362100501250902/
martha@marthatettenborn.com
https://www.marthatettenborn.com
https://www.theboobreport.com/resources#Library

Episode 023 - A Pathway to Insight

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 15:55:57 GMT

A Pathway to Insight

Release Date: 02/11/2022

Episode Number: 023

Episode Title: A PATHWAY TO INSIGHT

Episode Synopsis:

We are discussing how your brain works in so many ways when it comes to healing. Being able to “rework” PTSD, trauma and anxiety with a Healing Touch practitioner. We will be discussing gamma brainwaves, deep meditation and all things related to calming yourself and your brain.

Episode Guests:

Ann Hince

When Ann was 19, she woke one morning to find her mother dead in her bathroom.

Twenty years later the tears from that trauma were still just under the surface. Ann found a simple technique that helped her release these emotions - but she went further and can now put her awareness inside her body - and has changed the bone structure of her skull. Ann has found that seeking out our truth, what we truly feel, and accepting those feelings, is the key to inner peace."

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTc4hb7ZKvih1LlRHK0cUjg

https://www.facebook.com/AnnHinceWisdom

www.AnnHince.com

Book: A Pathway to Insight, available on Amazon or from booksellers.

https://www.theboobreport.com/resources - Library

Episode 022 - Worrying Is Not a Plan

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 22:26:38 GMT

Worrying Is Not a Plan

Release Date: 02/04/2022

Episode Number: 022

Episode Title: WORRYING IS NOT A PLAN

Episode Synopsis:
Today we are visiting with Drew and discussing Anxiety and Depression, it’s a touchy subject for some but for those of us who experience it on a daily basis, it can be debilitating. Receiving a devastating diagnosis of cancer or any other life threatening illness can create or exacerbate a sense of helplessness and lead to anxiety and/or depression.

Having suffered with anxiety, panic disorder, agoraphobia and depression several times over a 20 year period, Drew got it together once and for all in 2008. Since then life has been happy, productive and “normal”.

For the last 15 years Drew has been active in the online anxiety community, working to use his experience and understanding to help those that are following down the path he’s travelled. His no-nonsense approach to these problems and willingness to provide direct, actionable advice even when it might not be easy to hear, has established him as a unique voice in the community.

Episode Guests:

Drew Linsalata

Founder/CEO at HELIX Interactive Podcast and Audiobook Production AND Creator and host of The Anxious Truth Podcast. Author, teacher and podcaster on the subject of anxiety and anxiety disorders. He teaches basic meditation and focus training as part of anxiety recovery.

https://www.instagram.com/DrewLinsalata

https://www.instagram.com/the.anxious.truth

https://twitter.com/TheAnxiousTruth

https://theanxioustruth.com/

https://theanxioustruth.com/subscribe-to-podcast/

Episode 021 - All in The Family

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 17:43:07 GMT

All in The Family

Release Date: 1/28/2022

Episode Number: 021

Episode Title: ALL IN THE FAMILY

Episode Synopsis:

Lucinda Testo is such an incredibly story of how Breast Cancer can run in the family but still not show up in genetic testing. She received a very recent breast cancer diagnosis, she has been in for regular mammograms because of her history. But due to Covid it was pushed a few months and when she was finally able to get in, unfortunately was diagnosed. She wants to share her story so that women will go and get tested!

Episode Guests:

Lucinda Testo

https://www.komen.org/breast-cancer/facts-statistics/breast-cancer-statistics/

Episode 020 - It’s a Horse Thing

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 11:53:57 GMT

It’s a Horse Thing

Release Date: 01/20/2022

Episode Number : 020

Episode Title : It’s a Horse Thing

Episode Synopsis:

In 2015, on my 58th birthday I was diagnosed with Stage 1C ovarian cancer. During chemo, I lost my hair but I found something so much more important – my inner strength .

My perspective changed and I realized that if I wanted something different in my life it was up to me to make the necessary changes. I began training for my new career in 2017.

Episode Guests:

Nancy McKay ~ Recovery & Resilience Expert ~ Coach ~ Author ~ Speaker

A life and equus coach who helps women find their voice and build their courage. She is the founder of Amazing Outlook Coaching and works with women virtually and with the help of horses to uncover the limiting beliefs and behaviors that are keeping them stuck in the muck!

https://amazingoutlookcoaching.com/

Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/amazingoutlookcoaching

Instagram ~ www.instagram.com/nancymckay/

LinkedIn ~ www.linkedin.com/in/nancymckay

YouTube ~ amazingoutlookcoaching.com/YouTube

Episode 019 - Knitted Knockers

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 14:34:49 GMT

Knitted Knockers

Release Date: 01/14/2022

Episode Number : 019

Episode Title : KNITTED KNOCKERS

Episode Synopsis:
Give us a little one paragraph synopsis of the episode. This appears in the episode description on Spotify or wherever people are listening.

Episode Guests:

Mary Turek

Mary Turek is the founder of Great Knockers Again. Since 2017, this group of Denver-area volunteer knitters and crocheters have created and distributed thousands of FREE soft, comfortable handmade breast prostheses for women who have undergone mastectomies or other procedures to the breast. Knitted Knockers are distributed FREE via requests at KnittedKnockers.org.

My sister is a breast cancer survivor, so helping those affected by breast cancer struck close to home and seemed like the perfect purpose-driven project for us. On a visit to Mom and her knitting group in Tennessee, I was inspired to build my own team of local crafters to support Knitted Knockers here in south metro Denver. Great Knockers Again was launched in the fall of 2017 with monthly meetings at Piney Creek Yarn in Centennial.

In 2022 I began a new role with Knitted Knockers Support Foundation answering phones to help survivors order their personalized Knitted Knockers and assisting medical clinics to distribute information to their patients. I am thrilled with this new opportunity to help spread the word out about Knitted Knockers!

For more information:

Facebook: Great Knockers Again

Email Mary at: http://GreatKnockersAgain@gmail.com

Knitted Knockers are distributed FREE via requests at http://www.knittedknockers.org/

Barb Demorest

I am a wife, mother, grandmother and casual knitter residing in Bellingham, Washington. I recently retired from my 30 year career as a CPA and owner of a tax practice in order to pursue my passion of connecting volunteer knitters and crocheters with breast cancer survivors to provide free knitted knockers to those that can use them. After hearing the awful words, you have cancer and struggling with the impact of having a mastectomy a simple gift of comfort and dignity knit by a caring friend changed my life. My purpose and passion is now to inspire and equip the wonderful, caring, fiber arts community to provide these gifts of love to their fellow women in their own communities. I no longer get paid in dollars for my work but the rewards are priceless.

Quote:

“A simple gift of comfort and dignity knit by a caring friend changed my life!”

A place for you to put guest bios, links, etc.

Episode 018 - Murphy's Law

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 14:30:08 GMT

Murphy's Law

Release Date: 1/7/2022

Episode Number : 018

Episode Title : Murphy’s Law

Episode Synopsis:

Diagnosed 6 years ago Deb actually had worked previously for an oncologist AND the American Cancer Society so she knew just enough to be dangerous, and of course ask the right questions. It really helped her since she had complications and is one of those unique individuals who deals with “if it can go wrong, it will”.

Episode Guests:

Deb Krier

Deb Krier is an Unabashed Connector with information, knowledge, and resources to help people become more successful in business…and in life. She’s a LinkedIn Strategist, marketing professional, social media adviser, professional speaker and trainer. She’s also a survivor of Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer. Since 2011, Deb has hosted The Business Power Hour® and she absolutely loves talking with her guests about a variety of business topics. Deb is president of Wise Women Communications, LLC, a full-service marketing and public relations firm. She has an MS in Communications Management and an MBA in Business Management.

https://www.facebook.com/thedebkrier

https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahkrier/

https://debkrier.com/

Podcast ~ https://thebusinesspowerhour.com/

Episode 017 - Turning a Negative Into a Positive

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 17:12:18 GMT

Turning a Negative Into a Positive

Release Date: 12/31/2021

Episode Number : 017

Episode Title : Turning a Negative into a Positive

Episode Guests:

Sharon Madison

Early on, Sharon figured out that her mind was a powerful engine if she fed it with the right words and actions. Her approach paid off! In her early adult years, she started in retail, finding herself being promoted as one of the youngest store managers at the Ralph Lauren shop in Cherry Creek. When she took up bike racing and put in the hard work it took, she became a top competitor. Because of her actions and thoughts that “she’s got this,” she found herself the winner of 2 gold medals at the Maccabi Games in Israel in 2013 and the Colorado Road Race State champion in 2014. The contagion of her positive energy caught the eye of a nonprofit wanting someone to build up the cycling club arm of their organization. Sharon took on the challenge and created a thriving community of cyclists who followed Sharon’s lead in supporting each other with their goals.

Not only does Sharon harness her thoughts and actions to make “it happen,” but she also knows how to “turn lemons into lemonade” when everyday life throws her curveballs. The pandemic caused the nonprofit to shut down her 6-year efforts of building up the cycling arm, where she put her whole heart and soul into its development.

You know how it goes—- things were sailing along, and boom, some more lemons fell from the sky. Sharon was diagnosed with breast cancer on July 26, 2021 and had a double mastectomy on September 2. Then, she was served up radiation treatment for 5-days a week for 5 weeks. Thinking about anything but survival would have been our path for many of us. Not Sharon! Since she couldn’t ride her bike, she started walking every day and inviting friends to join her. Some of her walking partners were short-lived because they couldn’t keep up with her pace or her mileage. How many people do you know who thought it might be “fun” to do the Manitou Springs Incline with 2,768 steps and 2000 ft. elevation gain while undergoing radiation treatment? What came from having her cycling taken away (lemons) was getting the WR4 community plus spouses involved in walking, and that was the seed that made a WR4 walking club come to fruition. (Tasty lemonade for sure.) Sharon is a winner on so many fronts. Her strong belief in the importance of mindset never lets her down, no matter how many lemons have been thrown her way. Her message to others having to face the trauma of a cancer diagnosis is to remember—- NEVER GIVE UP!

https://weride4.org/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/weride4/

https://twitter.com/Ride4We

https://www.instagram.com/weridefor/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/we-ride-4/

Episode 016 - My Gift To You

Sat, 25 Dec 2021 22:54:38 GMT

My Gift To You

Release Date: 12/24/2021

Episode Number : 016

Episode Title : My Gift To You!

Episode Synopsis:

Just a quick podcast to talk about how the holidays can be difficult and the trick is to find out a way to not only get through them but also to come out feeling better. I have struggled for years, even before breast cancer, with anxiety and depression and not really dealing with triggers that might set those feelings into high gear! It has also taken me some time to find things that work for me to help me calm down and work with my anxiety and depression. This does include therapy but I also have found things I can do on my own with self care. Once again, it’s not wrong to struggle with your emotions, be angry or cry! That’s all healthy and normal! I tried to find the humor in things, trust me it was hard but I kept at it. Keep moving forward, sometimes it’s all you can do!

Episode Guests: Me

5 Year Breast Cancer Survivor

Visionary at The Boob Report

Friend, ally, shoulder to cry on, an ear to vent and someone to share a glass of wine with!

Suggested Resources:

The Anxious Truth ~ Drew Linsalata

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZw-DVxl1VzAryk-x_v3C0XWKJFJoPXCL

Shit We Don’t Talk About ~ Mia Voss

https://open.spotify.com/show/54KmmkyI5T7M5l5UH4Tn6E

Womens Meditation Network ~ Katie Krimitsos

http://womensmeditationnetwork.com/podcast?fbclid=IwAR2d4-36HxDwAotCdkvAar8gO_t2I6Z_frLVu1TuAmhMSRvPZ8U9aQ297MI

Episode 015 - Let's Get Mental

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 22:31:10 GMT

Let's Get Mental

Release Date: 12/17/2021

Episode Number : 015

Episode Title : Let’s Get Mental

Episode Synopsis:

A survivor of late Stage 3 breast cancer in 2015, Diane is also a psycho-oncology influencer/advocate to increase access to financial and mental health resources for those impacted by the psychological trauma of cancer. Within three months of completing 10 months of treatment, she seed-funded a specialty at the University of Denver called the Center for Oncology Psychology Excellence (COPE)—the first specialty in the country to offer psycho-oncology training at the graduate level. She has since helped launch a mental health therapy pilot grant program through the Ray of Hope Colorado Cancer Foundation and serves as a Patient Advisor for Blue Note Therapeutics. Blue Note is a prescription digital therapeutics company. She self-published a five-star memoir, The Unlikely Gift of Breast Cancer , that describes how she used her business acumen to overcome cancer-related anxiety, and how the process of self-discovery motivated her to establish COPE. The Unlikely Gift was named one of the “Best Breast Cancer Books of All Time” by Book Authority and placed third in the memoir category of the 2019 Colorado Independent Publishers Association book awards, an international competition. Diane’s COPE story is featured in Courageous Warriors: Beauty from the Ashes , a multi award-winning independent documentary film.

Episode Guests:

Diane Simard

COPE Founder | Speaker | Aerospace Exec, Nat’l Top 100 Business Women to Watch, BizWomen.com

Author , The Unlikely Gift of Breast Cancer

Available on my website or Amazon

DianeMSimard.com (to sign up for my monthly blog)

Diane@2GAssociates.com

303-817-7676

https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-moravec-simard/

https://www.facebook.com/DianeMSimard1965/

https://www.amazon.com/Diane-M.-Simard/e/B07M7XP2B9

Episode 014 - Becoming More Comfortable With Our Bodies

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 16:07:07 GMT

Becoming More Comfortable With Our Bodies

Release Date: 12/10/2021

Episode Number: 014

Episode Title: Becoming More Comfortable With Our Bodies

Episode Synopsis:

Gina Simpson is the owner of the Colorado School of Healing Arts in Lakewood, CO, established in 1986. She has been a Licensed Massage Therapist for 35 years and loves the opportunity to work with clients of all ages and all health histories as they need her areas of specialties. In addition to overseeing the operations of the school, Gina has a thriving private practice and is trained in the following modalities: Lymphatic Drainage Massage, Cranial Sacral Therapy, Reflexology, Trauma Touch Therapy, Sports Massage, Subtle Unwinding, Healing Touch and Phenomenal Touch.

Episode Guests:

Gina Simpson

You can reach her directly at 303-913-1795

via email at ginasimpson54@gmail.com for more information about the work she provides through her practice.

The school website is www.csha.net if you are interested in becoming a Massage Therapist or adding continuing education to your practice. Please reach out to the Colorado School of Healing Arts and Tim Nichols, the Admissions Representative to learn more; he can be reached at tim@csha.net .

Episode 013 - Colorado Cancer Coalition

Sat, 04 Dec 2021 18:01:06 GMT

Colorado Cancer Coalition

Release Date : 12/13/2021

Episode Number : 013

Episode Title : COLORADO CANCER COALITION

Episode Synopsis :

· Colorado Cancer Coalition is a nonprofit organization with the State of Colorado that helps people who work in cancer care in Colorado

· Every State has its own coalition, although in some states it may not be set up as a nonprofit.

· Their resources consistent on information on prevention through end of life care

Stats ~ Cancer is the leading cause of death in the State of Colorado

· 23 people die a day from cancer in Colorado (8,420 deaths projected in Colorado from cancer this year - ACS Facts and Figures 2021, https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2021/cancer-facts-and-figures-2021.pdf

Episode Guests:

Christi Cahill ~ Executive Director, Colorado Cancer Coalition

Christi Cahill has dedicated her professional career to working with cancer related nonprofits and organizations. Christi has been involved with the Colorado Cancer Coalition in a variety of capacities since 2009 and is now the Executive Director. In addition to her work with the Colorado Cancer Coalition, Christi also facilitates Leading Effective Coalition ECHOs and Managing Effective Coalitions Community of Practice. Prior to becoming the Executive Director she was the Cancer Outreach Specialist at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and before that the Director of Program Services at MyLifeLine.org. Christi received a B.A. in Kinesiology from Rice University in Houston, TX and a Nonprofit Management Certificate from the Center for Nonprofit Management in Dallas, TX.

Links:

www.coloradocancercoalition.org

Support Groups: https://www.coloradocancercoalition.org/supportgroups/

Cancer Resources Map: https://www.coloradocancercoalition.org/cancer-map

Episode 012 -Yes, the Holidays can SUCK Sometimes!

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 17:51:28 GMT

Yes, the Holidays Can SUCK Sometimes!

Release Date: 11/26/2021

Episode Number: 012

Episode Title: Yes, the Holidays can SUCK sometimes!

Episode Synopsis:

Just a quick podcast to talk about how the holidays can suck and that’s okay! I had my bi-lateral mastectomy the week before Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday BTW!! I hated not being able to cook for my family or start breaking out the Christmas decorations to put up! But it’s okay, it’s not wrong to struggle with your emotions, be angry or cry! That’s all healthy and normal! I tried to find the humor in things, trust me it was hard but I kept at it. Keep moving forward, sometimes it’s all you can do!

Episode Guests: Me

5 Year Breast Cancer Survivor

Visionary at The Boob Report

Friend, ally, shoulder to cry on, an ear to vent and someone to share a glass of wine with!

Episode 011 - Living With Purpose

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 18:39:19 GMT

Episode 011 - Living With Purpose

Release Date: 11/19/2021

Episode Number: 011

Episode Title: LIVING WITH PURPOSE

Episode Synopsis:

· Became a nutritionist to help her kids eat healthier, it became a great resource for her when she received her diagnosis

· She did have a private practice while she also worked at a local hospital, she ended up closing the practice while going through treatment. And then opened it up again a year into treatment.

· Restarted under Life Well Lived to have a fuller life and while being aware of what is on your plate to also enjoy your food.

· Wanted to focus on how we live our lives, how we take care of ourselves, trying to eliminate stress and focus on self-care

· How about we focus on the color of food on our plate! That is where we get the nutrition through nourishment!

· Let’s get rid of stress

· 6 pillars ~ diet, exercise, stress, sleep, relationships and toxins

· We wear stress like a badge of courage and we need to KNOCK IT OFF!!

· We need to get better at managing our stress

· Be your own advocate!

Regina Topelson is a registered dietitian and the owner of Life Well-Lived, a lifestyle medicine consulting practice in Denver. She is a regular health and wellness contributor to 9News Denver, CO, a podcaster, speaker, and cancer survivor. Her program, Wings of Hope, helps breast cancer survivors rebuild their life after a cancer diagnosis. Regina enjoys hiking, biking, yoga, and reading.

Episode Guests:

Regina Topelson, MBA, RDN, CLT, IFMCP

Integrative & Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner
9News Nutrition Expert
Certified CHIP Facilitator
www.lifewell-lived.com

regina@lifewell-lived.com
P: 303.335.0532
Regina Topelson: Life Well-Lived (Facebook)
@lifewell_lived_ (Instagram)
@lifewell_lived_ (Twitter)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-topelson (LinkedIn)

Episode 010 - Stress is Not a Badge of Honor

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 21:32:48 GMT

Stress is not a Badge of Honor

Release Date: 11/12/2021

Episode Number: 010

Episode Title: STRESS IS NOT A BADGE OF HONOR

Episode Synopsis:

· Ariana is authentic, original and wild by nature. She is known as a visionary leader, successful entrepreneur, master somatic coach, zoologist, mother, artist, author, and international teacher of Embodied Leadership and founder of Equine Guided Coaching.

· Her teachings have been incorporated into numerous leadership institutes and equine therapy programs around the world including Institute for Women’s Leadership, Institute for Generative Leadership, Institute of Noetic Sciences, and Meridian University.

· Ariana grew up in two different worlds; the world of nature and the world of people. Her entrepreneurial instinct was sparked at a leadership conference when she saw the gap between the words people spoke and their non-verbal body language.

· Ariana’s mission is to empower healthy leaders to take a stand for healing the planet. She knows from experience that embodied women are the change-makers we need in our world today.

· Ariana is the author of three books internationally known spokeswoman on Embodied Leadership. She is a pioneer in the equine therapy field first founding Leadership & Horses™ in 1989 and Equine Guided Education & Coaching, in addition to co-founded the Strozzi Institute (Strozzi Somatics).

· She offers leadership and dignity programs, wellness coaching and spirit retreats, in which incorporates her passion for living a healthy lifestyle in balance with Mother Earth. She loves cooking, gardening, growing and making herbal medicines, and spending time in nature.

Episode Guests:

Ariana Mazzucchi

ArianaMazzucchi@gmail.com

http://www.SkyHorseAcademy.com

707-338-9817

https://www.facebook.com/EarthWhispererAlliance

Round Two, Part 1: Breast Cancer versus JuliAnne

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 07:00:02 GMT

Two years ago, I was negotiating a contract for a seaside home in the state of Maine. Yep, we were finally leaving Arkansas and we couldn’t have been happier.

Me: because I had survived metastatic breast cancer, come out swinging and now I was really going to make my life count. Because having a near-death experience and living to tell about it…well. At some point, you think, “Well, if that happened and I came through it, I must have some greater purpose.” Right?

The question is….after the cancer journey has destroyed everything you thought you once knew…what could that purpose possibly BE?

So, after months and months of sitting with it – and feeling particularly “in a hurry” to come up with something…I mean, come on, there’s no more time to waste! I’d decided: a good friend and I and my husband were moving to Maine to open a retreat center for women with cancer…though we were starting as an Airbnb.

Hubby was happy because he had survived me surviving breast cancer…and he had hopes of turning this waterfront mansion into a boutique wedding venue.

The first time we’d visited the place, my eyes followed his vanishing form as he disappeared down the tip of the wooded peninsula to the water’s edge where he stayed for some time. When I eventually made it down there – after wandering the mammoth house and grounds – and took his hand, he’d turned to me with excitement….something neither of us had had in some time…and said, “Can you see it?” as his hand gestured here and there as it drew the scene in the air before me. “The tents here. The bonfire here. The vows here. The couple will enter from over here.”

And the reality was, I could see it. Plus to hear him that excited again, after all that we’d been through. Well, it was more than enough to convince me. We were going to do this, details be darned. It was now my life’s mission!

So, we did. We negotiated and renegotiated contracts. Moved cross country. Sold a vehicle. Shipped three cats. Moved in with our best friend. And started cleaning and repairing the behemoth creature of a house and grounds (which had been a multi-unit tenant dwelling for some years)…so, you can imagine the mess.

And with our fervor, we made the first of many mistakes: not signing written contracts or letters of agreement with our best friend-now partner from the get-go.

I, for one, was so gung-ho and my husband was working his tail off, day in and day out, with one drama after another, that we didn’t take the time to make things formal.

Mistake number one.

Still fresh from being declared N.E.D. (no evidence of disease, the first step toward becoming truly “cancer-free) a few months before, the desire I had to “make my life count” swung my pragmatic business mind right out the window during 90% of these initial transactions.

I was just so grateful to be ALIVE. Of course!

I let things slide with our business partner, when she didn’t pull her weight. I looked the other way when she failed to follow through on a number of important things.

Bottom line: I allowed my Taurus personality and my post-cancer “just got out of jail mostly unscathed” mindset let her skate on things I would never allow anyone else in business to get away with. At least, the pre-cancer JuliAnne wouldn’t have. And yet, now, I did.

My Scorpio husband on the other hand was having none of it. My desire to make it all work and ramp up a new business in record time so that it was financially profitable…well, let’s just say emotions were high and my head for business was only partially in place.

They say chemo does strange things to the brain. And I’ll be the first to agree. In retrospect – two years past now – I admit I made some less than solid decisions.

On one hand, who could blame me? Who expects a woman who’s just been through hell and back to make good decisions or even make sense, for that matter? What is there about going through cancer and almost dying would make one think that I should make sense, then or ever again? The reality is, an experience like this changes you.

Four months in on our dream Maine. project, in the midst of my husband and I working 12-hour days to make this dream of ours come true, the three-way partnership imploded before it exploded. Nasty words were spoken. Accusations were made. Emotions ran high. And it got ugly. Fast.

It is not a time period that I look back on with great pride.

And yet, I put down my foot down on inconsistency, which is something I needed to do. It was admittedly late (with my best friend) and overdue (with my husband) but I learned some hard and necessary lessons.

Even so, I was devastated. This woman had been one of my best friends for 19 years. And the friendship was now clearly, over.

In the midst of the fire storm of our friend moving out of our shared living arrangement, I returned to Arkansas for my three-month PET scan. Two days after my scan in an appointment with my doctor, it was as a second bomb splattered across the screen of his computer. New cloudy images had shown up in my right breast. It didn’t look good, he said. He needed more tests.

When I wandered into the parking lot a few minutes later, my mind had gone so blank with shock, I couldn’t find my car. In the moment of staring at those images on the screen, I was flashing back to the nightmare of my initial diagnosis when the days of waiting before the biopsy results came back had seemed never-ending….it had been a slow-moving train whose destination had derailed our entire lives.

How could this be happening again?

The second test took a few days to be scheduled, which required changed flights and harried phone calls back to Maine. With all the ramp-up of starting the new business then the drama of the imploding friendship, of course my stress level had been high….who was I kidding?

The hours and days ticked by until I found myself staring at a different screen in a different doctor’s office and hearing those dreaded words I thought I had put behind me: confirmed, cancer.

As I boarded my flight back to Maine the following day, my oncologist rang. “JuliAnne,” he said, “You have two choices. One, a double mastectomy and two, we can try more chemo.”

As hard as I’d fought to keep my D-cup breasts to this point, I didn’t skip a beat. “Let’s schedule the mastectomy,” I replied. “I’m not doing chemo again.”

“I want you back in two weeks,” I heard him say. “You need this out as soon as possible. I’ll call the surgeon now and tell her to expect your call.”

Five hours later, I was landing in Portland, Maine, walking into the waiting arms of my husband. Stunned, again. Shocked, again. Wondering again: what had I done wrong?

These are thoughts and emotions that every woman – every cancer patient – goes through. “Is there something I could have done different? How could I have avoided this?”

The reality is that by that point, it’s usually too late. In my case, the time bomb was ticking, again. And I wasn’t prepared to take any chances with this precious life I’d been granted, again.

We were going to war, and this time, coming out of it, I really would be a wounded warrior.

The rest of Round Two – in retrospect – was a blur and it also dragged.

In the days following my return to Maine, we realized that with my trusted medical team back in Arkansas and now that my husband and I were the sole operators of our Airbnb/burgeoning retreat center business, the timing of having one of our team down (me) for several weeks or months recovering from surgery was less than ideal for the business.

Clearly, I would not be changing sheets for five bedrooms for weeks, if not months, following my double mastectomy. Much less, lifting things or cleaning or doing a number of things I needed to be doing.

I called some friends who’d been down this road to compare notes with them. How long did it take them before they were back to “normal” functioning?

The range was broad: a month to five months.

The ambiguity between the answers frightened me. How would we make it?

What do you do when you’ve invested all of your savings and your energy into a massive undertaking only to have two major pieces of it blow up?

We spent many tearful nights staring at the ceiling. We didn’t like any of our choices and yet, we knew my health had to be first. The reality we knew – though we didn’t want to believe it – was that there were no guarantees. Would surgery be the end of it or would there need to be more?

But abandon our dream property before it even took off? Yes, we’d been successful in those first five months – even achieving the coveted Airbnb SuperHost in record time, but we’d yet to break even. Hours and weeks and months of in-kind sweat equity would be lost, down the drain, in addition to thousands of dollars invested of furniture, décor and property TLC.

And yet…how do you choose, when it’s between your life and a property/business? How do you value what’s more important, when one hangs in the balance and if not treated correctly, could entail the failure of the other anyway?

It was a heartbreaking choice, but somehow we arrived at it: we would leave Maine. Break the contract on our dream property and return for my surgery to my trusted medical team in Arkansas. Since there were no guarantees on my recovery time nor what else, if anything, might be necessary, we simply didn’t feel we had any other option.

I’d be lying if I said it was anything but devastating. In a short five months, this seemed dream vision of a retreat center for women with cancer and the waterfront wedding venue dissolved before our eyes. Our losses outweighed our gains by a long shot and were all we could see as we packed up the moving truck and drove 2,000 dreary miles back to Arkansas.

After three and a half days of driving, when the city limit sign for Little Rock came into view, I burst into tears. Reality sank like a stone in my gut; it was real. We were back in a place we had never planned to return. One of our deepest friendships was over. Our dream project – which was supposed to make my life mean something – was lost. And soon I would join the ranks of thousands of other deformed bodies, with my upcoming double mastectomy.

Talk about a horrible homecoming. I felt like all hope had been lost. It was a very dark time.

While it felt like hope had been lost, that was a temporary state, which is normal for many women going through breast cancer.

Today, JuliAnne is cancer-free, but it wasn’t all roses and blue skies in getting there.

Stay tuned for Round Two, part 2 in May’s blog by JuliAnne Murphy, right here on The Boob Report.

JuliAnne Murphy is a metastatic breast cancer survivor (now thriver), a best-selling author, a former corporate marketing executive, a world traveler and a small business consultant. Read more of her “darkest days” Unbridled Woman blog about traversing through chemo as a breast cancer patient at: https://juliannemurphy.com/unbridled-woman-%40-cancer JuliAnne has also produced several videos for women with cancer on her blog entitled The Waiting Room. Those can be viewed at: https://juliannemurphy.com/the-waiting-room-1

Episode 009 - Courageous Warriors Beauty From The Ashes

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 17:10:16 GMT

Courageous Warriors Beauty From the Ashes

Release Date: 11/05/2021

Episode Number: 009

Episode Title: COURAGEOUS WARRIORS BEAUTY FROM THE ASHES

Episode Synopsis:

· Filmmaker for the last 30 years, took 3 years to make this film about survivors, caregivers. Not necessarily a film about cancer.

· Started by collecting stories about women and their journey with breast cancer, she just kept getting introduced to amazing women who kept introducing her to more amazing women.

· She also wanted to focus on caregivers and what their experience was

· Really focused on bringing information to the table that people may not have realized was available to them

· “We are the movie that shares what everyone wants to know but no one wants to say”

· It’s an unfiltered look at the disease; from diagnosis, to treatment, to rising from the ashes to find beauty in life again.

· Our warriors offer us A Beautiful Arc of Pain to Healing while being entrenched in the battlefields of breast cancer only to break down walls with a universal message of hope and healing for all, regardless of your enemy.

Episode Guests:

Darla Rae

Producer, Director, CEO

Film It Productions LLC

https://courageouswarriorsbeautyfromtheashes.com/

https://Film-itproductions.com

https://www.facebook.com/CourageousWarriors

@docdarlarae on IG and Twitter

Episode 008 - Why Do We Focus on Cancer and Fear

Sat, 30 Oct 2021 02:48:22 GMT

Why do We Focus on Cancer and Fear

Episode Number : 008

Episode Title : WHY DO WE FOCUS ON CANCER AND FEAR?

Episode Synopsis:

Diagnosed in 2007 on Valentine’s Day with breast cancer, had just moved to Colorado from California and was still settling in and had not built a relationship with a doctor. Was very healthy and ate organically so this diagnosis was devastating. It was a post menopausal cancer
There are so many different types of breast cancer, it can start in the ducts or elsewhere, it can be a quick moving cancer or a slow moving cancer, it can be overwhelming to actually think about how many different types of breast cancer that there actually is.
7 years later on Valentine’s Day 2014 gets the diagnosis of colorectal cancer
She took an integrative approach both times, combining eastern and western modalities of treatment
Donna looks at cancer as a friend and an ally, it made her wake up and realize what was important to her, why look at it as a battle? She looked at it as part of her body.
Instead of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, let’s not focus on the cancer and the fear, what if we looked at as this is breast awareness month to make sure you are healthy! Let’s not start from fear and inadequacy.

Donna continues to work on her own writing. To date, she has written and published three children’s books: Warm Toes, The Great Stirring , and The Recycling Project . Mosaic Heart: Pieces of an Unfinished Life is Donna’s first memoir.

Episode Guests: Donna Mazzitelli

To learn more about Donna, please visit https://writingwithdonna.com

publishing website is: https://merrydissonancepress.com

Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/donna.mazzitelli

LinkedIn page is: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnamazzitelli/

Episode 007 - Hope Held By A Horse and Purpose

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 19:57:34 GMT

Hope Held by a Horse and Purpose

Release Date: 10/22/2021

Episode Number : 007

Episode Title : HOPE HELD BY A HORSE AND PURPOSE

Episode Synopsis:

An amazing woman who is SO involved in the breast cancer community, we first met at Day of Caring an event that had women going through breast cancer or were survivors modeling for a charity event
She is a two time cancer survivor who initially went through a bi-lateral mastectomy and chose not to have chemo or radiation because she was trying to get pregnant. She was diagnosed with breast cancer after going in for her first mammogram!
She started sitting with other women who were going through Chemotherapy so they didn’t have to be there on their own, especially being so scared and having so many questions
After volunteering for the Sue Miller/Day of Caring event for many years and then it was absorbed into Cancer League of Colorado she needed another outlet to volunteer her time.
She started volunteering with Hope Held By a Horse helping them with their bookkeeping and then started adopting horse after horse and is up to FIVE!
Went through training to become a Equine Gestalt coach, which is a type of coaching that helps clients bring to their awareness emotional blockages and unfinished business that may be holding them back in their lives. The personal work the Equine Gestalt Coaches guide their clients through is “in the moment”, deeply tied to somatics (body responses) and experiential in nature.
She met with the creator of the organization, in 2019, who at the time was thinking she would have to close down since it had grown to be so big in Colorado!
Hope Held By a Horse is an amazing experience for women who are going through breast cancer and all the emotion and trauma and pain. You are able to focus on yourself and what you are going through and spend the day with the amazingly intuitive animals that can empathize and help you deal with these emotions.

Episode Guests:

Suzanne Hagmaier

https://hopeheldbyahorse.org

https://www.facebook.com/hopeheldbyahorse

email: info@hopeheldbyahorse.org

Phone: 720-316-6178

Welcome to Breast Cancer Awareness Month… And How Does That Make You Feel?

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 09:31:41 GMT

October is finally here! All our houseplants are back inside, so if you visit us be careful where you walk so you don’t get stabbed by a cactus needle.

It has been a while since I whined about cancer, so let’s chat about the elephant in the room. Pinktober, aka Breast Cancer Awareness Month, those 31 days of hell where I am traumatized by Pepto Bismol-colored ribbons, socks, shirts, bumper stickers, lapel pins, and pocket squares.

No need to be alarmed–I am joking for the most part. As a survivor who is five months away from reaching the “5 Years a Survivor” milestone on February 10, I am melancholy, yet determined to keep bringing attention to the ongoing psychological plight some cancer survivors and caregivers face, which include anxiety, depression, fear, and even post-traumatic stress.

Last week I was honored to meet with some of the doctoral students at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP). Health Psychology is one of the graduate courses in the Center for Oncology Psychology Excellence (COPE) track at GSPP, and it is being taught this quarter by dear friend and COPE Director, Dr. Nicole Taylor-Irwin.

Guess what? The Health Psych class is completely full—like jam-packed full! We’re talking there are 30 students (originally 32) taking Health Psych in a school where the average class size is much, much smaller than 30.

Why such an interest in how and why the brain plays a significant role in our physical health? I think it’s because the brain IS part of the body after all, and unlike a body wound that heals and possibly leaves a physical scar, a traumatic health experience like cancer can leave a permanent emotional scar.

Those emotional scars caused by cancer are the reason I came up with this:

“Cancer is never invited, and cancer never leaves”™

Enough about how I feel, but what do other survivors think? I polled several women friends who are breast cancer survivors, asking them to respond to two questions:

How long have you been a breast cancer survivor?
What is your reaction/opinion about the concept of Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

Their stories! I promised to keep their identities anonymous, but my heart is warmed to share some of their most memorable responses:

2-Year Survivor

“I initially feel a sense of pride and accomplishment that I am a survivor. It reminds me to keep the priorities in my life at the forefront and to focus on what’s important as we don’t always know how much time we have left. That being said, I also feel a sense of guilt sometimes that Breast Cancer gets more focus than other types of cancer. In the past, Breast Cancer Awareness Month has not led to significantly more anxiety or distress as I think it is important for me to remember the ways in which it impacted my life and family. However, I just had my first child and now the mention of breast cancer impacts me differently. Now when I think of it, I wonder what it would be like if I got sick again and had to leave my child. Overall, Breast Cancer Awareness month reminds me that I am a strong woman who can deal with adversity and stress!”

15-Year Survivor

“I am a 15-year survivor from the first incidence and an 11-year survivor from the second incidence, a recurrence in the same breast, same pathology.

I am grateful for Breast Cancer Awareness Month because I believe it attracts dollars for research and advancement of the cure. I had a moving experience one year participating in a parade in which I marched with a fellow survivor–who was six years old. There is something comforting about the “fellowship” of survivors. On the other hand, I don’t want Survivor to be my ‘brand.’

And, yes, it is also hard. I was diagnosed with a recurrence in October during the Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But somehow it inspired the “Fight Back” in me and reminded me I am not alone.”

2.2-Year Survivor

“I do appreciate the worldwide acknowledgement, but sometimes wish it were a terrible nightmare.”

27-Year Survivor

"October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month is important. We are each responsible for our reactions to anything in life and how we choose to see something. I say, let’s not throw out the baby with the bath water because without awareness, many of us would not have known to get suspicious or concerning lumps or bumps in our breasts checked out. Without the declaration of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month of October, the crusades for raising money for research might not have ever happened, genetic testing might not have come to the forefront as it is today, and because of this awareness month, women feel less lonely as they face the many challenges of breast cancer.

It does not warm my heart that many are still fired from jobs when it’s discovered they have breast cancer or overlooked for promotions or career advancements or that many mothers have to choose between buying their prescriptions or buying food for their families.

Once diagnosed, it’s not a month of awareness, it’s 365 days of awareness every single year.”

4-Year Survivor

“While I am grateful for the awareness and advocacy in October for women to get checked and do self-exams, it is the way in which business and consumerism has taken over the month that frustrates me.

In October a couple of years back, I was in Safeway and walked by a display of pink breast cancer ribbon cakes, cupcakes and cookies. I thought to myself, ‘Breast cancer itself is nothing to celebrate. What are these about?’ I thought for sure that Safeway would donate profits to a cause if folks purchased one of these desserts. I couldn’t find a sign indicating this. I went to store management and was informed that the sales weren’t linked to any charity. I found this appalling. I was very angry that day. I shared that story on social media.

So, I guess I have a problem with the commercialization of something that is so hard for so many. Survivorship should be celebrated, money should be raised for research, but I don’t need an artificial cake full of chemicals and dye with a pink breast cancer ribbon on it to do that. Shame on the companies that profit from others’ pain. This is happening all over the county with so many companies. A year later I saw a drink on the menu at BJs to ‘pink your drink.’ Again no proceeds donated to charity, so why does this company do it? Is it selfish of me? Should I be grateful they are creating space for those who have been affected by this disease to be thought of and celebrated? Does adding pink food dye to a drink do that? Perhaps it inspires conversation? And that is good. To discuss advocacy and awareness.

For me, I don’t wear my survivorship on my sleeve by wearing pink and donning myself in ribbons or drinking or eating pink inspired treats in October. I do, however, speak up more so in October about self-exams and mammograms. I share my story about how I waited nine months before I got my lump checked that I had known about and ignored. I share the documentary I made to help inspire other young survivors to find joy through their journey through cancer. I share how grateful I am to be here today because that is not the case for so many who wait and don’t act on minor symptoms or ignore lumps thinking cancer can’t happen to them. Or to those who had no signs of the disease in the first place until it was too late…”

My sincere thanks to all of you who participated in the poll. By the way, is it me, or do some of the longer-term survivors have differing—call it “evolving” views—from more-recent survivors? Is it wisdom? Maturity? Healing?

I’m not here to tell you what to think or how to act. I am here as a storyteller, a conduit for the humorous, the infuriating, and the future. As far as I am concerned, every month is any-type-of-cancer awareness month. Fighting and living beyond this wretched disease is up to each of us.

To healing and living,

Episode 006 - Single Independent Surviver

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 16:39:02 GMT

Single Independent Surviver

Release Date: 10/15/2021

Episode Number: 006

Episode Title: SINGLE INDEPENDENT SURVIVOR

Episode Synopsis:

· Marcia had clear mammograms at 42 years old and then noticed something was wrong on her own

· Just looking in the mirror while on vacation she found an abnormality, was curious but didn’t think anything of it

· She called the Doctors office and they initially thought it was an infection, Marcia says, well just give me some antibiotics and we will call it good! Obviously the nurse-practioner said no!

· They wanted to do a mammogram after the initial exam

· Immediately scheduled a biopsy, she like a lot of women have super dense breasts so they were being extra cautious.

· There was a lot of pain, not to scare women away from a biopsy OR a mammogram

· Diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer ~ micro patholary invasive ductal carcinoma

· Marcia is an incredibly strong woman who did this journey on her own, she stresses that every woman’s journey is different (what we always preach!!)

· We need to be more honest about the chemo and radiation treatments, they are painful, stressful and is traumatic for your body

· You need to have a comfortable, open and honest relationship with your doctor to get through this

· It is okay for you to speak up, question and be an advocate for yourself!

Episode Guests: Marcia Pinkstaff

Marcia is a successful business woman who inspires many. She is a Director with Touchstone Crystal by Swarovski and a published author. She was diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer 9 years ago just 7 1/2 months after a completely clear mammogram. She shares her story to encourage and empower others to embrace the good in life and pay attention to your body and any changes.

https://sites.touchstonecrystal.com/sites/marciapinkstaff

https://www.facebook.com/groups/marciasvip

Episode 005 - It's Not About You It's About Her

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 15:55:25 GMT

It's Not About You It's About Her

Release Date: 10/08/2021

Episode Number : 005

Episode Title : IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU IT’S ABOUT HER

Episode Synopsis:

Today we are chatting with Linda Hagan, she is a cancer survivor/thriver who is making a difference in other women’s lives who are going through breast cancer. We will be discussing how when trying to support someone going through this journey that you need to remember that it’s about her, not you! Be kind, supportive and listen. Instead of saying what can I do to help or I am here if you need anything, take the responsibility off their shoulders and tell them I am going to the grocery store and will pick up some stuff for you. Bring dinner, or just come over and hang out and watch a movie.

Episode Guests:

Linda Hagan

Health Insurance Disruptor | Connector | Cancer Slayer. She is Using her superpowers to share the Affordable Healthcare model and promote non-traditional health solutions.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindarhagan/

Girlfriend’s Guide to Dealing with Cancer ~ Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/168326635090719

Episode 004 - Healing Touch

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 15:44:18 GMT

Healing Touch

Release Date: 10/01/2021

Episode Number : 004

Episode Title : HEALING TOUCH

Episode Synopsis:

The benefits of Reiki and healing touch are so beneficial in helping the body come back into balance ~ the rest, digest and restore
Are normally hands on modalities but with COVID they have had to get creative with treatment
It can help with your rest and with energy!
It definitely helps with getting to a more positive place and helps with stress
There are about 150 studies on the benefits and the safety of Reiki and Healing Touch, these studies have shown that they help support the immune system
Sandy started out with a demo session 30 years ago and she was hooked, getting sessions and taking classes to learn how to heal emotionally, spiritually. She even started working on her husband and turned him on to it!
LifeSpark Cancer Resources is a nonprofit that hosts two large fundraisers throughout the year, the Touching Tomorrow event is Friday October 15th
UPDATE ~ the Touching Tomorrow event will now be virtual

Research on Reiki and Healing Touch – selected studies

 Harvard University Study showing that after just one Reiki session pain, anxiety,

depression, nausea and fatigue all dropped significantly.

o https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31638407/

 University of Iowa study showing stronger immune system markers for cervical cancer

patients who received Healing Touch versus those who did not receive Healing Touch.

o https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20600809/

 St Joe Hospital in Minnesota study that showed a shorter hospital stay for coronary

artery bypass patients when Healing Touch was administered.

o https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18616066/

 UCHealth Anschutz Cancer Center survey of 35 patients showing that pain dropped by

about one third, and stress and anxiety dropped by about two thirds after a short

LifeSpark session.

o https://www.lifesparknow.org/evidence-of-our-work/

 LifeSpark survey of cancer patients who received remote LifeSpark sessions showing

that 91% rated them as helpful.

o https://www.lifesparknow.org/91-report-that-distant-sessions-are-effective/

Episode Guests:

Sandy Priester

Executive Director and Co-founder of LifeSpark Cancer Resources, a 17 year old nonprofit organization that provides Reiki and Healing Touch statewide to cancer patients and their caregivers. She has an MBA, and has been practicing energy therapies for over three decades.

www.LifeSparkNow.org

https://www.facebook.com/lifesparkcancer

Episode 003 - What Ingredients Are In Your Skin Care Products?

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 15:34:00 GMT

What Ingredients Are In Your Skin Care Products?

Release Date: 09/24/2021

Episode Number : 003

Episode Title : WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN YOUR SKIN PRODUCTS?

Episode Synopsis:

Do we really know what is in our skin care products? Become a label reader, the FDA does not always regulate what goes into skincare products
There are watchdog groups that have stayed on top of testing and in contact with the FDA
Things to avoid parabens, methoyl paraben, definitely want to avoid those ingredients
Companies are really starting to step up and be more transparent with the ingredients and being “cruelty free”, “paraben free”, etc.
Lemongrass Spa Products are all natural products, skincare, body lotion and now baby products
Individual sales consultants who walk you through the best products for you
They support their independent consultants with their specific charity work
October is their pink campaign and they sell a healing balm and a portion of those sales go to companies who help support women who have been diagnosed

Episode Guests:

Heidi Leist

Owner/CEO at Lemongrass Spa Products , Author of Soul Soothing Stories of Cancer Survivors, she is passionate about providing families with natural and organic skincare and empowering them with financial opportunities.

https://www.facebook.com/LemongrassSpaProductsCorporate

https://www.lemongrassspa.com/

Episode 002 - Worlds Apart, Diagnosed The Same Day

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 15:38:17 GMT

Worlds Apart, Diagnosed The Same Day

Episode Number : 002

Episode Title : WORLDS APART DIAGNOSED THE SAME DAY

Episode Synopsis:

It’s something I will never forget, being diagnosed with breast cancer and then finding out that my friend was diagnosed the very same day while living in another country
While starting out with a more holistic approach to treatment, JuliAnne moved back to the United States and began a more integrative treatment plan
lessons learned and resources from her metastatic breast cancer journey and a near death encounter, which returned her to her faith

Become a full-time supporter of The Boob Report and the podcast at https://anchor.fm/theboobreport/support

ABOUT JULIANNE MURPHY

Episode Guests: Julianne Murphy

JuliAnne is a former marketing executive, business & marketing consultant, best-selling author, speaker, health & wellness advocate, metastatic breast cancer survivor and thriver, and tech guru (for those 55+, usually).

Website:

https://juliannemurphy.com/

Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/JuliAnneMurphyAuthor

MUSIC CREDIT

--------------------

A Happy Smile On Your Face by MusicLFiles

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7983-a-happy-smile-on-your-face

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Episode 001 A Little Help From My Friends

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 17:41:16 GMT

Episode 001 - A Little Help From My Friends

Episode Synopsis:

This premier episode of The Boob Report features three of the most amazing women I know! These three ladies have been with me during my five year journey with breast cancer, their love and support have been a large part of what kept me going. We will throw it all out there, how they felt getting that call from me, guilt, feeling helpless, wondering what to say. There will be some tears and lots of laughter, cause that’s what friends are for!

Episode Guests:

Jane Roane ~ Works at Certified Life Coach, World Traveler and Rockstar Grandmother!

Janeen Cameron ~

Mia Voss ~ Lifestyle Blogger & Brand Ambassador at Mia Voss Live

http://shitwedonttalkaboutpodcast.com/

Breast Cancer: Round One

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 21:46:00 GMT

I’ve always been a healthy person. I worked out three times a week at the gym, practiced yoga twice a week, and walked my dog every single day. Plus, the bulk of my diet consisted of organic protein, vegetables, and a handful of supplements. I never imbibed in more than the occasional cocktail and my active schedule and eating habits had always kept me slim and trim.

What is it with titles?

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 20:56:00 GMT

In this first Blog for The Boob Report, I wanted to throw something out there that I find so interesting… Why do we feel the need for titles? Don’t get me wrong, I am so thankful to be a survivor but should I let that define me?

When I received that dreaded phone call 4-years-ago letting me know that I had breast cancer a flood of emotions and thoughts just came rushing in. One of the things I remember pretty vividly was I didn’t want to tell people, I didn’t want to have to say ‘I have breast cancer’. Part of it was I didn’t want that look of pity and the other was I didn’t want ‘that title’… she has breast cancer. To some it may sound silly, there are SO many other things to be concerned and/or scared about, but that was my thing. It was an incredibly hard journey that I was beginning and I wanted to have some semblance of control, so I decided to name my experience The Boob Report.

I have said from the very beginning that every woman’s journey is her own, there is no right or wrong way to go through all of this.

Over the next several blogs I will be sharing my story so that you can feel more comfortable in yours and know that you are not alone.