Welcome everyone to the final episode of the We Have Cancer podcast.  Glenn Hebert from the Horse Radio Network and Katie Krimitsos of the Women’s Meditation Network pay tribute to Lee Silverstein. For those of you that may not have heard, we lost Lee a few weeks ago and we wanted to do one final episode on the We Have Cancer podcast to honor what he meant to the cancer community and also to the podcast community.

Katie and I will talk a bit about our time with Lee and then we want to play for you...

My buddy, Tim McDonald, joins me to share his story of dealing with stage 4 colon cancer and is journey to find a liver donor.

Please help spread Tim's message by sharing this link: http://timsliver.com/

Follow Tim here:

On Twitter: twitter.com/tamcdonald

On Instagram: instagram.com/timamcdonald 

On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timamcdonald

Michael Riehle joins Lee to discuss his journey with colorectal cancer, the challenges of living NES (No Evidence of Disease) and the value of the Man Up to Cancer; The Howling Place Facebook group.

Lee provides an update on his treatment and shares exciting news. He discusses researching your treatment options and how to make treatment at a long distance facility a reality.

Welcome to episode #188, the final episode of the WE Have Cancer podcast.

On this episode of WE Have Cancer, motivational speaker and endurance athlete David Richman shares with Lee how cancer first touched his life through his late sister, June. To honor her legacy, David has completed countless races in search of connection, emotion, and perspective.

Guest Biography:

David Richman is an, author, entrepreneur, speaker, consultant and philanthropist. But before any of that, he was a brother to June. In 2007 June was battling her final stages of brain cancer, and David was ready to run beside her during Relay for Life. June passed away just days before...

On this episode of WE Have Cancer, awareness advocate and ovarian cancer survivor Morgan Gaynor chats with Lee about cancer research, advocacy, and sharing her cancer journey online in a very public way.

Guest Biography:

After completing her MBA at Monmouth University at age 30, Morgan decided to look into freezing her eggs. That decision would ultimately lead to her ovarian cancer diagnosis and save her life. Immediately after her diagnosis with low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, she began sharing her story online on her website, Morgan Beats Cancer. Now a year and a half after her...

On this episode of WE Have Cancer, author and cancer survivor Katie Russell Newland chats with Lee about baseball, family, cancer, and learning to live in the moment. Katie shares how baseball was a special bond between her and her mother growing up. Three years after her mom lost her own battle with Colon Cancer, Katie was diagnosed herself. Two years later, Katie decided to dust off their old dream of road tripping to every ballpark in the country. Her journey later inspired her memoir, A Season with Mom: Love, Loss, and the Ultimate Baseball Adventure.

Guest...

On this episode of WE Have Cancer, author and veteran physician Jim deMaine chats with Lee about facing death with peace and comfort. Dr. deMaine shares his knowledge on hospice and palliative care and the rights every patient should be informed on in regards to medical care at the end of their life. He also provides thoughtful advice for how patients and their family members can best prepare for their final days.

Guest Biography:

Dr. Jim deMaine is a pulmonary and critical care specialist passionate about educating folks about the options they face towards the...

On this episode of WE Have Cancer, Oncologist Dr. Daniel shares how the free Belong.Life app is changing the lives of cancer patients and caregivers around the world. Belong.Life is both a social and professional network for managing and navigating treatments, with a mission to improve the quality of life and the quality of cancer care around the world through technology, engagement, data, and AI.

Guest Biography:

Dr. Daniel Vorobiof is the Medical Director of Belong.Life, creator of Belong – Beating Cancer Together, the world’s largest social network and navigator app for canc...

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

Guest Biography:

Marc Julien became a first-time father just three weeks before his stage 4 throat cancer diagnosis. His w...

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

Guest Biography:

Erin Cronican is an award-winning director, actor, and singer based in New York. She currently serves as Executive Artistic Director at The Seeing Place Theater in New Y...

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

Guest Biography:

Rob Paulsen is one of Hollywood’s busiest and most gifted voice performers. If you don’t recognize his name, you may recognize some of his most famous characters, including: Raphael and Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle...

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

Guest Biography:

Dr. Valena Wright is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist and surgeon with more than 25 years of clinical practice experience in the rea...

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

Guest Biography:

Matt Ode was 24 when doctors discovered an 11cm tu...

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

Guest Biography:

Jeanette Carbajal became a Healing Mindset Coach shortly after caring for three family members dealing with diagnoses and surgeries all at the same time. She learned she loved bringing laughter, joy...

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

Guest Biography:

Jess Thomas Nelson is the host of the My Cancer Story Podcast, which she started shortly after her thyroidectomy in February 2020. In her own words, “I’m not famous and you wouldn’t know me from any...

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

Guest biography:

Fitz Koehler is a fitness innovator with a Master’s Degree in Exercise and Sport Sciences from the University of Florida who has been teaching fitness, announcing marathons, and been participating in fit...

Episode summary:

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

Guest biography

John Falk was diagnosed with breast cancer not once, but twice. Af...

Episode summary:

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

Guest biography

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

After being diagnosed with breast cancer and having her son face a near-death bout with Diabetic Ketoacidosis, Michelle Moore-Fanger felt devastated, broken, and tired. But she used her hurdles as motivation to continue helping others through her charity and now a book.

Guest biography

Michelle Moore-Fanger is the author of “A Mother's Grace: Healing the World, One Woman at a Time” and the founder of the Mother’s Grace Foundation.

Table of contents:

Michelle tells a story about how her mother, who ha...

Summer Watson is a famed singer and breast cancer survivor

Summer Watson was at the top of the world. She’d signed a recording contract with Sony and was living her life to the fullest until a routine mammogram found Stage 4 breast cancer in 2004. Despite being given just weeks to live, Summer has allowed her love of music and a positive outlook to propel her forward and keep her alive.

Summer Watson biography

Summer Watson is a classical music superstar who just released her latest EP “Unveiled.” But after being diagnosed with Stage 4 breast...

Using health literacy to improve results

Getting any type of cancer diagnosis can be terrifying, but it’s even worse when you don’t really understand what’s happening. On this episode of WE Have Cancer, Lee talks with Carly Flumer about her experiences -- from getting a thyroid cancer diagnosis herself to now advocating for medical professionals to use health literacy concepts to improve patient compliance.

Guest biography

Carly Flumer received a thyroid cancer diagnosis at 27 years old and found the journey confusing, frustrating, and even offensive at times. All it took was on...

Using patient empowerment to heal

Receiving a cancer diagnosis is nothing short of a shock -- whether it’s you personally or a loved one. But it’s how you handle the journey that can really make all the difference in what the next steps look like. This episode of WE Have Cancer is all about patient empowerment and learning how to have a healthy relationship with the diagnosis. Lee is joined by Dr. Paul Anderson to discuss what he means by empowerment and how you can achieve it.

Guest biography:

Dr. Paul Ande...

On this episode of WE Have Cancer, Lee is joined by Shelley Buck and Kathy Curtis, co-authors of “Leave Your Light On: The Musical Mantra Left Behind by an Illuminating Spirit.”

The grieving process can look dramatically different from person to person and situation to situation. For Shelley, it took the form of writing a book with her son Ryder, and her friend Kathy. Shelley opens up about how her son’s cancer diagnosis changed their relationship and even her parenting style, and was a catalyst to share his spirit with the world. Shelley and Kathy talk about...

On this week’s episode of WE Have Cancer, Lee sits down with Jason Mendelsohn, a Stage-4 tonsil cancer survivor and HPV advocate. Jason shares his story about being diagnosed with HPV-related cancer and his journey to becoming a well-known advocate for the HPV vaccine and awareness of HPV in men. 

The pair talk about the stigma surrounding the disease and how Jason has coped in the aftermath. Jason also discusses his motivation for being such an advocate and what he’s looking to do next.

Guest biography:

Jason Mendelsohn was diagnosed with Stage...

This week on the WE Have Cancer podcast, Lee sits down with Brodi Nicholas, the founder and CEO of One At a Time -- a non-profit charity that helps create positive experiences and fulfills the dreams of children fighting life-threatening illnesses.

Lee and Brodi talk about how it all started with his next-door neighbor, Samantha, and has grown into an international foundation. From beginning with some simple bracelets and helping Sam realize her dreams, to being featured on the Hallmark Channel, helping children all over the United States, and even expanding into the Philippines.

Guest...

On this week's episode of the WE Have Cancer podcast, Lee talks with Eileen Powers, an artist, cancer patient, and creator of Can You Make Hair For Me.

While some view their cancer diagnosis as a battle or war as a way to cope, Eileen turned to art. With a loss of her hair and self-identity, Eileen noticed how uncomfortable her friends were with her journey and her cancer. So, she turned a negative into a positive by asking people to make hair-related art for her as a way of more comfortable and opening a dialogue about...

Joining Lee this week on the WE Have Cancer Podcast is Jordan Griffith of The Griffith Family Foundation. Jordan talks about his father’s pancreatic cancer and how that helped create the Griffith Family Foundation, Sideline Cancer, and a massive basketball tournament.

Jordan discusses the foundation and its impact, both on his family as well as what it’s doing to fight against pancreatic cancer. He also dives into some of the best moments of The Basketball Tournament and what that’s meant for the foundation and its ability to raise awareness and funds.

Guest biogra...

Lee sits down with Caroline Rose in this week’s episode of the WE Have Cancer podcast to discuss non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and how a rescue dog helped the healing process.

Through taking care of her dog Riley, Caroline was able to find hope, forgiveness, love, and so much more during her journey with stage-4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Caroline turned a letter to her dog into so much more and now uses her story with Riley to help others find hope during diagnosis and treatment, as well as guide her through the aftermath of remission.

Guest biog...

Jason Greenspan joins Lee on this week’s episode of the WE Have Cancer podcast to talk about his personal story battling testicular cancer at a young age, and how he’s become an advocate. 

Jason shares how he first found a lump and received a testicular cancer diagnosis at the age of 18. From there, Jason’s story goes into how testicular cancer impacted and ultimately shaped the relationship he has with his mother, to a world record-setting event and his efforts to bring awareness of the disease to the world. This episode is all about breaking the sti...

Kat Arney joins the “WE Have Cancer” podcast to talk about her new book “Rebel Cell.” As a self-identified developmental geneticist, Kat discusses what is cancer, why do people get cancer, and how it differs from the perception most have of the disease.

From viewing cancer as a one-off personal event to how a more evolutionary outlook on treatment might just be the answer to curing cancer, Kat Arney uses her Ph.D. and experience to flip your idea of the disease on its head.

Guest biography:

Kat Arney is the host of the “Gen...

We have Heather Von St. James joining us today on the WE Have Cancer Podcast to explain what is Mesothelioma and her unique path through the disease to the advocacy she does now as a survivor. Heather shares her story about how she first realized something was wrong after giving birth to her daughter through to her Mesothelioma prognosis, to finding the right Mesothelioma doctors and treatment. 

Table of contents: 

In this episode of the "WE Have Cancer" podcast, Lee talks with Joe Bullock about his personal experiences with colon cancer and the creation of groups to help men share during their cancer diagnosis, treatment, and after-effects of survival.

From getting his diagnosis and how cancer impacted his relationship with his wife to creating the Howling Place group, Joe talks about the sense of isolation and the loss of personal identity many men go through when dealing with cancer. This is a must-listen episode for men struggling to find their place, their feelings, and others they can...

The WE Have Cancer podcast turns to a topic we’ve never discussed before: Hospice and palliation. With Jeff Shufelt as our guest, Lee dives into hospice’s meaning and the misconceptions about hospice care.

While it’s a frightening topic that’s hard to discuss, Lee talks to Jeff about his decision to go from treatment to home hospice and how that’s improved his quality of life. From what is hospice care compared to palliative care, to how the decision has impacted his family, this episode is all about how hospice could be the right decision e...

Dr. Dana Cardinas joins us on the WE Have Cancer podcast this week. She shares her personal experience with peripheral neuropathy and Stage 3c colon cancer, and how that’s given her a new mission in life.

Dana went from having a successful podiatry practice to being forced to retire due to neuropathy that eventually led to her colon cancer diagnosis. With her medical knowledge and personal experiences, Dana has turned to help others better manage their peripheral neuropathy with some not-so-well-known tips and treatment options.

Guest biography:

Dr. Dana Cardinas started her jo...

Joana Breckner, an oral-cancer survivor and motivational speaker, joins Lee this week on the WE Have Cancer podcast. The pair talk about Joana’s battle with oral cancer and how the difficulties of her journey helped her discover her power.

After her dentist found some oral cancer symptoms during a routine checkup, Joana’s story truly began. Dealing with several major surgeries that included the loss of part of her tongue and some of her teeth, Joana had to learn how to eat and speak again. In the unlikeliness of scenarios, Joana found a love for motivational spea...

We revisit this episode which was originally published in July, 2019.

As a teenager growing up in Kansas, Becca Pendarvis spent her summers doing everything she could to get as tan as possible. Now a mother of a seventeen year-old daughter, she has spent the last eight years dealing with Stage 4 Melanoma skin cancer.

During our conversation we discussed:

Dr. Garrett Pohlman is a board-certified Urologist still actively practicing in a Midwest Urology group. Every day he is helping men in diagnosing and managing their prostate issues – including but not limited to robotic prostatectomy for men with prostate cancer. He is also the founder and host of the newly launched Prostate Health Podcast. With the podcast – he is helping men and those who care for them better educate themselves regarding prostate health, the conditions that affect the prostate, and the latest technology in managing these conditions. On a weekly basis he is chatting with experts, innovators, and leaders in t...

Alexa was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2017 at the age of 19. Since overcoming the disease she has completed her Bachelor's degree, written a book; Power to Persevere and become a public speaker.

From Alexa's website https://alexacuc.com/about/ - "Alexa has found a deep passion in influencing others to live their best life despite their own misfortunes. She believes in the beauty of balance and the magic of taking control of your health. She uses her platform to encourage and motivate others to live their life to the fullest despite their unforeseen circumstances and helps others...