Best Life After Cancer

In honor of Miles' birthday, his and my gift to you is this meditation for cancer survivors, which should help with fear, anxiety and maybe even chronic discomfort.

This podcast, written and recorded in June, talks about my husband and my journey with his recurrent head and neck cancer, as we waited for testing and surgery, and how I dealt with the struggles of managing my worries while we waited for testing, biopsies, and our surgical date.  Waiting sucks, but there are things you can do to improve your experience.

After loosing my son, Miles in a car accident, my mom unexpectedly from complications of endocarditis, dealing with my oldest son's depression and flashbacks to the accident, and navigating the diagnosis of a vocal cord cancer in my husband, I was struggling to navigate working as well.  I talk today about how to know you need to take time off and what to do with that time.

Rita was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of melanoma, that rapidly spread to her nodes, then to her liver and elsewhere.  Today, her scans are clear.  Hear her story, with all of the challenges and triumphs that came along the way.  She is an inspiration!

I share some of the concrete steps I took to make it through the first five months after losing my 13 yo son, Miles.  These same techniques will help newly diagnosed cancer patients in surviving their first months as well.  I hope it helps you stay afloat, navigate the unpredictable currents, and eventually reach the shore.

This podcast talks about grief - that it is normal and necessary.  I talk about the stages of grief as I see them in my oncology patients, and as I experience them as a grieving parent.  

So often we ask food to be more than just the sustenance our bodies need.  But when we do this, there are ALWAYS negative consequences.  Understand why you are doing this and some insight on how to stop.

Whether it is a death in the family, a cancer diagnosis or another trauma, what well-meaning family and friends say can be challenging.  Today, I talk about both my experience with this, and share a letter from a follower of the podcast.  Keep sending my messages about what you all want to hear about!

Michelle went through mastectomies with implant reconstruction, and developed a significant capsular contraction, in part from radiation.  She went on to have a latissimus flap reconstruction to repair this, and is now feeling great and enjoying life.  This podcast was recorded the week before I lost Miles, and it is nice to hear me sounding happy, relaxed and care free.

I lost my son, Miles, a week ago. It was in a tragic car accident. He was 13. I may be absent from this space for a bit as I grieve, but know that I will be back and share the wisdom that I’ve gained along the way.  https://www.princetonfriendsschool.org/support-pfs/miles-brackin-memorial-fund https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-a-wetsuit-under-an-umbrella/id1527899838?i=1000533237126