Do what's right for you

05/19/21 • 45 min

Andy talked about the hard decisions he has had to make in taking a holistic approach to his cancer treatment and how having been grounded with the right mindset got him through one of the greatest challenges he’s faced.If you are looking for someone who practices what he preaches, Andy is your guy. As a seasoned talent development coach, he walked into his cancer journey with a strong mindset for dealing with the challenges that life brings. That by no means meant that his cancer experience was somehow easy, but it was very evident that he had a foundation to lean on to navigate the many complex and difficult decisions he has had to make about this medical care.
Even more important was his message about taking ownership of the decisions each of us has to make in life. When I saw his Instagram post about his decision to not pursue the third round of chemotherapy, I was intrigued, because my natural reaction was that it would be safest to follow the advice of the expert. But once Andy explained what he has learned about testicular cancer and the holistic treatment approach he has been following, I understood why.
And what was even more impressive, was that Andy fully acknowledged that he could be wrong in making this decision but was also ok with the idea of dealing with the next challenge if and when it comes. In the meantime, he’s bounced back to feeling pretty much like his old self but with an even more profound sense of appreciation for the opportunities that lie ahead for him and his family.
If you are interested in learning more about Andy’s philosophy on mindset, you can find it in part 3 of his book, called: Own Your Career, Own Your Life. I don’t think Andy could have demonstrated more clearly how having the right mindset helped him navigate his cancer journey. You can find this book on his website: andystorch.com.
You can connect with him on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram
Andy mentioned a couple of therapies that I was not familiar with, so I did some Googling after and found these for reference:

High dose vitamin C - National Cancer Institute
How might banking soda boost cancer therapy - Ludwig Cancer Research

Andy also recommended a few books:

It's not about the bike by Lance Armstrong
Chris beat cancer by Chris Wark
Cancer Secrets by Johnathan Stegall

Many alternative therapies and nutritional regimens can be controversial because they haven’t been empirically studied. Neither Andy nor I am proposing that anyone should replace working with a trained oncologist with alternative therapies and nutritional modifications only.
Please follow the podcast if you would like to hear more stories from cancer survivors, caregivers, and family members. I would really appreciate it if you can leave an honest rating and review in Apple Podcasts or Podchaser so I know if I am serving the needs of you listeners out there. You can also share any feedback directly to me by visiting my Instagram page or email me at [email protected].

Thank you for listening!

High dose vitamin C - National Cancer Institute
How might banking soda boost cancer therapy - Ludwig Cancer Research

Andy also recommended a few books:

It's not about the bike by Lance Armstrong
Chris beat cancer by Chris Wark
Cancer Secrets by Johnathan Stegall

Thank you for listening!

Previous Episode

Embrace it all

Jason reflected on his experience of losing his dad as a child and how the cultural norms of the Vietnamese culture shaped his experience of grief and mourning. We also explore what he is doing differently as an adult now that he has had some time to reflect on his earlier experience.
It was so interesting to listen to Jason reflect on his experience of grief as a child and what his perspective is now as an adult. I especially admire the way he was able to reflect on his experience in a non-judgmental way. Because sometimes we can fall into the spiral of regret when it comes to losing a loved one - thinking back over the things we should have said, could have done differently - and just beat ourselves up. So I love that he is at a place where he is accepting of what has happened but also moving forward in a way that better serves his emotional needs while in grief.
One thing he said that really humbled me, which was that - while it’s really hard to lose someone you love to cancer, and to anything really, the emotions you feel also means that you’ve had a meaningful relationship with that person, and that is something beautiful to be thankful for. I also loved what he said about keeping his grandmother “near” after death by embracing all the emotions he’s experiencing now from her passing. It is something that’s been surfacing for me lately, which is how to continue to remember my dad and honor his life as time continues to pass. I feel grateful that in listening to Jason’s reflections, it helped me realize that what I am doing with this podcast IS my way of continuing to remember and honor my dad.
That’s a wrap for today. Please follow the podcast if you would like to hear more stories from cancer survivors, caregivers, and family members. I would really appreciate it if you can leave an honest rating and review in Apple Podcasts or Podchaser so I know if I am serving the interests and needs of you listeners out there. You can also share any feedback and suggestions directly with me by visiting my Instagram page or email me at [email protected].

Thank you for listening!

Next Episode

Don't try to fix everything

Dori helps us understand why open communication is so important when a family member is living with an incurable diagnosis and how she’s been working hard to be fully transparent and honoring the needs of her husband and children on their journey with cancer.
I’m super appreciative of the personal reflections Dori shared in this conversation. At the core, her message has been so consistent, which is that open communication is so important for families navigating the cancer journey. She demonstrated this beautifully with her children by being completely transparent about what was happening, checked in on how they were feeling, and gave them a choice about how they wanted to be involved.
What was even more amazing was that she had explicitly given her husband the permission to do as he wished, even if that meant not to continue living. I can’t imagine what courage and love it took for her to have that conversation. She also brought so much humility by admitting that even though she did give him permission, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t moments of real struggle still.
I was also glad that she pointed out how caregivers can sometimes get lost during the journey - not just because we often don’t prioritize taking care of our own needs, but it can feel like it’s our responsibility to fix everything, usually making sure that the patient is eating “right”. This unfortunately becomes an added source of stress for the patient at a time when they should be focused on relaxing and healing.
Crises like cancer can amplify existing relationship dynamics in a negative way so it’s important for caregivers to assess if the patterns in our relationships are really serving the patient, or if somehow, our own needs got in the way.
You can find more information about Dori’s work as a functional health practitioner at https://www.dorimartin.com/.
She also referenced the book Radical Remission by Kelly A . Turner.
Please follow the podcast if you would like to hear more stories from cancer survivors, caregivers, and family members. I would really appreciate it if you can leave an honest rating and review in Apple Podcasts or Podchaser so I know if I am serving the interests and needs of you listeners out there. You can also share any feedback and suggestions directly to me by visiting my Instagram page or email me at [email protected].

Thank you for listening!