w/Jenni Tooley

Jenni Tooley
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Welcome to w/Jenni Tooley, an Audio Diary! I’m Jenni Tooley, a former actress and filmmaker turned writer and storyteller, sharing the truth about healing, survival, and the strange, often unexpected beauty that shows up in the middle of it all. From cancer diagnosis to recovery, from reinvention to rest, from breakdowns to quiet rebuilds—nothing here is polished or prescriptive. It's just me with my iphone wherever I'm at, doing whatever I'm doing- both literally and figuratively! If you’re navigating change, loss, healing, or just the slow unraveling of who you thought you were… you’re not alone. Come as you are. Stay as long as you need. And always remember that you are loved. www.jennitooley.com

  1. Same Event, Different Body

    6D AGO

    Same Event, Different Body

    This week’s episode starts with church bells ringing outside my car window- let’s enjoy them for a moment, shall we?Now on to the meat of it! I was invited to participate in the Lavender & Lore event again this year. It got me thinking about the last time I was there—right in the middle of radiation and chemo. I showed up exhausted, overheated, and not very clear about where I even was in my body. And yet… something really beautiful came out of that day. In this episode I’m reflecting on: ✨ what it was like showing up to Lavender & Lore last year in the middle of treatment✨ the unexpected gifts that came from it—including a dog park community that ended up helping me more than I ever expected✨ what I lost during cancer treatment (and what I’ve let stay lost)✨ what it means when an opportunity comes around again✨ preparing for events when your bowels might have other plans (yes, we’re going there again)✨ and why “my healing comes first” is still the compass I’m following Sometimes the real abundance doesn’t show up the way we expect. Sometimes it comes sideways—through community, connection, or someone offering to walk your dog. Love ya lots!Jenni You can support the podcast as well as well as my livelihood by becoming a paid subscriber at www.jennitooley.com or making a donation via venmo@jenni-tooley Get full access to w/Jenni Tooley at www.jennitooley.com/subscribe

    22 min
  2. S5:Ep2 My First Post-Cancer CT Scan

    APR 23

    S5:Ep2 My First Post-Cancer CT Scan

    Hey there! Today we’re going to be doing a Cancer Chronicles episode… unless I get completely derailed, which could happen. Seriously, this is the third attempt at recording this episode.The first time I was interrupted by my dog.The second time I was interrupted by my bowels. This is a story that I really don’t want to tell. But I keep hearing it in my head… and every time I tell it to someone close to me, they laugh. So here we go! Welcome to Episode 2This episode is about my first surveillance CT scan after cancer treatment wearing a body that doesn’t have a rhythm yet. Two months out from an ileostomy closure and I still don’t know when I’m going to go to the bathroom, what it’s going to be like, or how long I’m going to be in there. The CT scan required an hour drive while fasting, and an iodine contrast. Let’s just say, my body went bonkers resulting in two Walmart bathroom stops and so much time spent on the toilet that I realized that Walmart has its own radio station. We also get into: * the difference between worry, anxiety, and concern * what it means to listen to your body (or not listen to your body) * and how healing doesn’t always look the way you think it will Sometimes survivorship looks like just trying to make it home and being kind to yourself when your body has other plans. This s**t happens.Like… it literally happens.Lova ya!Jenni No sponsors or a big machine behind this—just me. So, if you want to help keep the truth flowing, send a little digital love my way via venmo @jenni-tooley, zelle/paypal using jennitooley@gmail.com, or become a freaking awesome subscriber at www.jennitooley.com Get full access to w/Jenni Tooley at www.jennitooley.com/subscribe

    27 min
  3. S5:Ep 1 Cancer Chronicles: Complete Response, Not Complete Recovery

    APR 16

    S5:Ep 1 Cancer Chronicles: Complete Response, Not Complete Recovery

    Hi darlin! We’re finally back! It took me long enough! We’re here with Season 5 of the podcast! This podcast has had so many names that I’m not even going to throw one out there for you right now, but I will tell you that this season is about Cancer Survivorship. Because I am now a cancer survivor! This season is for anyone who has ever thought, “Shouldn’t I be better by now?” And for the people who love us, too. The ones who may not realize that the crisis can be over, but the recovery is still very much happening. Welcome to Episode 1In this episode, I talk about what it means to have a complete response to cancer treatment and still be very much in recovery. My bloodwork looks good. My scans look good. The cancer is gone. And yet I am still dealing with bowel issues, fatigue, fear, and the very real question of how exactly I am supposed to function like a normal person when my body clearly did not get that memo. I also talk about the support drop off that happens after treatment ends. During cancer, there is a team. There are specialists. There are grants. There is support. Then suddenly you are in survivorship, still dealing with the fallout, and a whole lot of people and systems seem to think you should be fine now. I’m not sharing this to be dramatic. I’m sharing it because people need to understand this part. Just because we are cancer-free does not mean we are back to normal. Here’s the quick lowdown: * what a complete response actually means after rectal cancer treatment * life after chemo, radiation, surgery, ileostomy, and ileostomy reversal * the reality of bowel dysfunction and urgency in post-treatment recovery * what happened when I literally could not trust my body in public * why survivorship after cancer can still be physically and emotionally hard * the gap between looking well and actually being well * Social Security disability and the impossible logic of proving you are not fully functional * why recovery needs a new support team, even after treatment ends Love you lots,Jenni Keep the poop talk coming and the candid truth about living with cancer in the open by supporting me via Venmo @jenni-tooley, via paypal/zelle using jennitooley@gmail.com or becoming a subscriber here at www.jennitooley.com Get full access to w/Jenni Tooley at www.jennitooley.com/subscribe

    28 min
  4. Sit w/me

    MAR 3

    Sit w/me

    (Transcribed from the audio so you can read or listen or read and listen!) Hello, hello:) I just wanted to take a moment here —just a little pocket of quiet time. I know you’re rushing to get to the next thing,and yes, I am absolutely impeding your progress.I’m not going to apologize for that. Instead, I’m inviting you to just sit here with me.For a couple of minutes. No guided relaxation.No meditation.We’re not going to do anything.We’re just going to hang. Getting itchy yet?Yeah… I get that.It’s hard to sit still sometimes —especially when the world feels like it’s going crazyand Apple keeps changing the iOS on my phone. So many things to figure out.So many problems to solve.Mine. Yours. The world’s. …But maybe I don’t have to.Maybe you don’t have to either. What if — just for now —we didn’t fix a single thing?What if we just sat here and took three breaths? (pause for breath) Wow.You have no idea how many times I wanted to break that silence.But I didn’t. Were you breathing too?I’m glad I stayed quiet —because now, I actually feel different. The mechanics of that are real —it’s the nervous system,the stress response,the breath. I hear things differently now.I see things differently.I’m here. So —come back to this anytime you want.Sit with me. Hang with me.Maybe even make a habit out of it. See what happens.Do a little experiment. Know that you are loved.And until we breathe again… Just be. Get full access to w/Jenni Tooley at www.jennitooley.com/subscribe

    4 min
  5. My favorite kind of traffic jam

    FEB 16

    My favorite kind of traffic jam

    w/Jenni Tooley is a joy-supported venture. Share a smile. Become a member at www.jennitooley.com Or feed the geese via Venmo @jenni-tooley Get full access to w/Jenni Tooley at www.jennitooley.com/subscribe

    26 sec
  6. Slow days, snow daze, and grounding for peace

    JAN 27

    Slow days, snow daze, and grounding for peace

    What does a wren, a snow plow, and an excited dog have in common? Find out in this spontaneous video I shot from my front porch😊 If ya like it and want more, comment, subscribe, and/or send a little ❤️ via Venmo @jenni-tooley or zelle:jennitooley@gmail.com Www.jennitooley.com Get full access to w/Jenni Tooley at www.jennitooley.com/subscribe

    7 min
  7. Spinny Brain, Do-Nothing Days & the Art of Rest

    JAN 15

    Spinny Brain, Do-Nothing Days & the Art of Rest

    Hi darlin! I’m coming at you from under a pile of cats and cosmic thoughts. Sunny and Toast are supervising while my brain goes spinny-spinny. Somewhere between “I don’t have cancer anymore” and “why is resting harder than chemo?” I realized I might actually need to relearn how to stop. Like full stop, stop. Where I went with the spinnies:🧘‍♀️ How I figured out how to “do nothing”💀 The exhaustion that lingers long after survival mode ends🐾 Lessons in rest from my animal companions🎬 Double-feature therapy: how movie marathons became my church💗 The rebellion of aligning with natural rhythms when the world’s still sprinting What got unwound: Sometimes I confuse exhaustion with achievement, but burnout doesn’t hand out trophies. What you might try: Maybe — after you take a listen— just… rest. Close your eyes. Breathe. Don’t even try to meditate. Just be. Would love to hear what landed!If you aren’t already there, you can find us at www.jennitooley.comTip jar lives here.Or you can become a paid subscriber to keep the spinnies in motion at on my website! Until next time!Jenni Get full access to w/Jenni Tooley at www.jennitooley.com/subscribe

    21 min

  8. 12/03/2025

    Santa Came Early!

    Join us for more fun at www.jennitooley.com Yipee Skipee Noodle Doodles! The print version of Better Homes & Boundaries: All Together Now is here! Let’s take a first peek together and I’ll tell you more about what’s in it and how MrJames and I made it! I ordered 10 total- 7 are accounted for, 3 are left. If you want one signed, sealed and delivered for $25 grab it now. I’m going to the post office tomorrow!You can also order a direct print copy here. Get full access to w/Jenni Tooley at www.jennitooley.com/subscribe

    25 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to w/Jenni Tooley, an Audio Diary! I’m Jenni Tooley, a former actress and filmmaker turned writer and storyteller, sharing the truth about healing, survival, and the strange, often unexpected beauty that shows up in the middle of it all. From cancer diagnosis to recovery, from reinvention to rest, from breakdowns to quiet rebuilds—nothing here is polished or prescriptive. It's just me with my iphone wherever I'm at, doing whatever I'm doing- both literally and figuratively! If you’re navigating change, loss, healing, or just the slow unraveling of who you thought you were… you’re not alone. Come as you are. Stay as long as you need. And always remember that you are loved. www.jennitooley.com

Information

  • Creator
    Jenni Tooley
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    83
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jenni Tooley
  • Show Website
    w/Jenni Tooley