Not Your Grandma‘s Cancer Show Shine Cancer Support

Many people find that they feel different in their bodies after cancer - you might have lost trust in your body, or feel like your body has turned against you.
In this podcast, Tatum talks to Claudia Knowles, a Research Assistant in the Heathcote Lab / working with Dr Lauren Heathcote looking at the mind-body connection in people who have had cancer. They talk about interoception - they way that we understand our internal bodily signals - and how bodily signals can affect emotions. Claudia talks about how to foster a more helpful mindset after a cancer diagnosis.
The podcast ends with a short relaxation and breathwork session. 
Claudia is currently carrying out some research on 'interoception'. If you've been diagnosed with breast cancer, you can participate here:bit.ly/MyBodySurvey

X: @ClaudRKnowles


Instagram: @claudiaroseknowles 


Lauren's X: @LCHeathcote

 
 

Most of us are used to talking to healthcare professionals about our cancer but we don't usually talk to them about *their* cancer.  In this podcast, we hear about what it's like to go from being the person giving a diagnosis to being the one who receives it. 

Hannah, a GP, shares how she received the news of her brain tumour while at work with a waiting room full of people. Simon, a pediatrician, explains how he navigates how much of his own experience to share while at work. Mari, gynaecologist, was shocked at how other doctors often failed to acknowledge the impact of their words. And Mari's husband, Babur, a surgeon, talks about how he goes to work to fix others but the person he really wants to be able to fix is his wife.  

When your initial cancer treatment is over, your friends and family might think you're fine - but we know you can be left with many lasting effects and emotions. In this episode, Tatum talks to Matt who was diagnosed with a brain tumour at 17, and Roisin who was treated for osteosarcoma of the jaw after a diagnosis at 28. They talk how they managed treatment and the aftermath over the long term.
Roisin has also shared more details of her treatment and recovery on our website here.

If you’re newly diagnosed with cancer, welcome, you’re in the right place.  

In this episode, members of the Shine community share their top tips and what they wish they knew when they were in your position. We have two great guests,

Tatum explores what it's like to carry a 'cancer gene' and speaks to Helen, who carries the BRCA gene, and Cara who has Lynch syndrome. 
Cara developed bowel cancer at 32 for which she was successfully treated. She later developed early stage womb cancer and had a hysterectomy and oophorectomy during the pandemic. Her father had also had bowel cancer. 
Three generations of Helen's family have been affected by cancer, including her mother who died of breast cancer in the 1990s. Helen tested positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation as a child and later developed ovarian cancer. 
Both Cara and Helen discuss what it's like to live with the constant awareness of cancer and how they continue to process their experiences.

Tatum speaks to Dr. Char Goodwin and Neil MacVicar, both of whom are neurodivergent and have been diagnosed with cancer.
The quote Char references is from Dr Jac den Houting  @JacdenHouting  TED talk https://www.ted.com/talks/jac_den_houting_why_everything_you_know_about_autism_is_wrong?language=en