Symptoms Spotlight: Diarrhea with Abigail Johnston and Melanie Sisk
Melanie Sisk and Abigail Johnston discuss managing diarrhea from cancer medications—a common but often embarrassing side effect. Learn practical strategies for treatment, when to seek specialist help, and how to advocate for better quality of life during cancer treatment.
Podcasters Roundtable: Melissa Berry on Fashion Meets Cancer Advocacy
Melissa Berry, founder of Cancer Fashionista and host of "Dear Cancer, I'm Beautiful," joins us to discuss building beauty and wellness resources for cancer patients. From her background as a fashion publicist to creating an evergreen podcast library, Melissa shares why looking like yourself matters, how she selects topics, and what keeps her connected to advocacy. We explore inclusive language for metastatic patients, financial toxicity, intimacy after cancer, and the power of podcasting as a tool for community building.
Symptoms Spotlight: Fatigue with Abigail Johnston and Melanie Sisk
Join hosts Melanie Sisk and Abigail Johnston as they shine a light on the real experiences of managing cancer symptoms. In each episode of the Symptoms Spotlight series of short episodes, we explore different symptoms caused by cancer or its treatment, sharing practical insights and hard-won wisdom directly from patients who've been there.
Melanie and Abigail share their experiences managing cancer-related fatigue over 5+ years of treatment. They discuss practical solutions including exercise programs like LiveStrong and Two Unstoppable, Medicare fitness benefits, medication options like Ritalin, and the importance of nutrition, hydration, and monitoring vitamin levels.
Live Chat: Shining a Light on MBC with Tami Bowling
When a life-changing diagnosis led Tami Bowling to advocacy, she fueled the movement to Light up MBC. In this episode, Tami shares her personal experience, the origins of LightUp MBC and LightUp MBC Live, and how lighting up landmarks is bringing hope, awareness, and vital research funding to the metastatic breast cancer community.
Podcasters Roundtable: Samira Daswani, Host of The Patient from Hell
In this episode, hosts Victoria Goldberg and Abigail Johnston sit down with Samira Daswani, host of "The Patient From Hell" podcast, for a candid and insightful conversation about patient advocacy, storytelling, and the evolving landscape of cancer care. Samira shares her path from reluctant podcast guest to passionate host, highlighting the importance of amplifying patient voices and democratizing information for those navigating cancer diagnoses—especially in communities where open discussion is rare.
The discussion delves into the challenges of reaching diverse audiences, the power of authentic, minimally edited conversations, and the need for both scientific and personal perspectives in patient-centered content. The trio reflects on the shifting attitudes in cancer communities, the critical role of support networks, and the ongoing mission to educate and empower patients worldwide. The episode wraps up with ideas for future collaborations and a shared commitment to making a meaningful impact through storytelling and advocacy.