You were first diagnosed with colon cancer at 37 with a 2 year old child at home. What went through your head at that time?
Shock. Disbelief. Confusion. Anger………There were so many emotions that I was dealing with. It was hard to grasp it all. It took some time to settle in. Eventually, I got a support team and medical team in place, and a game plan I was comfortable with. I came to grips with my situation and faced my challenges head on. Once I got my mind right, I was able to handle the physical challenges my body was enduring.
What inspired you to create Cancer Wellness TV?
This is an easy one for me to answer. Lack of access to cancer complementary care! When I was going through treatment, it was hard to get out of bed, let alone leave the house to go the hospital where some complementary therapy classes were offered. And I was fortunate that the hospitals in my area offered these services. In many areas, there are no complementary care services available, and if they are, there’s a substantial cost involved. In this day and age, I wanted to access this information online, but there was no central source that offered online video content for these services. That planted a seed in my head that one day I would develop this resource, and it would be a FREE service! Fast forward to 2015 and Cancer Wellness TV is now a reality.
What advice would you give to other people coping with cancer who might be reading this?
That today is as good a day as any to take back control of your life. You can fight against cancer by treating your body and mind. Complementary therapies such as tai chi and mediation were a huge help to me. But each person responds differently, so try a few different modalities to find the best fit for you. The goal should be to reduce your stress and build your physical strength. Start off slowly and take it one day at a time.
What is your vision for Cancer Wellness TV? And beyond for cancer treatment at large?
Well, I have some grand visions for Cancer Wellness TV, but I understand we need to walk before we run. But I would love to see the video content from Cancer Wellness TV in every hospital in the world that offers cancer care. We hope to offer live streaming videos on a daily basis with a wide range of offerings. There is so much that is needed and we hope to have the resources to cover all of them. We are excited to go down this road and see what the future may bring!
