The 30 Stories Podcast

An Unexpected Diagnosis Anupam was helping test an ultrasound machine when an unexpected finding led to a thyroid cancer diagnosis. As a physician who cared for people with thyroid cancer, he knew the clinical process. His own thyroid cancer journey gave him a different understanding of the wait for answers and the uncertainty that can follow. The People Who Showed Up He talks with Jesse about sur...

In this episode, Danny Moses shares how a routine ENT appointment unexpectedly led to a diagnosis of medullary thyroid cancer. He recalls the shock of hearing the news, the reassurance of being told to take “one step at a time” and the relief of having a plan. His experience encourages patients to take control of the questions they need answered and seek support when uncertainty feels overwhelming...

A Winding Journey to an Unexpected Diagnosis In this episode, I sat down with filmmaker Bryn and her husband and film production partner, Naveen Chaubal. Together, they open up about Bryn’s winding journey to a thyroid cancer diagnosis, which began with unrelated symptoms abroad and eventually led to a shocking MyChart notification on a Friday afternoon. Bryn candidly reflects on the trauma of rec...

Special Guest: Charlotte Bayala Speaker | Wellness Program Creator | Yoga & Meditation Teacher Host of the award-winning show The Cancer Caregiver and Internationally Recognized Caregiver Breathing Room Podcast Becoming a Caregiver Almost Overnight Charlotte’s husband was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer almost 14 years before this conversation, when their daughter was in first grade. W...

Doug was 13 months into medical school when an endocrinologist noticed a lump in his neck during a simulated patient exercise. The unexpected discovery led to a papillary thyroid cancer diagnosis in 2017, an initial surgery and the surprising news that he would need a second operation. Determined to continue school, Doug arranged treatment around exams and breaks while trying to hold on to the pla...

Fifteen years ago, when Cat was just about to go into her junior year of highschool, she was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. She remembers the shock of hearing cancer discussed for the first time, the uncertainty that followed and how surgery and time away from school disrupted the future she had imagined. Her mother’s persistence helped move the evaluation forward, while her parents’ ste...

Allison’s story begins with something many thyroid cancer survivors understand: years of vague symptoms, watchful waiting and uncertainty. What first appeared as fatigue, a lump and repeatedly inconclusive biopsies eventually led her to seek a second opinion after a provider pushed her to stop waiting. That decision changed the course of her care. She speaks candidly about the emotional weight of...

Singer-songwriter Sarah King was diagnosed with thyroid cancer just three days after releasing an album she had poured herself into. At a moment when her music career was gaining momentum, she suddenly had to cancel shows, pause touring and turn her attention toward surgery, radiation and recovery. In this conversation, Sarah reflects on what it meant to have cancer affect the very thing most clos...

Rich’s story begins with a moment that seemed ordinary at first: after a Broadway show in New York City, his wife noticed a lump in his neck. What followed was a young adult cancer diagnosis, multiple medical opinions and the shock of hearing that he had papillary thyroid cancer while he and his wife were just beginning to imagine their future family life. Throughout the conversation, Rich reflect...

Erin’s story begins with a small but unsettling observation: a lump in her neck that she initially tried to explain away. After seeing a video about checking the thyroid, she realized what she noticed might be worth taking seriously. What followed was a period of uncertainty, urgent care visits, imaging, a biopsy and eventually surgery, all while she tried to manage the anxiety of not knowing what...

Patricia shares how her own cancer diagnosis in her early 30s changed the way she understood healing, fear and the need for support. Diagnosed with uterine cancer at a young age, she remembers feeling overwhelmed by uncertainty, including questions about fertility, relationships and her future. In the absence of formal support groups, she turned to what felt natural to her: writing, doodling, brea...

Steven’s story begins with a chance conversation that changed the course of his health. After reconnecting with a friend who survived a sudden cardiac arrest, Steven decided to schedule routine cardiology tests. His heart checked out well, but the exam revealed an incidental thyroid nodule. What seemed like a small, low-risk finding eventually led to a diagnosis of medullary thyroid cancer, settin...

In this episode, I spoke with Dr. Mahadi Baig, a medical oncologist and oncology leader whose work focuses on advancing research for people with recurrent and metastatic head and neck cancer. Mahadi reflected on how growing up in India shaped his understanding of cancer, access to care and the devastating impact of disease when patients do not have the support or treatment options they need. His e...

When Symptoms Are Dismissed as Anxiety Yesenia shares how her thyroid cancer journey began with symptoms that felt alarming but were repeatedly dismissed as anxiety. She describes hair loss, air hunger, mood changes, irregular periods, hot flashes and extreme fatigue, yet says multiple providers told her she was young, healthy and simply stressed. After seeking support through online thyroid commu...

A Doctor Who Felt Right Wendy opens the conversation by reflecting on a life she genuinely enjoys: retirement, travel and reading anything she can get her hands on. That sense of fullness makes what came next feel even more jarring. After noticing a small lump in her cheek, she found herself moving from doctor to doctor without real answers. One of the most interesting parts of her story is how cl...

A Life Changed By One Unexpected Call Maureen reflects on how a rare osteosarcoma diagnosis began with jaw pain that did not initially raise concern. What followed was a long and difficult path through surgery, chemotherapy, recurrence and proton radiation. One of the most affecting parts of her story is how quickly life split into two versions, the life she had before diagnosis and the life she h...

When Life Changed in an Instant Jay’s story begins with a moment so ordinary it feels almost impossible in hindsight: noticing a lump on his neck in the shower, then hearing just days later that it was squamous cell carcinoma. What follows is the kind of shock many listeners will recognize, where life narrows quickly into tests, decisions and the need to keep moving before there is even time to pr...

Diagnosis, Shock & the Start of a New Reality Hanley shares the story of his son Duke’s neuroblastoma diagnosis with the kind of detail only a parent can carry for decades. What begins as a snapshot of family life and a multigenerational business quickly shifts into a moment that changed everything, when Hanley noticed something was wrong and a frightening diagnosis followed just before Duke’s...

Jennifer’s story begins with a moment she could not ignore. On a drive home in 2013, she discovered a lump on her neck and, drawing on her experience as a dental hygienist, felt almost immediately that something was wrong. What follows is one of the most compelling parts of the episode: a long stretch of dismissal, inconclusive tests and repeated reassurances from clinicians who told her it was no...

Laura shares a deeply reflective account of living with stage 4 metastatic parotid carcinoma, a rare cancer that began in her parotid gland and later spread to her lungs. One of the most striking moments in the episode is her description of going in for what she thought would be a routine surgery and waking up to learn that the tumor was cancerous, had affected her facial nerve, and had changed th...

Stef shares the shock of realizing something was seriously wrong while still being told she was too young and healthy for cancer. She talks about working as a nurse, noticing a lump, pushing through pain, and having to fight for answers until a specialist moved quickly and confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. One of the most affecting parts of the episode is how she describes the diagn...

Christine Fader shares a deeply personal caregiving story shaped by love, advocacy and extraordinary emotional complexity. She reflects on her husband Michael’s head and neck cancer diagnosis, the long path to getting answers and the shock of learning that a specific throat pain was something far more serious. One of the most striking parts of the episode is her account of how his childhood trauma...

Jean LaMantia, a registered dietitian and cancer survivor, shares how her early clinical nutrition training shaped her love of problem-solving and patient care. She then reflects on her own Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis, which escalated quickly and gave her a deeply personal understanding of fear, uncertainty and the physical toll of treatment. That experience changed the way she thinks about patie...

Michael and Michelle open by sharing a grounded portrait of their life together: they met in law school, built separate law practices, and are raising 2 children while holding tightly to everyday joys like boating, reading, running, cooking and family time. That sense of normalcy matters because the episode quickly shifts into a very personal account of cancer returning, and how a family’s identit...

Lori shares how her oral cancer journey began with a sore on her tongue that would not go away. Although one early evaluation minimized the issue, her dentist pushed her to seek further care, which led to a diagnosis on the spectrum between severe dysplasia and microinvasive cancer. From the start, Lori emphasizes the importance of listening to your instincts, getting multiple opinions, and choosi...