AliveandKick'n the podcast

I talk with Shweta Walia, Lynch Syndrome patient from northern India.  Shweta has a significant history of cancer in her family, but she is the first to look into genetic testing and do something about it, both for herself and her daughter.  I truly admire Shweta for her persistence and her willingness to stand up for her family and herself.       

I talk the colonoscopy business with Dave Helm for colon cancer awareness month.  We talk about technology upgrades, ASCs, hospitals and more.  I shared the story of how my brother and I scheduled our colonoscopies on the same day without telling each other.  We also discussed how sharing stories can make a difference in ways and with people that would surprise you.  We also discussed Dave and Cou...

I sit down with Dr Dana Chase to discuss the role of the Gynecologic Oncologist.  Gyn Oncs as they're called frequently, is a labor of love as there's tremendous amount of time and effort put into initially attaining this unique role in the care of women, including those with Lynch Syndrome.  We talk ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, fallopian tubes and more.  

Timely conversation with Robert Rikard, Lynch Syndrome survivor and attorney from South Carolina.  We talk about survivorship and being positive yet informative.  Robert has some real good friends in the right places, as he's still with us after having kidney cancer, as well as colon cancer.  Robert and his wife instituted the no "BS" rule in their lives, focusing on the positive, entering mindful...

I sit down with Hope as she shares her Lynch Syndrome story of developing colon cancer in her mid-30s.  It goes to show that you should listen to your parents when they're sharing articles with you.  It also shows that a good persistent clinician can be a lifesaver.  Hope feels so strongly after her experiences that she is giving back to other women who could benefit from her knowledge.  Hope cons...

I sit down with Carrie Vee, speaker and author and of course Lynch Syndrome patient.  Carrie's history with cancer and her family's history is extensive.  She tells her story and is using her voice to make a difference in this hereditary syndrome that is so prevalent but still unknown.  Choices have consequences and her desire is to help people choose wisely.  Thankfully ice cream fits in the choo...

Michaela Marchi shares her Lynch Syndrome story.  I truly appreciate her ethnic background, how she approaches life.  Michaela uses her art and her song to bring people to a place of cosmic and spiritual beauty.  Through all of the cancer and death, she can find peace in her world.  Michaela so far is the only guest to quote Dante.   Michaela gives her account of how advocacy literally saved her l...

I sit down with Malvina Kefalas, who I first met at the Get Your Rear in Gear New York 5k, and whose mother passed away of colon cancer.  Actually I was lying down as I had a bad cold and I sounded. like I was growling.  Malvina opens up about how she turned her grief into a mission to make a difference in this space.  Malvina talks about how she inherited a CHEK2 mutation as well as a APC VUS fro...

Talking everything Lynch Syndrome with Dr Jeffrey Weitzel, board certified Medical Oncologist and Clinical Geneticist who has been a pioneer in the field of hereditary cancer.  Dr Weitzel is Vice President Medical Affairs Hereditary Cancer at Natera.  Truly engaging conversation with one of the names you think of when you think about hereditary cancer.    

As the summer was ending,I sat down with Isaac Ro, Life Sciences Executive, who I originally met at the Blue Genes Bash several years ago.  Isaac left Goldman Sachs for Thrive Early Detection, where Bert Vogelstein and the group were working on liquid biopsy.  After Thrive was acquired by Exact Sciences, Isaac left and became CFO at Sema4, which was a company where I worked as well.  After taking...

I sit down with Travis Mayberry, President of Mayberry Memorial.  Travis is a MSH2 lynch syndrome previvor.  Before his father passed away in 2011, he was an avid BBQ cookoff competitor and for years after, the nonprofit foundation did BBQs as fundraisers.  Very similar story to AliveAndKickn, Mayberry has evolved to be a specifically lynch syndrome focused foundation.  Mayberry's Project Conquer...

I sit down with Dr Annelie Vogt von Heselholt as we talk about green bananas, cancer prevention, diet, Huntsville Alabama, Lynch Syndrome and how the two of us are entwined in all of this.    

I talk with Robin about life with Lynch Syndrome, why we started AliveAndKickn, how it is run and by whom, and what life is like to be caregiver to someone with Lynch as well as to kids as previvors.  Robin has the ability to compartmentalize the programming of running the foundation versus the understanding that living with Lynch Syndrome has a number of emotional and physical challenges.  

I sit down with Eve Breu as we discuss her lynch syndrome story.  Since the podcast was renewed for another season, Eve was willing to come on and talk about her VUS.  Eve is a story of persistence in the face of uncertainty, showing that being your own advocate is the best advice.  Eve has also participated in the Connect My Variant program.  According to Eve, there are a number of folks with the...

I talk with Kimmy Niemi, Boston based actor and voiceover actor and lynch syndrome cancer survivor.  Unlike me, Kimmy didn't do her own narration under anesthesia during her colonoscopy.  Since upper endoscopy, I've given up the narration for full anesthesia.  Kimmy talks about breaking into show tunes during her MOHS surgery with her physician during her skin carcinoma removal.  Kimmy went from m...

I sit down with Joan Rush, Founder of the Jacqueline Rush Foundation.  Joan shares the story of how her daughter was misdiagnosed and finally diagnosed at an extremely young age.  Joan and her husband Alan are determined to inform the public & medical community about Lynch Syndrome & help people realize the power of knowing what's in their genes.  We talk about immunotherapy, clinical trials, and...

In honor of Tottenham's strong finish in the top 4 of the Premier League,  Mo Haque is back.  For the first time, I have a returning guest to the podcast, having been on previously in 2020.  Mo and I celebrate getting older, as he had a much tougher road than me.  Thankfully, immunotherapy with Keytruda has allowed Mo to survive and thrive.  Mo was in the inaugural Living with Lynch patient worksh...

I sit down with Jason Wright, and talk about Lynch Syndrome and gynecological cancers.  Columbia's clinical program is a comprehensive center for hereditary abnormalities, including BRCA, Lynch and others.  Obviously the goal is to identify those with a variant before they have cancer.  There's still a greater awareness of BRCA, even before the Angelina effect.  We talk about screening fatigue tha...

I sit down, or at least try to sit down with Michele Elliott, the wandering Lynchie.  Michele tells her Lynch Syndrome story, but she also tells the story of how she sold her house, and packed up her little dog and decided to live in a camper and spread the word about Lynch Syndrome.  Michele also does RV inspections while on the road.  Now Michele dons her AliveAndKickn shirt and talks to anyone...

I sit down with Dr Sid Yadav, Gynecological Oncologist in Women's Cancer Program who does r esearch in DNA damage repair deficiencies & familial cancers.  Dr Yadav talks about a protocol for anyone who has surgery for colon and/or endometrial cancer to have tumor sequencing as well as germline testing.  We talk about basket clinical trials that may have taken place before people were being tested...

I sit down with Dr Sid Yadav, Breast & GYN Oncologist in Women's Cancer Program who does r esearch in DNA damage repair deficiencies & familial cancers.  Dr Yadav talks about a protocol for anyone who has surgery for colon and/or endometrial cancer to have tumor sequencing as well as germline testing.  We talk about basket clinical trials that may have taken place before people were being tested f...

I sit down with Angela Ross, Genetic Counselor who sees a number of Lynch Syndrome patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering.  MSK has created a program called MSK Catch, a clinical care program for people with hereditary cancer syndromes.  They are collaborating with Hackensack Meridian and others that are MSK approved for those outside of Manhattan, namely north Jersey.  Angie also discusses the Impa...

I sit down with Kory Jasperson, Genetic Counselor who has focused on Lynch Syndrome and colon cancer for about 15 years.  Kory is seeing the new model of the remote genetic counseling and how it is playing out, well before Covid.  Are we getting closer to screening more of the general population?  Almost.  New and efficient strategies moving forward will be needed to effectively identify, educate,...

I sit down with Leon Squadrito, husband to Melissa Squadrito, who passed away recently.  Melissa, who had Lynch Syndrome, was previously on the podcast in November 2020, then as a previvor, but developed soft tissue sarcoma, a rare cancer.  Leon talks about their lives together, including the tough part of watching her go through so much, but also the effect that Melissa had on her patients as a N...

I sit down with my cousin from another mother Pat Fahey, founder of Lynch Syndrome Ireland.  Pat talks about his long lost sister in the States and her history with cancer and how she found him.  Pat talks about why he started LS Ireland and his associate Roberta Horgan.  So while Pat will claim he's not as eloquent as Sir John or Ian Frayling, he certainly has a way of explaining Lynch Syndrome i...