Dying to Tell You

"I didn't want to survive. I wanted to live. I knew that I wanted to live." In this episode of Dying to Tell You, Cody sits down with Lonnie, who is living with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer. Lonnie shares his story from the onset of symptoms to his diagnosis and how he has become an advocate for those living with cancer via social media. He speaks candidly about the emotional rollercoaster,...

"Don't Just Do Something...Sit There."   In this reflection on his conversation with Sarah last week, Cody delves into the challenging emotion of helplessness, exploring its profound impact on individuals dealing with serious illness and those around them.   How do we handle helplessness? We sit with it, we express it, we witness it. We face it and acknowledge it together, and that's the power of...

“I would love it if the afterlife looked like the eighties.” —Sarah In this episode of 'Dying to Tell You,' Cody chats with Sarah Parton, who shares her incredible journey living with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Sarah talks about her initial shock at the diagnosis, the ups and downs she faces daily, and how she keeps her sense of humor and optimism alive. She opens up about the importance...

In this reflection on his conversation last week with Caroline, Cody shares his personal journey through grief, resilience, and finding meaning after loss. With candid insights and lessons learned from his own experiences, Cody offers a bit of hope and encouragement to anyone navigating these same literally life-changing challenges.  And if you know Cody, by now you know that one of his greatest m...

This week on "Dying To Tell You," Cody sits down with Caroline, a mother whose world was turned upside down by a devastating diagnosis: brain cancer while 20 weeks pregnant. In this deeply moving conversation, Caroline shares her journey through confusion, heartbreak, and impossible choices—including the decision to end her pregnancy in order to pursue life-saving treatment. With remarkable honest...

In this week's reflection, Cody revisits last week's conversation with Joe, who is facing a diagnosis of multiple myeloma. Cody explores the age-old question that Joe raised: If God is all-powerful and loving, why does suffering exist? Drawing on Joe’s faith, the wisdom of Thomas Aquinas, and stories from other guests, Cody examines how adversity can lead to unexpected growth, meaning, and connect...

“There’s something so precious about every day and every moment and living this beautiful gift.” What does it mean to truly live when tomorrow is not guaranteed? In this moving episode, Joe shares his journey through the unexpected diagnosis of multiple myeloma, the challenges of treatment, and the profound lessons learned along the way. With honesty, humor, and deep faith, Joe invites us to consi...

"Inright outright upright downright" Join host Cody for another heartfelt reflection as he revisits last week's uplifting conversation with Aaron, a courageous young cancer patient who is facing his adversity with positivity and faith. (Aaron started back to college this week, by the way, and you can follow him on Tik Tok here !) We often talk about hope and resilience in the face of difficulty, b...

Find out what happens when a college freshman is faced with a life-changing cancer diagnosis—and chooses hope over fear.  Meet Aaron, our guest this week on Dying To Tell You whose youth and optimism shine through every challenge. Aaron shares how, at just 19, he turned a cancer diagnosis—curable but let's be honest...still cancer—into a source of strength, gratitude, and purpose. His story is a t...

"We only get to do this life once." In this deeply personal reflection, Cody share his own experience of learning that his mom was in the hospital for chest pain. She underwent bypass surgery and Cody flew home to find himself in the center of a story he's seen played out countless times—in a waiting room with family, anxious to see their loved one recovering in the ICU. Last week's episode with K...

"Life Goes On" —Kelly In this episode of Dying to Tell You, Cody sits down with Kelly, who is living with an ALS diagnosis. Kelly shares her journey from the onset of her symptoms to her diagnosis and how she has found community and strength through social media. Kelly talks candidly about the emotional and physical challenges of living with ALS, how she stays optimistic, and the importance of liv...

In this heartfelt reflection of last week's episode with Jeopardy Champion and author Jeff Stewart, palliative care chaplain and host Cody shares powerful insights on the importance of consideration and empathy when facing life-limiting illness. Drawing from his real hospital experiences, Cody discusses the emotional complexities of cancer treatment decisions, family communication, and the courage...

A surprise stomach cancer diagnosis born of an attempt to donate a kidney gave Jeff the time and space to reflect on life, death, and what he could give his family both before and after he’s gone. In this episode of Dying to Tell You, Cody interviews cancer patient and Jeopardy champion Jeff Stewart. Jeff, a renowned microbiologist and author of the book " Living: Inspiration from a Father with Ca...

Cody reflects on his conversation with Sue in last week's episode , and how love is the purpose of our lives.  We also include a voice message left on By The Way —our version of the Japanese windphones that allow you to leave a message for a loved one no longer here. You can leave your own message at 720-600-7056.

"I remember thinking...oh! That's what it was about!" Our first guest of Season 3 is Sue, who joined us all the way from Australia. And although she isn’t our first international guest , nor is she even our first guest from Australia , Sue’s story is certainly a first for us. Sue shares with us the moment she found out she had advanced stage cancer, a moment in which she experienced a true Out of...

Linda was a guest in Season One of Dying To Tell You, a fiery and hilarious woman facing a terminal diagnosis from kidney cancer. So much of Cody's conversation with Linda orbits around the very difficult challenge of letting things go. A lesson from the end of life that can—and should—resonate with anyone, regardless of their current health or prognosis.  As we get ready for Season Three starting...

Riyaz was spiritual teacher and therapist who joined us in Season 2 of Dying To Tell You, and leading up to Season 3 we wanted to honor some of the guests who have been on the show and who have since passed on.  Please enjoy this encore presentation of Riyaz's episode, which originally aired in Season Two. 

Rachel was our first guest on Dying To Tell You who had ALS, and leading up to Season 3 we wanted to honor some of the guests who have been on the show and who have since passed on. Please enjoy this encore presentation of Rachel's episode, which originally aired in Season Two. 

Nancy was our second guest on Dying To Tell You, and leading up to Season 3 we wanted to honor some of the guests who have been on the show and who have since passed on. Please enjoy this encore presentation of Nancy's episode, which originally aired in Season One. 

Aaron was the first guest on Dying To Tell You, and leading up to Season 3 we wanted to honor some of the guests who have been on the show and who have since passed on. Please enjoy this encore presentation of Aaron's episode, which originally aired in Season One. 

—Call ‪(720) 600-7056‬ and leave a message for your loved ones— Inspired by the beautiful idea behind Japanese wind phones , we want to welcome you to a new effort here at Dying To Tell You, a way for you to leave messages for loved ones who have passed on. It's called By The Way, and while it is a phone number and a voicemail box, it is also so much more.  You are invited to use this number to le...

Lisa Pahl, LCSW shares how a patient she encountered early in her hospice career taught her how even the worst experiences can help us grow. Lisa is the co-creator of The Death Deck and The E•O•L Deck, tools that inspire meaningful conversations on what matters most in our lives and in our deaths. As a licensed clinical social worker with over 17 years of experience within hospice and emergency me...

"In this line of work, you can't see death as failure. But in this case…very much felt like a failure. I hadn’t controlled his pain.” A brief note of caution: as the title suggests, this episode contains a story involving death by suicide. Dr. Laura Kennedy, a palliative care physician, shares a tragic story with Cody from early in her practice—an experience that was, in her own words, "devastatin...

This week, we check back in with former guest and irrepressible force Deanna! A few weeks back, we drove up to Casper, WY to meet Deanna in person for the first time. And during our lovely visit, we all decided it was time for a public update on Deanna, who was diagnosed with ALS at the start of 2024.  Deanna has moved to in-patient hospice in recent months and, along with her husband Oren, wanted...

One question opened up a world of understanding for Dr. Andy Robinson early in his career: "What do you feel we should know that we don't?" It was asked by social worker to a reticent patient, who then exclaimed how nobody knew who we WAS; they only knew who he is now...a patient who was dying. This question and the response it created has stuck with Dr. Andy over the decades and underscored the i...