INTERLUDE: Cancer Stories with Dr. Teplinsky

https://interludecancerstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/episode-25-vanessa-steil-final-8_15_19-10.37-pm.m4a Subscribe and Listen on  Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher Vanessa Steil was 26 years old when a routine visit to the doctor led to the finding of a thyroid nodule and ultimately, a diagnosis of thyroid cancer. She had a thyroidectomy (surgery to remove her thyroid) and...

“You have to accept that you’ve had cancer and your body is going through a tremendous change” – Tamara Smith https://interludecancerstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/episode-24-tamara-smith-final-8_8_19-11.12-pm.m4a Subscribe and Listen on  Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher Tamara Smith is a 32 year old woman who lives in Houston, Texas. When she was 31, she...

“Can anyone be an advocate? YES. Tell YOUR story. Your story is POWER.” -Ruth Kavanagh https://interludecancerstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/episode-23-ruth-kavanaugh-final-8_1_19-11.49-pm.m4a Subscribe and Listen on  Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher Ruth Kavanagh is a 39 year old female who was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer (Grade III anaplastic e...

“When we go through a crisis, what makes us feel alive again?” https://interludecancerstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/episode-22-final-marquina-iliev-piselli-7_19_19-12.29-am.m4a Marquina Iliev-Piselli was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer at age 36. While undergoing chemotherapy, she used her passion of air guitar to create a project (glam rock air guitar!) to help lift her...

“I was in so much pain — it was almost a terrible relief to have an answer” – Emily Garnett https://interludecancerstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/episode-21-emily-garnett-final-7_11_19-11.42-pm.m4a   Emily Garnett is a wife, mother, lawyer, an advocate and so much more. She was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at the age of 32, right as her son turned two year...

Brianna was diagnosed with low grade serous ovarian cancer (a very rare form of ovarian cancer) at the age of 37. She was treated with surgery, chemotherapy and is now on a maintenance therapy with a medication called letrozole. On today’s episode, Brianna talks about her treatment as well as the side effects that she experienced during treatment and is still dealing with today. She talks a...

“This is a story of resilience.” – Lauren Chiarello Lauren was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of 23. She was initially treated with chemotherapy and was told she was in remission. However, the disease returned and she required more chemotherapy and subsequently, a stem cell transplant. She is now disease-free — 10 years later! Since that time, Lauren created NYC...

Julia Maues was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 while she was pregnant. She was 29 years old at that time. She received chemotherapy during pregnancy and then after her delivery of a healthy boy, she had tests performed that she could not have done while pregnant and it was found that the cancer had spread to her brain, liver, and bones. She is now 36 years old, living with metastatic breast...

“The patient didn’t fail. The treatment failed.” – Dr. Kelly Shanahan Dr. Kelly Shanahan is a mother and an OB-GYN. She was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at the age of 53, several years after a diagnosis of early stage breast cancer. She is now 58 years old and has been living with metastatic breast cancer for over 5 years. Since her diagnosis, she has become a pa...

Jenn Durbal was diagnosed with primary peritoneal cancer at the age of 44. She initially presented with three months of symptoms which were initially thought to be viral or the flu. She went to the doctor multiple times and ultimately, was sent to the ER where she was found to have a collapsed lung and a build up of fluid around the lungs. Six days later, she was discharged home with a diagnosis o...

Samantha is an Emmy winning TV host and journalist, an author, a certified personal trainer, nutrition advocate, and a promoter of healthy living. She was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2014. After her diagnosis, she sought out ways to improve her overall health, leading her to write  Your Healthiest Healthy: 8 Easy Ways to Take Control, Help Prevent and Fight Cancer, and Live a Longer, C...

Sarah was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of 34 right in the middle of training for the Boston Marathon. On today’s episode, she talks about her experience with fertility preservation before starting chemotherapy, the effect treatment had on her career (she is a high school English teacher!), her running and her identity, the incredible support she received during chemotherapy and...

Bridget was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 35 right in the middle of wedding planning. On today’s episode, she talks about her experience with mastectomy and reconstruction, what it was like finding out she was a BRCA2 mutation carrier, the implications of her diagnosis and genetics information on fertility plans, and what taking tamoxifen has been like for her. Subscribe and Lis...

Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 29 and she had a two year old son at the time. On today’s episode, she talks about what it was like to be diagnosed and go through treatment, which included chemotherapy and surgery. She speaks a lot about decisions she made about fertility, the effect of chemotherapy on body image, the importance of taking care of yourself, breast reconst...

Dr. Tali Lando Aranoff is a a full time pediatric ENT surgeon, a mom of 3 young girls and a breast cancer survivor. Her story began when she felt a lump in her breast the night before her father was due to have surgery for a malignant brain tumor. On today’s episode, she talks about the journey that ensued, how she decided on her course of treatment, her experience of being a wife, mother an...

Kate Crawford was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer (stage 4) when she was 28 years old. She was later found to have Li-Fraumeni syndrome which predisposed her to getting breast cancer. She is a mom to three children and when she was diagnosed, she created a “Mommy Bucket List” of all the things she wanted to do and experience with her children. She is a huge advocate for metasta...

Dr. Jennifer Driscoll was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 39 years old. She had left medicine six months prior to her diagnosis to spend more time with her young children. She was taking her daughter out to lunch to celebrate the first day of kindergarten when she got the call telling her she had breast cancer and life changed forever. Jennifer is a writer and and on today’s episod...

“I think you have to be your own advocate and if something doesn’t feel right…you have to go find other options.”  Tina Conrad is a 43 year old woman who was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer when she was 37 years old and had just gotten married. She had a double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and is now on treatment with tamoxifen and Zoladex. She is a 5 year cance...

“Chemo took a huge toll on my body. I just didn’t feel like me anymore…I felt and definitely looked like a completely different person.” Krista Campbell is a 31 year old woman who was diagnosed with stage 2A estrogen receptor positive breast cancer when she was 29 years old. On this episode, we talk about the difficulties she had in obtaining a mammogram due to her young age, her decis...

“Take it one step at a time. Get your team together. That includes your friends, family — who is going to be there.” Amanda Blauvelt is a hairstylist who was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at age of 32. She had chemotherapy, surgery and radiation and she thought she was in the clear until she was diagnosed with a second triple negative breast cancer. She talks about...

“Being 30 and diagnosed with cancer, I would go to support groups and be the youngest by 20, 30 years. It makes it really difficult to identify with this other group of cancer fighters because they don’t have the same problems” – Dr. Amy Smith-Morris Dr. Amy Smith-Morris is a cancer pharmacist turned cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age of 30, right after...

Listen and Subscribe on  Apple Podcasts | Spotify |   Google Play |   Stitcher https://interludecancerstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/episode-4_pari_berk.m4a Pari Berk is an personal essayist, lawyer and mother of two children. She is currently finishing her memoir,  The Meatpacker’s Daughter  while undergoing chemotherapy for recurrent colon cancer. In this episode, we discuss how sh...

“You get that diagnosis and it is just the beginning. There is a lot of science out there that is really going to be on your side. But you’ve got to have the information.” – Ingrid Kolstoe Ingrid Kolstoe is a 41 year old mother of three girls who was just recently diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer (low grade serous ovarian carcinoma). She recently had surgery and...

“The biggest surprise of all was how hard it was after I was done with treatment and to try to struggle back to a sense of normal.” – Katie Kashmanian Katie is a middle school principal and was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in 2014 right before she was supposed to travel to China to adopt her son. Despite the fact that she had to go through aggressive chemotherapy, he...