Episode 20: When Cancer Doesn’t Get to Decide Your Timeline

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What happens when a doctor tells you "it's not good" and you're only 42?

Miguel Rueda got one of the rarest prostate cancer diagnoses possible—2% of 2% of cases—at an age when most men don't even get screened. His urologist told him if it were him, he'd just live out what time remained. That phone call came nine years ago.

Miguel runs marathons now. His kids call him every day. He's on a medication that didn't exist when he was diagnosed, working because he and his team bought enough time for it to become available.

This conversation reveals how Miguel stopped asking "why me" and started asking "so what, now what?" You'll hear about the snowy hill that changed his perspective, the microwave incident that taught him about accepting help, and why being vulnerable with his three kids made his family stronger than cancer could break it.

If you're wondering whether fighting is worth it, this episode answers that question without sugarcoating what the fight actually requires.

ManUpToCancer - Join Our Pack - https://manuptocancer.org/
Movember Foundation - https://us.movember.com/

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Joelle K

I'm a 54 year old former CMO/CRO and generational breast cancer survivor. My early cancer experiences shaped my personal and professional philosophy to continuously cultivate an approach that adjusts to whatever curveball shows up. And we know, curveballs are constant, especially in midlife with aging parents, maturing kids (if you have kids), and opportunities to focus on new goals for our next 50 years. I have a book being released in January - Crushing the Cancer Curveball, A Veteran's Guide for the Newly Diagnosed. While no one wants cancer, 1 in 2 Americans and 1 in 4 people worldwide will face cancer in their lifetimes. There's an alternative narrative to the terror, anger and fear that accompanies a diagnosis - a narrative that spawns compassion, confidence, and even joy. I'd love to talk about it with you and your audience.

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