Solo 7: Why A Cancer Diagnosis Makes You Mad

Why does hearing "it's malignant" make you want to scream, cry, or punch a wall—sometimes all in the same hour? Your body just learned about a threat that's been there for a while, and your nervous system jumped into fight or flight before your brain could catch up. That's not weakness. That's biology.

In this episode, Joelle walks you through what's happening inside your body in those first shocking moments after diagnosis. You'll understand why you're trying to make decisions with a brain that's been hit by lightning. Why that quiet question "Did I cause this?" won't stop whispering. Why people saying "stay positive" makes you want to throw something.

You'll also learn the one thing that calms your nervous system enough to think clearly, and how to let your feelings move through you instead of gaining strength inside you. This is for day one, before the plans, before the treatment—when you're just trying to catch your breath.

You're not crazy. You're in shock. And that's exactly where we start.

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Joelle K

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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