Breast, Endometrial, and Ovarian Cancer: Navigating Cancer Through the Patient Lens

In recognition of Endometrial Cancer Awareness Month, this episode features Jennifer Graham, a three-time cancer patient and patient advocate with the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network (MOHCCN). Jennifer shares her experiences navigating breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer, reflecting on the emotional realities of diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and living with uncertainty. 

Together, we discuss the importance of support systems, how cancer shaped her perspective on life and advocacy, and the role of patient voices in improving cancer research and care. Through her story, Jennifer offers an honest and hopeful conversation about resilience, community, and moving forward through even the most difficult moments.

For more information on the Gynecologic Cancer Initiative, please visit https://gynecancerinitiative.ca/ or email us at info@gynecancerinitiative.ca 

Where to learn more about us:  
Twitter – @GCI_Cluster 
Instagram – @gynecancerinitiative 
Facebook – facebook.com/gynecancerinitiative
TikTok – @gci_gosh

Transcript

00:00:02 Intro 

Thanks for listening to the GOSH Podcast, the Gynecologic Oncology Sharing Hub. We share real, evidence-based discussions on gynecologic cancers featuring stories from patients, survivors, researchers, and clinicians. Our podcast is produced and recorded on traditional unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. It is produced by the Gynecologic Cancer Initiative, a BC-wide effort to advance research and care for gynecologic cancers. In honor of Endometrial Cancer Awareness Month, this episode contributes to ongoing conversations aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of endometrial cancer. Today, we are joined by Jennifer Graham, who is a three-time cancer patient from Manitoba and a patient advocate with the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centers Network. Drawing from her lived experience with breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer, she is passionate about advancing patient engagement, supporting cancer research, and improving care through collaboration between patients, researchers, and clinicians. 

00:01:13 Carly 

Hello everybody, my name is Carly Allen and I am your host today of the GOSH Podcast. I am a two-time vulvar cancer survivor and ostomate and today we are welcoming Jennifer Graham. Welcome Jennifer. 

00:01:27 Jennifer 

Thank you. Hello everybody. 

00:01:29 Carly 

We really appreciate you sharing your story. So why don't we just get right into it? Why don't you tell us what type of cancer you had and what that journey involved, which is a very long conversation, of course, but however, you can kind of summarize it to start and then we'll go from there. 

00:01:46 Jennifer 

Okay, thanks. So I was diagnosed with an early stage invasive ductal breast cancer in early 2012. So I was 14 years ago already. I was 38. So at that time, I went through reconstructive surgery and chemotherapy and then several other revisions surgeries after that. So it was a couple of years of work done on me. Now, fast forward to 2025, I was investigating perimenopausal symptoms and I'd gone to my family doctor and, you know, I always pushed for a pap test. So we did a pap test and I got a call, they said that there was something unusual there. So I went in for colposcopy. And now I'm just going to insert here that we know that a Pap test is not a diagnostic for endometrial cancer. But that's what I ended up getting diagnosed with. So there was some endometrial cancer cells there that shouldn't have been. And so, you know, all along, The doctor said, oh, it's probably nothing. It's probably nothing. They were doing an endometrial biopsy. It's probably nothing. Well, it came back as something. So at the end of May, they told me that I had a low grade endometrial cancer and it was an endometrioid carcinoma. So the treatment they offered me was a full hysterectomy. So, you know, removal of the uterus, cervix, also bilateral salpinge ovarectomy. So my uterine tubes were going to come out as well as my ovaries. And so the pathology in the end of August or at the end of August showed a little surprise that I had ovarian cancer, bilateral ovarian cancer as well. So they decided that it was really two primary cancers. So that was a surprise. And, you know, fortunately, if you can say fortunately, I think in the cancer world, fortunately can mean a lot. But fortunately, those two, they decided they were two new primaries and they were early stage and of low grade. So I'm fairly fresh out of chemotherapy for the ovarian cancer. So that was two months ago since my last chemotherapy. And so right now, I am in recovery from the most recent cancer diagnosis. And overall, it's been quite the year of learning and a year full of surprises and joy and sorrow and strength. And I mean, that goes without saying for the 2012 diagnosis as well. So that's me in the cancer nutshell. 

00:04:41 Carly 

Yeah. Just sum all that up in a few sentences, right? And so when you think about it, you know, going through cancer for a second and theoretically third time. How do you compare how you handled that diagnosis being that you were already a breast cancer survivor? Do you think that you were a little more ready for this new stage of fighting? Did you handle things differently just because you had been through that initial diagnosis years before? 

00:05:09 Jennifer 

The first thing I thought of to compare the two is, you know, my kids were so young at the time. I have three boys. Yeah. And two step kids and they were all, you know, under the age of 12, 13. And so now facing it now, I feel as though maybe the shock was still there to the same level. I would say maybe the fear was a little bit less because I knew that I had been there before, plus the 14 years of growth in between. You know, I'm big on personal growth. I mean, I've been kicked down a few times for various reasons and always seem to rise above and come back a little bit better and stronger. So I'd say it's still life-changing. I mean, I was still horrified to have to tell people that. It was hardest to tell those that were close to me. You know, hearing it myself is one thing, but then saying it out loud and saying it to the people around you, it's tough. Yeah. 

00:06:12 Carly 

Yeah, it is tough. And then, like you mentioned, seeing the children, you know, they have grown as well. So the way that they were handling Their mother and stepmother being diagnosed with cancer again would have been a lot different for them too than when they were younger children. And so the way your family kind of jumped in would have been a little bit different as well. 

00:06:31 Jennifer 

Definitely. And seeing the kids as adults and being able to share maybe a little bit more with them than I would have at the time. The phrases you use are a little bit different. And then we had a bit of a roller coaster on the diagnosis as well because for a while there, about 25 days. I didn't count it down to the hours, but for approximately 25 days, there was a suspicion of metastatic disease, metastatic breast cancer. So we had many roller coasters and just, you know, could this get any worse? It got worse, worse, worse until, you know, my lymph nodes in my chest turned out to be something else. 

00:07:12 Carly 

I know I had some, some negative, positive, however we want to word it, lymph nodes in my thyroid when I was going through treatment and they biopsied and stuff. But then as my treatments went through, it just kind of went away over time. So yeah, the body's really fighting, right? So I think it's just saying what's happening and all these things kind of get tied in together. 

00:07:32 Jennifer 

Yeah, and you know, there's the recurrence, fear of it coming back is always in your mind. You know, that's a volume button that doesn't get taken away ever, I think. And so while the volume is low, you just are still shocked. 

00:07:48 Carly 

There's just so many things that happen. It's like a whirlwind. Like you said, you've been punched down, kicked down, whatever you want to call it, and you're trying just to keep going as best you can. And I'm not a mother, but I can only imagine how hard that would be that you're trying to take care of yourself, but yet you're still trying to be a mother to these young boys, young men, and the emotions that would come along with that too. Right, that's a lot. Yeah. 

00:08:15 Jennifer 

Everyone sees it in a different way. Everyone has a unique perspective. And when you have, you sort of button up the first cancer, you're living life, you're moving on, you're doing all these things that become suddenly higher up on the list, which is great. But maybe you're not getting... tested as much. You don't have a CT scan every year because it brings anxiety. So, or scanxiety, as I've heard people refer to. So, you know, you're comparing, you're thinking, how come those lymph nodes are enlarged? Well, the last time I had a CT was 12 years ago. Great. So, you know, all these other things are coming in, like, what if? But I think that I know better now to be just take the information in, let's see what we can do, work with the team medical team being amazing and pushing through for these procedures that can get us the answers we need. 

00:09:07 Carly 

Absolutely. And the self-advocacy, I don't know if you can relate, but you know, when you first diagnosed, you're learning how to handle it, how to advocate for yourself. But then you get back into the we're both recurrent survivors. You get back into it and you kind of know a little bit more how to advocate for yourself of what you're going to need. It's kind of sad that you learn how to be a better advocate for yourself through all this trauma, but I'm sure you learned a lot of that along the way too. 

00:09:34 Jennifer 

Definitely. And what works for you and some of the feedback, I became a peer supporter for breast cancer. And I've already told the coordinators at Cancer Care Manitoba, I'm on the list for endometrial, ovarian, like whatever I can do. Some of their feedback was the most helpful. You're hearing from someone else going through it that the one thing you said to them helped them get through this particular time or help them turn their own corner on their own journey. And that's what I love the most is I love to help people, but I mostly love to help people help themselves. So with my kids, trying to give them the tools that they can to live their life independently, but also in a careful manner and in a thoughtful manner is, that's a gift you can give somebody. 

00:10:24 Carly 

Yeah, absolutely. I think that's pretty special. The buddy system with whatever type of cancer somebody's having, I think is a very amazing thing to do because as much as we all have supporters, when you talk to someone, specifically the same type of cancer treatments that you have, it's a real, real big support that I think a lot of patients need to keep going through whatever they're dealing with. So for you to be doing that for others already is pretty special. 

00:10:52 Jennifer 

And I've made, breast cancer, okay, it's out there. Let's face it. Breast cancer is well researched, well studied, it's well advertised. You know, there's a lot of perspectives on that. A gynecological cancer? Who's talking about that? 

00:11:10 Carly 

Yeah. 

00:11:10 Jennifer 

You know, I have a few things that I've wanted to normalize in 2026. You know, in 2025, I picked a word that I picked a word, ironically, elevate. That was my word for 2025 to motivate myself. And this year, after being through chemo again, I'm like, I'm going to talk about constipation. I'm going to talk about all these meds. I'm going to talk about the foods that are helping me get through this. And so I'm trying to normalize. So let's normalize talking about gynecological cancer for me to meet some gynae patients or gynae cancer women in the restorative yoga program in this moving forward some fitness program I'm in that Cancer Care Manitoba puts on. I never realized how important it is to be able to identify with another person that has a gynaeicologic cancer. You know, I hate to meet you, but I'm so happy to meet you. 

00:12:02 Carly 

I know, I know. And that's it. And I just, I was thinking about this last week at a presentation. It's like, we're kind of taught as young girls, like you don't talk about your girl parts. Like even right now, I don't even say the word regina. Like, you know, so it's like, then when you get diagnosed with these cancers, you kind of think it's hush-hush again, because we're just kind of taught through society that we can't really talk about below the belt. Right? And there's a lot going on for men and women, like both of them, men and women, below the belt with cancers right now. And I think the more that people share and bring awareness, the more it helps the next person and so on. So. Absolutely. We got to talk about it, even though it's kind of taboo. And like you said, like, oh, how do I approach this, right? And you kind of feel like something is wrong, right? Yeah, the stigma, right? So breaking down some of that stigma, it'll probably never be gone, but we can do our best to break it down. I mean, breast cancer has come a long way over the years and they broke their stigma. So we need to follow suit now with gynae cancers as well. 

00:13:06 Jennifer 

Yeah, and I think we can tap into a lot of what other cancers can offer in terms of stigma. I mean, wow. I'm on another national group with the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope Cancer Center Network. They have a patient working group. I've been on that group for since 2023. That was the first group that had been on with other people with a lived cancer experience that wasn't just breast cancer. 

00:13:33 Carly 

Right. 

00:13:34 Jennifer 

Wow, there's men, there's caregivers, there's other women with a variety of cancer experiences. So I think we can, we are stronger together and we have to use what's already been done and go with it. 

00:13:51 Carly 

It's amazing. 

00:13:51 Jennifer 

Yeah. 

00:13:52 Carly 

Because when you think about support, like a lot of times we just think it's our spouses, our friends, our parents, that kind of thing, like family and friends, but you've gotten so much more support already through you joining these groups and all that. And so do you think between the two, it's really made a difference in kind of where you are today mentally, like getting that good support? 

00:14:14 Jennifer 

I think so. I have a list, a running list of people that I would give a muffin basket to, okay? So I have a list of people and I have in one of my notebooks, all the people that have done me a solid and maybe gotten me into a test or just talked with me and made my day a better day and made me feel better about what's happening. And I think meeting all these other people and listening to their perspectives, it really... it really sheds some new light on what people are going through day-to-day. And people can be walking around with a cancer and you don't know. You know, people say, be kind. You don't know what what's going on in their life. And having a cancer diagnosis, a treatment experience doesn't mean that you look any different. 

00:15:03 Carly 

Yeah, but it's important. 

00:15:05 Jennifer 

Yeah, I think it's important to hear what other people have to say and take it into account when you're thinking about cancer and thinking, we aren't alone. There's so many other cancers out there. I think some could use a bit more support from the world. 

00:15:23 Carly 

Yeah. And, I often say cancer doesn't have one look, right? Like some people lose their hair from chemotherapy. Some people don't. Some people have more surgery than treatments, but you can still be in stage three or even stage four and look kind of whatever normal is in quotation, right? And I was kind of one of those, I didn't look like your typical cancer patient. So I really learned a lot of how people judged. And so when you add in the gynae cancers into this, it's like people are getting judged twice over, right? And so we, you do, you're right. You just don't know what people are going through and, and people just need to take a step back and, and not judge and just let people continue on as best they can. Right. 

00:16:03 Jennifer 

Yeah. And a recent feeling that I've had is that, you know, I, I'm quite immersed in the cancer space. I am, I'm all over it. It's all over me and, um, putting myself out there into the world and putting ourselves out there. When you're joining the cancer space, that could be pretty nerve wracking and you have to have some courage to talk about how you're feeling and things like that. But go the reverse. Go back into, just go out for supper. Go watch a game. Go, you know, I was on a flight this week. I traveled to see a friend and, you know, people are looking at you and you just have to be, okay, gotta be cool, you know, try to not be insecure about what you're doing and saying and looking. But people, there is still a lot of fear. That's my point. I think there's still a lot of fear surrounding cancer. And when you're in the space, you feel so supported and it's okay to talk about it. And we're breaking down barriers within, but we need to push that outside of our groups and let other people know that there is hope and that there are a lot of new treatments. And there's a lot of research being done and that reaching out and getting Getting a network of support is one of the best things you can do for yourself. 

00:17:19 Carly 

Absolutely. And would you say that once you decided to do that, reach out and join these groups, that it was a pretty like shifting type moment for you in the cancer community? 

00:17:31 Jennifer 

Definitely. I like some people have said, what you said to me made so much sense and thank you. That happens for me too. I had one of the consults I had for the breast cancer time. The surgeon said, if you make one phone call, if you phone one place, just do phone this place. And we have a place called the Breast and Gynae Center of Hope here in Winnipeg. And it was just the Breast Center of Hope at the time, Breast Cancer Center of Hope. I phoned that number. I tapped into an existing support group, support program that I didn't know that I needed at the time. So yes, coming back into this cancer sphere again, It's just a little bit different. It's developed. I've been able to see a huge, I guess a range, an increase in what is available for patients. And so that moment shifted my experience the first time. And I'd say being courageous and taking a risk on myself and just taking a chance and sharing my story, sharing a part of myself, that has really opened my eyes to how much there is, we need this, we need to share our stories, we need to talk, and that there's a lot of people out there who are really thankful to know about what to expect when they go through a cancer experience. So I think the moments that occur, if your eyes and your heart or open at that moment, you can take that information and really begin to shift by doing the work and finding new ways to communicate and, you know, saying yes to the things that are going to feed you, saying no to the things that won't, because that's really saying yes to yourself. And I think then a shift can begin. And when you start banding with other like minded people, that's when you start getting a shift, getting a wave, and that's what we need. 

00:19:29 Carly 

Yeah, absolutely. And just like waves in the ocean, there's so many stages of cancer treatment, recovery, you know, some people in hospice. And so you kind of need that care and support to change along the journey because there's so many different waves, right? And I found during treatment, I was better than when I was kind of off treatment because I was like, whoa, like my job, it was our, it's our job. We go to treatment, you get your treatments every day with most of us. And then when it's over, you're kind of like, what now? You're still in pain, your body's still been changed, like your mental health, all that kind of stuff. So like you said, the more we all share and bring more awareness out, the more that we'll be able to support those different waves of cancer treatment and cancer life in general, because it's never really over, right? 

00:20:17 Jennifer 

It isn't. You're either thinking about it if you don't have... you know, would it active cancer or no evidence of cancer? I think that's where I'm at. You know, the old days of, well, now I won't say, I think there are some cancers that may still use the term remission. You know, there's blood cancers. There's like, there's, I mean, I'm a solid tumor cancer girl. I guess I don't have a liquid cancer. But I think there's so much we don't know as a patient, you know, as a person with cancer experience, there's, there's a lot, I don't know, but I think, you know, you need to maybe learn something every day. You're gonna learn more about yourself, right? Than about the facts about a cancer. Yeah. 

00:21:02 Carly 

Yeah. You can't learn anything in one day is there's new lessons everywhere, you know, and, and the thought of it always. And that in the back of your head, like, will it come back again? And, and look at you now, like with three different types of diagnosis is and I'm too and I kind of get triggered when I go and I maybe speak to somebody or I meet another patient who needs a buddy and then I start to relive some of the worst days of my life and I get quite emotional. Not always around people, but sometimes. Sometimes I'm on Instagram, I cry in my stories, I'm not going to lie. But it's hard to relive because you work so hard to get out of that stage and then when you go back, it's really hard, right? I mean, insane in saying that, like with you being, you know, so involved in and I'm really applauding you because I was not doing half of what you're doing at this stage. You're really making a difference. What's kind of like your day-to-day and how do you feel being a what we would call a patient partner and and how is all that going for you? 

00:22:06 Jennifer 

Well, it's a busy schedule, I'm telling you. I you know, I've had to say no to some things or reschedule a few things because I want to take it all in. And, you know, we've really, life is short, okay? This is, we know this. We learn this. Life is short. We never know what's going to happen around the corner. So, getting yourself into the mindset where you can live in the present moment as best you can and do what you can and really try not to stress about things. Like, I used to stress, oh, this schedule is going to happen. I'm going to be late for this, late for that. You know what? It's going to be good. Everyone's trying the best they can. Put out the energy that you only want the best for others and for yourself. And it will come back. It's amazing. You're not just putting energy out that you're going to get the parking spot or that traffic will open up when you're late. But I have done it and it works. It works. But I guess knowing that I can help even one person with my story, If I can encourage even one person to just be courageous for five seconds, ask the question in your doctor's office. You know, I had a choice at my primary care appointment, April 1st, 2025. Do we need to do a pap test? I actually went through a list of, well, I always get a pap test. I know the standard of care is three years. Maybe I should skip it. It's been fine. I had this dialogue in my head, but I said, nope, we're going to do one. Had I not done it, I would not be here today. So, you know, I just had to be gutsy for two, three seconds to say, no, that's what I want. You know, asking, it's okay to ask for what you want. And it's okay to change your mind. As you mentioned, you're on a journey. You don't know what's around the corner. You have to have a certain level of flexibility. You're going to get some news that is great less great, awful, but it's going to be okay. You need time to process everything. And, you know, this is something that's fueling me right now, but I won't be able to do this forever. You know, I'm going to, I'm going in, I'm giving what I can, and then other people will come behind me. Like we have to sort of blaze the trail sometimes and let other people have a chance and be a part of the conversation and share their story as well. And I heard a term the other day in another seminar I listened to about walking with people. Let's walk with each other and see what happens. Let's walk and have a conversation. So that's why I'm so grateful for this opportunity to talk with you. And it opens up, if your heart is open, your eyes are open, and you're ready to take on some new information, just say yes, and you never know where the path will lead you. 

00:24:58 Carly 

Absolutely. And we're talking waves seems to be a trend in our talk today. You ride the waves and you can do a lot at this point, and maybe you need to do a little less here and pass the buck to somebody else here. But any which way you can do that, it's very impactful for the next person, right? And in saying that, if Susie called you up today, and I always use the name Susie for an example, no offense to any of the Susies out there, if Susie calls you up, she's in the beginning of her journey. And obviously she's overwhelmed, stressed, all that kind of stuff. What's made me some advice you would give her that you may not have known at that stage of your journey? 

00:25:38 Jennifer 

I think I would say, hey, Susie, you know, get yourself to a place like give your allow yourself the time to process this news, get the information. Information can be at the core of this information about how you feel information from the diagnostics, information from, you know, some of the best people on the planet, clinical nurses, you know, make friends and, and get that information. And then what I would tell Susie is that, you know, I never realized, like, I kind of wish I realized at that moment how much more enriched my life was going to be because of this cancer diagnosis. My life has really gotten better. 

00:26:25 Carly 

I love that you said that because I feel that too. Not that we want to go back and go through this for a third, fourth, fifth time, but there's so much awful that happens with cancer, but there's so much beauty that also happens with cancer. 

00:26:40 Jennifer 

And I love that you've found some of that beauty. Thanks. Yeah. And I mean, just how each person gets there is going to be their choice. We all have choices. If you want to find out all the information possible at the beginning of this diagnosis, give me the results, give me the report. Great. But you know, there may be a time that you don't want to know. There was a time I did not want to know. And I said to the team, my team, I do not want the sad eyes. Do not look at me with the sad eyes. I can tell something's not good. And so we kind of decided. No more sad eyes. Let's just make our decisions based on the information that we can get. Yeah. And then, you know, Susie, take your take the lead. Take the lead and feel confident that the questions that you need to know are important to you and your team will see that. 

00:27:36 Carly 

Absolutely. Like knowledge is power. You know, we kind of say that all the time, but I got very similar to you. I got to a point where I was like, too much knowledge is going to really take over my thoughts, my mental health. So I had designated people who would take on and when I needed to know or if we needed to go back and read later because I just was going to lose my sanity. Like I was going crazy with all the scary, all the pain, everything at once. So I kind of just was on a baseline at certain points of the treatment just to keep me going. And one thing I say quite often is, Cancer is going to change my body, but it's not going to change my mind. And so that was kind of the way that I went with it. But everybody's different. 

00:28:23 Jennifer 

I think I like those strategies. You know, there's a, there's a, a point where you can surrender to what's happening. I know where I, when I surrendered after getting the lot, this last time I surrendered 100% after my bone scan. Because, you know, they're telling me it might be metastatic breast cancer in addition to the other two cancers. And I was just like, okay, what else? You know, you get a bit of an attitude sometimes. You're like, where else is it? Are you going to scan my bones? You're going to scan my brain. And they did. So, you know, sometimes you have to get a bit cheeky with cancer. And then, but I surrendered. I was like, at this point, whatever's going to happen is going to happen. You have to face, you will face some rough. Absolutely. And you're going to swallow some water. 

00:29:14 Carly 

That's really powerful. I think I can remember mine too. And I did it privately because I was always really concerned about my tribe around me. I don't know if you were kind of thinking of your husband and the kids a lot. And so I, I did it privately, but I still think that I have moments where I surrender even all these years later because that fear never leaves us. 

00:29:38 Jennifer 

Yeah. 

00:29:39 Carly 

Right. To go back to that place. And I think if you have, you know, something different. Last time I had cancer, I probably told everybody. I mean, I worked through chemo. That is a whole other choice that I made. But this time, you know, I didn't tell everybody I had cancer. I just, I chose the people. I chose my group. You know, sometimes you got to just tell your people. And what I did do is when I was a pancake on the couch and I was really not feeling like it, If somebody, if one of those people called me, I picked up the phone and I cried for, it was like a two-minute conversation. How are you doing? Terrible. I was just being honest, you know? Yeah. And I think part of what you can do to sort of give yourself hope is just trust in, trust the process. Trust that there is a process, first of all. Trust that other people have made it ahead of you. Trust that everyone's doing their best on your healthcare team. And trust yourself to make the right choice for yourself. So I, you know, when I was thinking about this this morning, trust is a word I would bring into the, you know, surrender, trust, but also, you know, careful consideration of how you are managing yourself. So yeah, maybe today I can't talk to you, but I'm all about going for coffee when I can or just, you know, having a chat on the phone and I'm doing the best I can. 

00:31:08 Carly 

Absolutely. And the people that are really there for you will have no issue hearing that. And so that's all that really matters. Like I had a lot of people come out of the woodwork that I hadn't talked to in years and they reconnected us. That was one of my beauties is that it brought back friends that, you know, we get busy in life and you go this way, that way. So the people that are in your corner, they're happy to hear those types of things when you're not doing it well. And at least you answered the phone. You didn't ignore it, right? 

00:31:35 Jennifer 

That took me, that gave, like, I needed courage to answer the phone. And it's not about, oh, I want to show people how sad I am. No, but I mean, the face of cancer is also not just happy days, you know, I made it. There's some, there's a lot of ups and downs, but it is better when you have some to share it with, I guess. Yeah. 

00:31:58 Carly 

Yeah. And when you think about it too, like that person calling was thinking about you and took time out of their day. And in the beginning, I was kind of like, oh, I don't want to answer anything. And then I was like, well, wait a second. They're literally thinking of me in this moment. And how lucky am I to have somebody who's thinking and wanting to see how I'm doing, even if the answer was I'm doing crappy right now, you know, because they really cared. And so that's something that I think we got to think of as patients sometimes. 

00:32:24 Jennifer 

And on that point, you know, depending on where people are at spiritually, you know. 

00:32:31 Carly 

Yeah. 

00:32:31 Jennifer 

You can, you can come in and out. I mean, myself, I flow in and out of, of the spiritual zone practicing, but sometimes it depends on what you believe in it. Even if you're, if you believe there, there is a higher power, like I was also, you know, around that time of waiting for the results of, of which way this, this diagnosis was going to go. I was on my knees a couple times and another time, probably the same day, I think. I went to visit a friend of mine at Graveside where she had passed four years ago. Just like bawling my face off and just feeling so alone and missing her so badly. And you know, at that moment, my phone starts pinging a friend of ours. Oh, hey, thinking about you. I am sending dinner home tonight with Tim and so you don't have to cook tonight. Something's just small like that. And if you, again, if your heart is open and your ears and eyes are open, there are people around us. There are angels around us. There is a support network that is activated. If you allow yourself to go, that is just like, wow, I didn't know I needed that. Thank you. 

00:33:48 Carly 

There are signs. And when you're just telling that story, I got goosebumps. I could so picture you there at your friend's grave site. That's insane. And I'm like you. I was raised kind of in the church, but not big. And then as you get older, you choose your way. And when I was really sick, I definitely talked to God or my spirit guide, whatever you want to call it. And I swear I saw my grandmothers at my bed one day who have long passed. And that just kind of lifted me up in times where I felt so heavy and dark. And so you don't have to necessarily connect with one religion or whatever. You just have to connect with your soul and maybe somebody else's that you missed that's out there somewhere, right? Yeah, no, that's pretty special. So let's turn this frown upside down now, shall we? So you've finished your treatments. Tell us what, you know, the doctors have said where you are today and what do you hope for even short term in the next month or for the rest of this year for you and your family and your advocacy. 

00:34:48 Jennifer 

Well, I can't remember the term, just no active cancer or no evidence of cancer. So, you know, but I go, my eyes tune into Did you test both my ovaries for the, you know, any genetic abnormalities and things? So I had a bit of work to do to just finalize and just wear it to get right in my mind. So I'm trying to get right in my head. I'm trying to recuperate. You know, my body's coming back, like body, you know, just how I'm physically feeling. And what am I doing? I guess advocacy right now, preparing myself, it finally is turning into spring here. So getting myself outside. I went outside, you know, just sort of getting a little bit back into the groove. Yeah. You know, unfortunately, my cancer is still, my mom just got diagnosed with breast cancer literally two weeks ago. She's got a good option for treatment there. And my father-in-law has a cancer that's advanced and incurable. So, you know, that is still in my day-to-day. But I will say that there still is joy and it's finding joy and it's this is an opportunity for me to reset. I've been knocked down again, but I'm coming back and I'm looking to find new ways to get into that personal growth and to grow again. So I think we can have many iterations of our life and and I think we can really improve ourselves into the future. So right now, I'm trying to dial down that worry about a recurrence. And so at Cancer Care Manitoba, I'll be followed for six years. So I have my schedule set. And yeah, I mean, like you said, when you are in cancer treatment, that's your job. And so my calendar's opening up a little bit from the care side, but into the advocacy side, I'm trying to do some of that work as well. 

00:36:54 Carly 

Well, I think you're doing an amazing job and I can't wait to see what comes for you. I think you're doing it just right. You're not putting too much pressure on yourself. You're just kind of going with it. And now you're going to be a really good tribe member for your mom and your father-in-law who have their battles coming. And it just goes to show us that cancer is everywhere with everyone in some way, be it if you're a patient or a supporter of it. And we just all, I think I could talk for everybody in the world. We just want to see cancer just stop affecting so many people because it's such a life-changing disease, as are many, but we're just talking cancer today. We can't go down all the rabbit holes. I just wish you and your family the best, and I can't wait to see where you're going to go. 

00:37:44 Outro 

Thanks for joining us on the GOSH Podcast. To learn more about the Gynecologic Cancer Initiative and our podcast, make sure to check out our website at gynecancerinitiative.ca.