Episode 35

Feeling the Fear: A Guide to Post-Treatment Healing

with Shayla Martin
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Feeling the Fear: A Guide to Post-Treatment Healing

What helps when treatment ends but the feelings don’t?

Shayla Martin is a breast cancer survivor, Chief Wellness Officer, certified meditation practitioner, and co-founder of a startup. She brings both lived experience and professional insight into what healing looks like beyond the medical treatments.

In this episode, Shayla shares the moment that changed everything—a strange “beach fly” bite that led her to discover a lump. From diagnosis in New York through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, she leaned on humor and community to get through the hardest days. Yet she reveals that the biggest challenge came after treatment, when the full weight of emotions landed, and she no longer had the structure of appointments and check-ins.

Shayla opens up about grief, especially around not having a mother to call after difficult scans, and how therapy became a path for addressing what she calls the “mother wound.” She explains why denial and fear are often the first hurdles, and why processing feelings honestly is a sign of strength.

You’ll hear practical ways to hold space for fear, invite trusted people into treatment days, and use tools like sound baths, meditation, and counseling. Shayla shares that post-treatment is often when emotions truly surface. And allowing yourself to feel them, without judgment, is where real strength begins. Her message: you’re allowed to be scared, you’re not alone, and support is ready when you ask. Keep going. Hope grows where feelings are welcomed.

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Highlights:

00:00 – Welcome and Guest Introduction
Meet Shayla Martin, breast cancer survivor and wellness leader.

02:05 – From Corporate to Healing Work
Shayla shares her career shift into wellness and sound healing.

04:10 – The “Beach Fly Bite” That Led to Diagnosis
A strange bump at the beach sparks her cancer journey.

07:20 – The Oncologist Who Saved My Life
A chance public speaking class nudges Shayla to get checked.

09:21 – Facing Fear at Weill Cornell
The day denial lifted and reality of cancer hit.

13:24 – The Call I Couldn’t Make
Realizing she didn’t have a mother to call after diagnosis.

17:17 – The Tornado of Treatment
Why life feels like survival mode during chemo and radiation.

23:00 – Naming the Tumor and Throwing a Party
How humor and community helped her face surgery and chemo.

27:10 – Creating a Chemo Lounge
Why she invited friends, music, and joy into treatment days.

39:34 – The Greatest Gift of Cancer
Living at 100% capacity of feeling and choosing hope.

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Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

www.cancare.org/hopebook

About the Guest:

Shayla Martin faced breast cancer at 39 years old head-on and discovered that healing goes far beyond the physical. A former collegiate runner, she’s now a Chief Wellness Officer and Certified Meditation Practitioner, creating spaces for others to reconnect with themselves through coaching and sound meditation. Based in New York City, Shayla speaks openly about life after cancer, reminding us that joy and intention can exist even in the face of the unknown.

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Ep 40


Hope for Cancer Caregivers

with ‍Rose Gerber
What helps a caregiver stay steady when cancer changes everything? Caregivers carry so much of the emotional weight of cancer, yet their needs are often overlooked. In this powerful episode, Darcie Wells joins the Community Oncology Alliance with host Rose Gerber for a conversation that shines a light on the unseen side of caregiving and the hope that grows when no one has to carry the burden alone. Rose, a long-term breast cancer survivor, and Darcie talk about why caregivers deserve as much care, compassion, and emotional support as the person going through treatment. They discuss the role of trained peer volunteers and how emotional support changes the caregiving experience for both the patient and the family. Darcie reflects on caring for her mother, stepfather, and grandmother as each faced cancer, all from a distance. She remembers wanting to help but not knowing where to turn, and later realizing how much a companion with lived experience would have eased the fear and isolation. Her message is clear. Your role matters. Caring for yourself strengthens the care you give. Hope grows when someone walks beside you with understanding. Highlights: • Learn why caregivers often hide their stress and how that impacts the support system. • Hear how CanCare trains volunteers to provide safe, compassionate emotional space. • Understand why relationship-based matching helps caregivers feel seen and understood. • Discover simple communication habits that help caregivers support loved ones. • Gain insight into long-term caregiving needs and why support must adapt over time. Mentioned Resources: CanCare- www.cancare.org Book – www.cancare.org/hopebook COA - communityoncology.org About the Guest: Rose Gerber is a long-term breast cancer survivor and host of the Community Oncology Alliance podcast. Diagnosed while raising young children, Rose’s journey through treatment shaped her calling to ensure that others facing cancer are supported, informed, and heard. Today, she leads patient advocacy and education for the Community Oncology Alliance, managing the COA Patient Advocacy Network and working alongside oncologists, nurses, survivors, and policymakers across the country. Her work has taken her to Washington, D.C., national media platforms, and community cancer centers nationwide, empowering patients and protecting access to community-based cancer care.
Ep 39

Two Diagnoses: One Mission

with Don Williamson
How do you hold on to hope when cancer returns years later? Meet Don, a two-time thyroid cancer survivor, CanCare volunteer, and ministry leader whose journey runs on faith, family, and service. His first diagnosis came at 22 after a biopsy led him from strep throat checks to major surgery in New England; years later, as a husband and father, he faced cancer again in Houston. Through both chapters, Don anchored to prayer, community, and a growing conviction that every day is a gift. He shares how a frightening diagnosis reshaped his priorities, deepened his relationship with God, and opened the door to unexpected love as he reconnected with Jeanette, now his wife of 34 years. Don’s “but God” turning point led to action. He began encouraging fellow patients at the hospital, then launched a church ministry called HOPE—Healing Others through Prayer and Evangelism. Today, as a trained CanCare volunteer and Ambassador, he walks beside others so no one faces cancer alone. Listeners will hear practical ways to find courage, invite support, and keep perspective when responsibilities feel heavy. Don’s message is simple and strong: you are not alone, hope is real, and better days are ahead. Highlights: [02:42] – Finding strength through faith after a shocking diagnosis
Don shares how a simple sore throat led to a cancer diagnosis at 22 and how prayer, family, and his church community grounded him when everything changed. [07:12] – What happens when you discover God is truly enough
During his second diagnosis years later, Don explains how his faith deepened and how he learned to trust God’s plan even when fear and uncertainty returned. [14:58] – Why hope is more than wishful thinking
Don defines hope as “confident expectation” and shows how perspective and purpose can replace fear, even when circumstances don’t change. [21:10] – Turning pain into purpose through service
After finding healing, Don began visiting other patients, then launched HOPE—Healing Others through Prayer —to help others walk through cancer with support and faith. [28:55] – The lasting power of connection and laughter
Don and Darcie reflect on how encouragement, humor, and community keep hope alive, proving that no one should ever face cancer alone. About the Guest: Don Williamson is a 2x cancer survivor, loving husband, father, and man of faith. First diagnosed at just 22 years old with Stage III thyroid cancer, Don’s journey through cancer strengthened his faith and led him to a love story he never expected. Years later, as a husband and father, he faced cancer again, which led him to create a ministry for others facing cancer. Today, Don shares his story to inspire others and volunteers with CanCare to support those who are walking a path he understands well.
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