Episode 52

Humor & Grace After 2 Cancers

with Sarah McDonald

Humor & Grace After 2 Cancers

What happens when one cancer diagnosis is followed by a second life-changing diagnosis before you’ve had time to process the first?

Sarah McDonald is a two-time cancer survivor, author, TEDx speaker, executive coach, and advocate for rare cancer research. While building a successful career at eBay and planning for motherhood, Sarah was diagnosed with a rare salivary gland cancer. Just weeks later, she learned she also had Stage 3 breast cancer after pushing for additionaltesting and trusting her instincts.

Sarah shares the emotional toll of facing two cancers at once, the uncertainty of rare cancer treatment, and the heartbreak of learning cancer treatment would change her plans for having a family. She reflects on the doctors who changed her life, the importance of self-advocacy, and how integrative practices such as meditation, guided imagery, yoga, and acupuncture helped her find calm during the most difficult moments. She also discusses the inspiration behind her books, The Cancer Channel and The Cancer Companion, and how her experience led her to become a speaker, mentor, and advocate for others facing cancer.

Sarah’s story is a reminder that even in the darkest seasons, hope can grow through connection, self-advocacy, and the decision to use your experience to help someone else find their way forward.

Highlights:

 Why trusting your instincts and asking more questions can change the course of your care.

 How to navigate the fear, uncertainty, and emotional weight that often follows a cancer diagnosis.

 The role integrative therapies can play alongside medical treatment during recovery.

 What it looks like to find purpose and meaning after a life-changing health crisis.

 How friends, family, and caregivers can show up in ways that truly help someone facing cancer.

Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

Sarah McDonald – www.sarahemcdonald.com

About the Guest:

Sarah McDonald is a two-time cancer survivor, executive coach, and fierce advocate for those navigating life's hardest seasons. Diagnosed simultaneously with a rare salivary gland cancer and Stage III Breast Cancer, Sarah faced the unimaginable and came out the other side with a mission. She is the author of "The Cancer Channel" and "The Cancer Companion," a TED Talk speaker, a champion for Cycle for Survival with Memorial Sloan Kettering, and a coach who brings decades of executive leadership experience to her work. Sarah continues to use her voice to help others move forward.

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What can happen when one woman refuses to stay silent about breast cancer and turns her own diagnosis into a movement? Karen Jackson is a four-time breast cancer survivor and founder of Sisters Network, the oldest and largest national Black breast cancer survivorship organization. For more than 30 years, she has worked to improve breast cancer awareness, early detection, advocacy, and support for African American women. Karen’s journey began when she felt something was wrong, even though her mammogram showed no cause for concern. She kept asking questions and pushed for an ultrasound. That decision led to her breast cancer diagnosis and strengthened a belief she still shares today: knowing your body must be followed by action. When Karen searched for a national sisterhood for Black breast cancer survivors, she discovered it didn’t exist. So she built one. What began with a borrowed desk and a toll-free number grew into Sisters Network and more than 25 survivor-run chapters across the country. Karen shares why no woman should face breast cancer alone, the importance of speaking openly about diagnosis, and why early detection and clinical trial access matter. Her story is a reminder to ask questions, seek support, stay the course, and believe that tomorrow can still be beautiful. Highlights: Trust What Your Body Is Telling You Learn why speaking up and asking for more answers can matter. Turn a Need Into Meaningful Action Discover what it takes to start helping when the support you need doesn’t exist. Find Strength Through Sisterhood Hear why shared experience can change how women face breast cancer. Break the Silence Around Breast Cancer Explore how open conversations can challenge fear, shame, and stigma. Make Room for Tomorrow Find encouragement for taking care of yourself and moving forward with hope. Mentioned Resources: CanCare- www.cancare.org and 713-461-0028 Sister’s Network - https://www.sistersnetworkinc.org and 866-781-1808 About the Guest: Karen Jackson is the founder and CEO of Sisters Network Inc., the oldest and largest national African American breast cancer survivorship organization. A 33-year, four-time breast cancer survivor, Karen founded Sisters Network in 1994 to confront the silence, shame, and stigma surrounding breast cancer in the Black community and to help women detect it early and survive it. Under her leadership, the organization has grown to more than 25 survivor-run chapters nationwide, pioneering grassroots programs such as the Gift for Life Block Walk and the Stop the Silence campaign, and advancing awareness, early detection, and equitable access to clinical trials. Karen has carried her message to the White House and shared her own story in her memoir, In the Company of My Sisters. At 83, she remains an active swimmer and advocate, and living proof of the hope Sisters Network was built to offer.

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