Category: In the Midst of It All

Life is challenging and sometimes life is “stage IV metastatic cancer” challenging. So how can we make it through all that life throws at us? Jane Jeuland is the Chaplain in the Palliative Care Clinic at Yale New Haven Hospital and Smilow Cancer Hospital. Since 2011 she has listened as people with life-limiting cancer have processed their living, dying, healing and not healing and their faith, spirituality, and beliefs. Over the years, Jane has been so impacted by her patients’ profound, unique, and important perspectives on how to thrive through all that life brings and has often thought that these incredible nuggets of truth should be available for other patients, caregivers, clinicians, and really any human making their way through life. In this podcast, some episodes will be patients, caregivers, or clinicians reading their stories that they have carefully and thoughtfully crafted. Other episodes will be interviews that will welcome you into the lives of these beautiful individuals and the strategies and resources they have used to survive and even thrive in the midst of it all.

The Light Within

The Light Within

In this episode, Kathleen Chesto, tells her story of serving as a Roman Catholic nun for 9 years, her work teaching Family Religious Education all over the world, and her diagnosis of MS, lung disease, and now cancer. Kathy tells how her ministry and faith have been impacted over the years by changes in the Roman Catholic Church as well changes in her own physical health. Kathy is deeply introspective in her faith and a champion for the wisdom and faith of children, parents, and all people.

Body, Mind, and Spirit

Body, Mind, and Spirit

In this interview, Dana speaks about body image both before and after breast cancer surgery and how she processed her breast cancer journey. She also speaks about how she turned the painful experience of breast cancer treatment into holistic treatment for cancer patients and survivors. Dana was a massage therapist before she got cancer and as she was recovering, she became certified in massage for cancer patients and now runs a massage studio in Guilford for patients and survivors.

A Dance of Grief and Gratitude

A Dance of Grief and Gratitude

In this episode, you will hear Dana share her story of being diagnosed with breast cancer and going through treatment while being a deeply spiritual young mom and massage therapist. Dana speaks openly about how she and her husband told their 4 year old little girl, the pain of losing her hair, the support from friends and family, and how her spiritual life helped her work through it all.

Spiritual Explorer

Spiritual Explorer

In this interview, Debra shares her exploration of different faiths and spiritual experiences including past life regression, spirit speaking through people, guides in spirit, and Christian abundance ministries among other experiences. This episode is a fascinating dive into what is more than this life.

Can’t run. Now what?

Can’t run. Now what?

In this interview, Suzanne speaks about the incredible community that she has found in people who have the same rare lung cancer. She also speaks about how she loved to run before she had cancer. Now that she isn’t able to run anymore, she talks about how she came to peace with that.

Onward

Onward

Suzanne shares her story of having a rare form of lung cancer and the tools in her toolbox that helped her through including her Episcopal faith, her strong supportive family and friends, her love of running, and Smilow cancer hospital.

The Love of a Caregiver

The Love of a Caregiver

In this episode you will hear from David’s wife Liz as she reflects on what it is like to be a caregiver and be in the initial stages of grief. Through her grief, Liz has found ways to celebrate and pay tribute to David and the incredible, selfless, big hearted life that he lived. Hers is a story of grief, but it is also much like her husband’s story, full of resilience and eternal love.

Overcoming Life’s Challenges with Gratitude

Overcoming Life’s Challenges with Gratitude

David’s story is one of recovery and a powerful encounter with the divine as he began AA. However, David’s story is first and foremost a story of love. In this episode, David’s wife Liz reads David’s story, which she helped finish after his death. David was so committed to writing his story that he was still working on it even days before his death. Even in the midst of her grief, Liz was able to help David finish this important goal in his life.