From Tragedy to Spiritual Awakening: Susanne Arens on Grief, Survival, and Life After Death

Born Unable to Eat: Ben Tried Food for the First Time at 24

What if you couldn't eat food for the first 24 years of your life? For most of us, eating is something we rarely think about. It's part of daily life—birthday cake, pizza with friends, family dinners, and grabbing a quick meal on the go. For Ben Sutter, none of that was possible. Due to a rare medical condition called eosinophilic gastroenteritis, Ben survived on a dietary replacement formula from the time he was 15 months old. While others were building memories around food, Ben was navigating feeding tubes, elimination diets, medical procedures, and the emotional challenges of feeling different from everyone around him. Then, at 24 years old, everything changed. In this episode of SH!T CREEK SURVIVORS, Ben shares what it was like growing up unable to eat, the mental and emotional impact of living with a rare condition, and the fear he faced when he finally had the opportunity to try food for the first time. This conversation explores resilience, faith, gratitude, personal growth, and the courage required to step into the unknown. Ben's story is a powerful reminder that even when life doesn't look the way we expected, there is always hope, purpose, and a path forward. Whether you're facing health challenges, anxiety, fear, loss, or a difficult season in life, this episode offers encouragement and perspective from someone who has spent a lifetime overcoming obstacles most people never have to consider. • Growing up with eosinophilic gastroenteritis • Living on formula and feeding tubes • Never eating pizza, chicken, steak, or most common foods • The emotional impact of feeling different • Learning to eat food for the first time at 24 • Overcoming fear and embracing discomfort • The role of faith during difficult seasons • Food therapy and emotional healing • Building resilience through adversity • Finding gratitude in unexpected circumstances Ben Sutter is a content creator and advocate who began eating food for the first time at age 24 after spending his entire life surviving on a nutritional formula due to a rare medical condition. Known for his positive outlook and unique perspective on life, Ben shares his journey to help others appreciate the things many of us take for granted while encouraging people facing their own challenges to keep moving forward. SH!T CREEK SURVIVORS is a podcast sharing real stories of resilience, recovery, and hope. Each week, guests share the challenges that left them stuck up their own "shit creek," the paddles that helped them get out, and the lessons they learned along the way. Hosted by Cameron McKay. Website: www.shitcreeksurvivors.com [http://www.shitcreeksurvivors.com] Email: shitcreeksurvivorspodcast@gmail.com [shitcreeksurvivorspodcast@gmail.com] Facebook: SHT Creek Survivors Please follow, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us reach more people who may need hope, encouragement, and practical tools for navigating their own challenges. Ben Sutter, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, EGID, rare disease, chronic illness, feeding tube, food allergies, resilience, overcoming adversity, inspirational stories, faith, hope, personal growth, emotional healing, overcoming fear, health journey, motivation, perseverance, life challenges, SH!T CREEK SURVIVORS

When a 24-Year Marriage Ends: Divorce, Emotional Neglect & Finding Yourself Again

What happens when the life you built for more than two decades suddenly falls apart? In this episode of Sh!t Creek Survivors, Heather Theisen-Gandara shares her journey through childhood trauma, emotional neglect, and an unexpected divorce after 24 years of marriage. What follows is an honest conversation about grief, identity loss, responsibility, and what it actually takes to rebuild your life when nothing looks the way you thought it would. Heather opens up about growing up in a home shaped by addiction and instability, the healing work that helped her process old wounds, and the lessons she learned while rediscovering herself in midlife. Together, Cam and Heather discuss: • Childhood trauma and emotional neglect • Therapy, EMDR, and processing difficult emotions • Moving from victimhood to personal responsibility • Divorce after a long-term marriage • Rebuilding confidence and identity • Letting go of resentment • Midlife reinvention and finding purpose again • Why healing isn't linear—and why that's okay Whether you're navigating divorce, carrying unresolved pain from childhood, or finding yourself in a season of unexpected change, this conversation offers hope, perspective, and practical wisdom for taking the next step forward. Because even when life leaves you stuck up shit creek, there's always a paddle waiting to be found. ABOUT OUR GUESTHeather Theisen-Gandara is a divorce coach, speaker, and author who helps women over 40 rebuild confidence, rediscover who they are, and embrace the next chapter of their lives after divorce and major life transitions. After experiencing an unexpected divorce following a 24-year marriage, Heather transformed her own healing journey into a mission to help other women move from survival to self-discovery. She is the author of: The Ultimate Glow-Up Guide for Women Over 40: Build Confidence, Redefine Your Style, and Reclaim Your Spark. Website: www.reignitecollective.com [http://www.reignitecollective.com] Social Media: YouTube: @HeatherGlowsAgain Instagram: @HeatherGlowsAgain TikTok: @HeatherGlowsAgain Facebook: @HeatherGlowsAgain Please follow Sh!t Creek Survivors and leave a rating or review on your favorite podcast platform. Sharing the show with someone you care about is one of the best ways to help these stories reach the people who need them most.

Doctors Called It a Terminal Cancer Diagnosis. Heather Chose Hope

What would you do if you were told you had a terminal cancer diagnosis? For many patients and families, those words stop everything. In this episode, Heather Von St. James shares her powerful journey after being diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma shortly after giving birth to her daughter. She was told she had a limited prognosis and faced the possibility of not watching her child grow up. Instead of giving in to fear, Heather chose hope. This conversation explores what it really takes to face a life-changing diagnosis, how mindset and mental health impact healing, and how support systems, therapy, and community can make a difference in even the hardest moments. Heather also shares how she turned her experience into a mission of advocacy, helping others facing cancer, rare disease, and survivorship challenges. In this episode, we discuss: • Receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis after childbirth • Emotional impact of rare cancer (mesothelioma) • Fear, grief, and mental health during treatment • The importance of support systems and communication • Finding purpose through adversity • Turning pain into advocacy and service • Healing through helping others Heather’s story is not just about surviving cancer—it’s about how to keep living when life feels uncertain. GUEST: HEATHER VON ST. JAMESHeather Von St. James is a mesothelioma survivor, patient advocate, environmental toxin activist, speaker, and mentor. She focuses on survivorship, rare cancer awareness, mental health in cancer care, and helping patients and families navigate life after diagnosis. CONNECT WITH HEATHERWebsite: https://www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/prognosis/survivors/heather-von-st-james/ [https://www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/prognosis/survivors/heather-von-st-james/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-von-st-james-95174944/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-von-st-james-95174944/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherVonStJames [https://www.facebook.com/HeatherVonStJames] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathervsj [https://www.instagram.com/heathervsj] X (Twitter): @HeatherVSJ Phone: 651-308-6892 Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA ABOUT SH!T CREEK SURVIVORSSh!t Creek Survivors shares real stories of people facing life’s hardest challenges, the moments that broke them, and the strength that helped them rebuild. Our mission is simple: to bring hope to anyone stuck in their own shit creek. CONTACT SH!T CREEK SURVIVORSWebsite: https://shitcreeksurvivors.com [https://shitcreeksurvivors.com] Facebook: Sh!t Creek Survivors Email: shitcreeksurvivorspodcast@gmail.com [shitcreeksurvivorspodcast@gmail.com] Phone: 314-650-3132 YouTube: @ShitCreekSurvivors EPISODE THEMESCancer diagnosis, terminal illness, mesothelioma, survivorship, mental health, trauma recovery, patient advocacy, hope, resilience, grief, healing, family, mindset, rare disease awareness

The Epic of You: Turning Adversity Into Purpose with Peter Bailey

What if the hardest chapters of your life aren't detours—but part of the journey that shapes who you're meant to become? In this episode of Sh!t Creek Survivors, Peter Bailey shares the lessons behind his book, The Epic of You, and explains how adversity, trauma, addiction, heartbreak, and life's unexpected challenges can become catalysts for growth, resilience, and purpose. Drawing from a lifetime of extraordinary experiences—from surviving childhood dysfunction and addiction to traveling the world and overcoming near-death situations—Peter discusses why every person is living their own Hero's Journey and how embracing that perspective can transform the way we face life's struggles. We discuss overcoming shame and hopelessness, the importance of allies and community, lessons from recovery, practical tools for interrupting negative thought patterns, and why your story is far from over. Whether you're navigating a difficult season or searching for greater meaning in your journey, this conversation offers hope, perspective, and practical wisdom. In This Episode: 1. Childhood trauma and family dysfunction 2. The Hero's Journey and personal transformation 3. Recovery, addiction, and growth 4. Overcoming shame, inadequacy, and hopelessness 5. Building resilience through adversity 6. The impact of social media on self-worth 7. Practical tools for changing negative patterns 8. Finding purpose through life's transitions 9. Gratitude, hope, and living intentionally Contact Peter Bailey: Website: www.peter-bailey.com [http://www.peter-bailey.com] TEDx Talk: Developing The Heroic Journey Mindset Book: The Epic of You Audiobook: Available on Spotify and Audible Contact Show: Website: shitcreeksurvivors.com Email: shitcreeksurvivorspodcast@gmail.com [shitcreeksurvivorspodcast@gmail.com] Phone: 314-650-3132 Facebook: Sht Creek Survivors YouTube: Sh!t Creek Survivors

The Nautical Novelist: She Sold Everything at 54 & Sailed the World

At 54 years old, Alison Gieschen—known as The Nautical Novelist—made a life-changing decision: she sold everything she owned and, together with her husband, stepped onto a 43-foot sailboat and set out to sail around the world. In this episode of Sh!t Creek Survivors, Alison shares her powerful journey from growing up on a self-sustaining farm, to childhood visions of sailing, to a traumatic job loss that became the catalyst for a bold five-year plan to circumnavigate the globe. What followed was years of preparation, ocean crossings, storms, mechanical failures, emotional challenges, and deep personal transformation across 48 countries and multiple continents. We discuss: * Childhood visions and early connection to sailing * Farm life, trauma, and personal reinvention * Rediscovering sailing and heavy weather training * The decision to sail the world at 54 * Life aboard a 43-foot sailboat * Surviving storms and technical failures at sea * Gratitude, signs, and resilience under pressure * PTSD, mental fatigue, and emotional endurance * Helping others and finding purpose through service * Advice for anyone delaying their dreams This is a story about courage, reinvention, and what it means to rebuild your life when you choose uncertainty over comfort—and freedom over fear. Alison Gieschen, The Nautical Novelist, is a former teacher, equestrian coach, and horse farm owner who reinvented her life in midlife. At 54, she and her husband sold everything they owned and began a global sailing journey aboard their sailboat EQUUS. Since then, they have traveled across oceans and visited 48 countries, documenting a life defined by adventure, resilience, and transformation. She now shares her experiences through writing and storytelling, blending real-world sailing adventures with themes of courage, growth, and human connection. Website: https://alisongieschen.com [https://alisongieschen.com] Sailing Blog: https://sailmates.org [https://sailmates.org] Contact Shit Creek Survivors Podcast Have a story of resilience, transformation, or a life-changing moment you want to share? We’d love to hear from you and consider you as a guest on Sh!t Creek Survivors. 📧 Email: shitcreeksurvivorspodcast@gmail.com 🌐 Website: https://shitcreeksurvivors.com Follow & connect: YouTube: Sh!t Creek Survivors Facebook: Sht Creek Survivors