CC S5.E9: Trauma, Tight Asses & Pelvic Floor Therapy

CC S5.E9: Trauma, Tight Asses & Pelvic Floor Therapy

Today I’m diving into what happened at a visit with my pelvic floor therapist so this episode might make you a little uncomfortable. But I promise that this episode is vulnerable, practical, weirdly educational, and occasionally very funny. Cancer Chronicles S5.E9: Trauma, Tight Asses & Pelvic Floor Therapy This episode was recorded on February 1, six months after my ileostomy closure surgery, and explores what recovery actually looks like after chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, bowel reconstruction, and reconnecting an entire digestive system.More Specifically: * what pelvic floor therapy actually is and what happens during an exam * how LARS surgery scar tissue can affect bowel function * how surviving trauma — physical, emotional, spiritual, historical — can leave the body in a constant state of bracing * convincing your body that it’s safe again * why my anus apparently refuses to relax * the deeply humbling experience of celebrating a successful poop If you’re going through cancer recovery, chronic illness, pelvic floor issues, trauma recovery, post-surgical healing, or simply trying to reconnect with your body after a hard season, I hope this helps you feel less alone. If you know someone who could benefit from this podcast, please share it:) Love ya lots!Jenni Get full access to w/Jenni Tooley at www.jennitooley.com/subscribe [https://www.jennitooley.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

CC S5.E8: Cancer Treatment Aftercare, Spiritual Immunity & Healing Buttholes

We’re still catching up on podcast episodes- this one was recorded back in January. Things have changed a bit since then, but life is still surreal. Many thanks to those who have supported the cast, mrJames who contributed the new Season 5 branding, and to Linda who heeded the call and sent me a bidet attachment! Support is still needed and appreciated:)venmo: @jenni-tooley zelle/paypal: jennitooley@gmail www.jennitooley.com [http://www.jennitooley.com] You all rock! Now on with the show… Cancer Chronicles S5:Ep8 Treatment Aftercare, Spiritual Immunity & Healing Buttholes After rectal cancer treatment, there are a lot of strange little things that become part of everyday life. Some are scary. Some are annoying. Some are unexpectedly funny. And some involve conversations with medical professionals where you ask for “skincare tips” and they mistakenly think that these tips are for your face.There’s also a quiet thread running underneath this episode about recovery after active treatment — the strange emotional space where the emergency is technically over, but your body and nervous system are still trying to figure out what happened.The Breakdown * sensitive skin and skincare for your butt * recovery realities nobody talks about like long-term radiation damage, fecal incontinence and IBS * the unexpected emotional joy of a bidet attachment * rebuilding an aftercare team * protecting both my physical and spiritual immune systems * pulling inward for a while * allowing myself to simply exist without hiding my scars If you’re navigating cancer recovery, chronic illness, burnout, nervous system exhaustion, or just trying to feel human again after a hard season… this one’s for you. Love ya lots.Jenni Get full access to w/Jenni Tooley at www.jennitooley.com/subscribe [https://www.jennitooley.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

My body still remembers

Cancer Chronicles: Survivorship is a real-time audio journal of the lived experience after cancer treatment, where healing doesn’t follow a timeline and the body continues to speak long after medical care ends. In this episode, I reflect on survivorship as something embodied rather than conceptual. I share about the unexpected return of physical echoes from treatment, including moments from hospital stays that still live in the nervous system and body memory. One memory in particular — repeated IV attempts, blown veins, and alarm machines triggered by movement — opens into a larger reflection on how the body holds onto experiences long after they seem “over.” This is a conversation about what lingers, what resurfaces, and what it means to rebuild trust with a body that has been through a lot. Season 5: Survivorship is unfolding in real time. If you want to support me and this ongoing work, you can do so via Substack membership at www.jennitooley.com or direct support (Venmo @jenni-tooley, PayPal/Zelle: jennitooley@gmail.com). Thank you- you are loved. Jenni Get full access to w/Jenni Tooley at www.jennitooley.com/subscribe [https://www.jennitooley.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Survivorship, Pelvic Floor Therapy, and getting to know my body...again.

This episode begins on New Year’s Day 2026, in the middle of ongoing recovery from cancer treatment. Survivorship is not a label. It’s a lived process that begins at diagnosis and keeps unfolding. The body does not follow calendars. It follows capacity. For me, survivorship is a space that doesn’t end when treatment ends, but continues with digestive issues, fatigue, physical therapy, nervous system regulation, and the daily negotiation with what my body can actually do. This season, my only real guide is simple: my healing comes first. Too bad it took cancer to remind me of that:)Until next time- you are loved. If this work resonates with you, please support its continuation by becoming a paid subscriber at www.jennitooley.com or by sending direct support via Venmo (@jenni-tooley), PayPal, or Zelle (jennitooley@gmail.com). Every bit of support helps sustain this work while I recover and continue creating from inside the process. Get full access to w/Jenni Tooley at www.jennitooley.com/subscribe [https://www.jennitooley.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

NYE, Oncology Centers, & Pelvic Floors

Hi darlin!This one is coming at ya from my car in the Oncology Center parking lot on NYE day. It was my first day of post-treatment physical therapy- a pelvic floor therapy intake no less. Talk about anxiety! Let’s jump right in,,,shall we?Love ya lots!Jenni Be w/Jenni Tooley wherever, whenever, and however she is by becoming a free or paid subscriber at www.jennitooley.com. You can also keep her in gas money and copays via venmo @jenni-tooley or paypal/zelle: jennitooley@gmail.com Get full access to w/Jenni Tooley at www.jennitooley.com/subscribe [https://www.jennitooley.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]