ep 18 Can You Get Back to Normal After Cancer?

ep 18 Can You Get Back to Normal After Cancer?

Join the After Cancer Email List! Join my email list for episode updates, practical recovery tips, and Season 2 announcements. Join here: https://drwaltke.myflodesk.com/aftercancer What should we cover in Season 2? Send your ideas to: Email: info@waltkeacademy.com Episode 18 Summary: Cancer treatment has an ending date. Recovery often doesn't. In this Season 1 finale, Dr. Leslie Waltke explores why life after cancer may not return to what it once was, why recovery is an active process, and why accepting change should never mean accepting treatable weakness, fatigue, or loss of function. This podcast is brought to you in partnership with CURE. In This Episode 18 • Why the end of treatment is rarely the end of recovery • The myth of closure after cancer • Accepting change without accepting treatable limitations • The role of rehabilitation and exercise • Looking ahead to Season 2 Reflection Questions • What part of your life have you been waiting to restart? • Are there limitations you've assumed were permanent that deserve evaluation? • What is one small step you can take this week toward rebuilding your health, strength, or life? Chapters ep 18: 00:00 Introduction 00:01 Why Life Doesn't Go Back to Normal After Cancer 00:02 Welcome to The After. Cancer Podcast 00:03 The Myth of Closure 00:05 Why Survivorship Isn't a Finish Line 00:08 Recovery Is Not Passive 00:10 Acceptance vs. Giving Up 00:11 Too Many Survivors Accept Treatable Limitations 00:13 Rehabilitation Is About Rebuilding Life 00:15 Reflection Questions 00:15:35 Thank You for Season 1 00:17 Looking Ahead to Season 2 00:18 ABCD Shout-Out 00:19 Closing SEASON 1 EPISODE LINKS: Ep 1 - Cancer Labels and Claiming Identity: who decides what to call you? https://youtu.be/09HpIAh92sk?si=ZYprI812Tmd5tKtH Ep 2 - The Finish Line Myth: why survivorship may feel harder than you expected https://youtu.be/UUggVScpzY8?si=_TFewtGFLg-gqcT7 Ep 3 - The Cancer Comparing: why we do it and why it doesn’t help https://youtu.be/LDh4mGI9tWo?si=5ggmnul2s8H2YfkJ Ep 4 - Living in a Hyper-Vigilant Body: why your body stays on high alert after cancer https://youtu.be/h8p7bvUWBew?si=dA8hWjfcylw3XAJ5 Ep 5 - Why Your Brain Stops Processing After a Cancer Diagnosis https://youtu.be/RxK0WmMgaJE Ep 6 - Survivor Guilt in Cancer: Learning to Live When Others Don’t https://youtu.be/TfO810C5dfc Ep 7 - Battle Language in Cancer: Why “Fighting” Cancer Can Hurt Survivors https://youtu.be/0zr3NZq0D8o Ep 8 - 18 Million Cancer Survivors: The Reality of Cancer Survivorship Today https://youtu.be/gntcH3lvTDs Ep 9 - Cancer Cell 101: what cancer is and how it starts: https://youtu.be/k9_NkHp1rZ8 Ep10 - Cancer Surgery 101: why “we got it all” doesn’t mean “you’re done.” https://youtu.be/ESWK-oB3muM Ep 11 - Chemotherapy 101: why chemo feels so different https://youtu.be/jdJc3u7HMlU Ep 12 - Radiation Therapy 101: https://youtu.be/N09j9ViFmm0 Ep 13 – Why Cancer Survivors Stay Exhausted https://youtu.be/V3gnQtdRRYE Ep 14 - How Cancer Changes Relationships, Marriage & Friendships https://youtu.be/KrbOzeEwLww Ep15 - Did Your Body Actually Betray You?? https://youtu.be/IYqBNPNI0bw Ep 16 - When Certainty Disappears: Living With Metastatic or Chronic Cancer https://youtu.be/7r0mNrxfVGk ep 17 - Bad Cancer Advice: when smart people fall for misinformation: https://youtu.be/2syEITnt5ec Resources: Email: info@waltkeacademy.com Website: https://www.drlesliewaltke.com CURE: https://www.curetoday.com ABCD: https://abcdbreastcancersupport.org

ep 17 BAD CANCER ADVICE - Why Smart People Fall for Cancer Misinformation

Cancer misinformation is everywhere—social media, influencers, testimonials, miracle cures, supplement stacks, and conspiracy theories. In this episode, Dr. Leslie Waltke explores why misinformation spreads so effectively, why intelligent people are not immune to it, and how patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals can evaluate claims more thoughtfully. The conversation examines confirmation bias, the appeal of certainty, the power of stories, the influence of social media algorithms, and the importance of balancing hope with evidence. Key Topics Discussed • Why smart people can fall for misinformation • Confirmation bias and uncertainty after a cancer diagnosis • The difference between stories and scientific evidence • How social media amplifies misleading information • Influencers versus expertise • What 'do your own research' really means • How to evaluate health claims online • Trust, skepticism, and expertise in healthcare • Why science changes recommendations over time • The role of identity and community in shaping beliefs • Balancing hope, curiosity, and critical thinking Episode Chapters • 00:00 Introduction – The threat of misinformation • 02:30 Why intelligent people believe false information • 06:00 Confirmation bias and the search for certainty • 09:30 Stories versus scientific evidence • 13:00 Social media and the misinformation machine • 17:30 Influencers, expertise, and visibility • 21:00 'Do Your Own Research' unpacked • 25:00 How to evaluate medical claims • 30:00 Trust, skepticism, and healthcare • 35:00 Why science changes its recommendations • 39:00 Identity, beliefs, and intellectual humility • 43:00 Practical strategies for patients and caregivers • 47:00 Reflection prompts and closing thoughts Reflection Prompts 1. When you encounter health information online, what signals make you trust it? 2. Have you ever changed your mind about an important belief? What helped you do that? 3. How can you balance curiosity, hope, and critical thinking when making healthcare decisions? Mentioned in This Episode Episode 9 Cancer Cell 101: what cancer is and how it starts: https://youtu.be/k9_NkHp1rZ8 Episode 10 Cancer Surgery 101: why “we got it all” doesn’t mean “you’re done.” https://youtu.be/ESWK-oB3muM Episode 11 Chemotherapy 101: why chemo feels so different https://youtu.be/jdJc3u7HMlU Episode 12 Radiation Therapy 101: https://youtu.be/N09j9ViFmm0 Episode 14: How Cancer Changes Relationships, Marriage & Friendships https://youtu.be/KrbOzeEwLww Episode 15: Did Your Body Actually Betray You?? https://youtu.be/IYqBNPNI0bw Episode 16: When Certainty Disappears: Living With Metastatic or Chronic Cancer https://youtu.be/7r0mNrxfVGk Resources Learn more about ABCD (After Breast Cancer Diagnosis): https://abcdbreastcancersupport.org Waltke Cancer Rehabilitation Academy https://www.drlesliewaltke.com Explore cancer rehab CEU courses, consulting, and speaking opportunities through the Waltke Cancer Rehabilitation Academy. Next Episode Episode 18: The Myth of Closure. As Season One comes to a close, we explore why many cancer survivors never receive the sense of closure they expected, and how learning to live without a perfectly wrapped-up ending can create a healthier relationship with uncertainty.

ep 16: When Certainty Disappears: Living With Metastatic or Chronic Cancer

A metastatic cancer diagnosis changes more than a treatment plan. It changes a person's relationship with time, uncertainty, planning, and the future itself. In this episode, Dr. Leslie Waltke explores the often misunderstood reality of living with metastatic (stage IV) or chronic cancer. This is not a conversation about giving up. It is a conversation about building a meaningful life when certainty is no longer available. Together, we discuss scan anxiety, the loneliness of looking well, the challenges of making life decisions without clear timelines, the role of exercise and cancer rehabilitation in metastatic disease, and why people living with stage IV cancer deserve to be understood—not stereotyped. This episode is brought to you in partnership with CURE. In This Episode • Why metastatic cancer changes a person's relationship with the future • The psychological burden of living with ongoing uncertainty • Scanxiety and the endless cycle of waiting for results • The loneliness of looking healthy while carrying invisible burdens • The planning paradox: trips, retirement, finances, and major life decisions • Why strength, exercise, and cancer rehabilitation matter in metastatic disease • How uncertainty can clarify values and priorities • Moving forward without toxic positivity Reflection Prompts 1. What decision in your life is uncertainty making difficult right now? 2. What is one thing people misunderstand about living with metastatic disease? 3. What advice would you give to someone newly diagnosed with metastatic cancer? Episode Chapters 00:00 – When Certainty Disappears 03:10 – Living Between Categories 05:20 – Survivor, Patient, or Both? 06:47 – The Endless Waiting Room 08:11 – The Loneliness of Looking Well 09:30 – The Planning Paradox 11:40 – Why Function Matters More Than Ever 14:09 – What Uncertainty Teaches Us 15:52 – Building a Meaningful Life Without Certainty 16:15 – A Message to Those Living With Metastatic Cancer 17:22 – Reflection Prompts & Closing Thoughts Resources Mentioned Episode 8: Survivorship by the Numbers: https://youtu.be/gntcH3lvTDs The After. Cancer Podcast YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/@aftercancerpodcast Waltke Cancer Rehabilitation Academy: https://www.drlesliewaltke.com ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis: https://abcdbreastcancersupport.org

ep 15 - Can You Trust Your Body Again After Cancer? Why Your Body Is Not Betraying You

Many cancer survivors reach a point where they no longer trust their bodies. Cancer appeared inside the very body that was supposed to protect them. Treatment changed how their body looks, feels, and functions. It is understandable why so many people describe the experience as betrayal. But what if there is another way to understand the story? In Episode 15, Dr. Leslie Waltke explores the idea that a random cellular error should not define your relationship with your body for the rest of your life. Drawing on biology, rehabilitation science, and patient experiences, this conversation reframes survivorship through the lens of partnership rather than resentment. You will learn why the human body is remarkably resilient, how adaptation drives recovery, and why movement, exercise, and rehabilitation are powerful acts of collaboration with your body after cancer. This episode is an invitation to consider a different possibility: your body may not have betrayed you. It may be the same body that has been fighting for you every second of every day. Chapters 00:00 – Opening Hook: Did Your Body Betray You? 01:19 – Welcome & Season One Update 02:35 – What Your Body Was Doing Before Cancer 04:15 – The Biology of Protection and DNA Repair 06:40 – Why 'Betrayal' May Not Be the Right Story 09:20 – The Survivor Who Was Angry at Her Body 12:05 – Resentment vs. Partnership 14:00 – The Science of Resilience and Adaptation 17:10 – Why Cancer Rehabilitation Works 19:15 – Grief, Identity, and Not Recognizing Your Body 22:05 – Movement as Communication 24:40 – A Random Cell Should Not Control the Next 30 Years 27:10 – The Stories We Tell Ourselves 29:30 – Reflection Prompts 31:05 – ABCD Community Shout Out 32:00 – Next Episode: Living With Metastatic Disease Key Topics Discussed • Why many survivors feel their body betrayed them after cancer • The difference between betrayal and biological vulnerability • How the body repairs DNA and protects itself every day • The science of resilience and adaptation • Why rehabilitation works after cancer • Movement as communication and partnership • Grief versus war in the relationship with your body • How the stories we tell ourselves shape recovery • Building a stronger future through partnership rather than resentment Reflection Prompts 1. If you viewed your body as a teammate instead of an enemy, what is one thing you would start doing differently this week? 2. What has your body done for you since your cancer diagnosis that you rarely give it credit for? 3. What story have you been telling yourself about your body since cancer—and is that story helping you build the future you want? Related Episodes Episode 1 – Cancer Labels and Claiming Identity https://youtu.be/09HpIAh92sk?si=ZYprI812Tmd5tKtH Episode 2 – The Finish Line Myth https://youtu.be/UUggVScpzY8?si=_TFewtGFLg-gqcT7 Episode 3 – The Cancer Comparing https://youtu.be/LDh4mGI9tWo?si=5ggmnul2s8H2YfkJ Episode 4 – Living in a Hyper-Vigilant Body https://youtu.be/h8p7bvUWBew?si=dA8hWjfcylw3XAJ5 Episode 5 – Why Your Brain Stops Processing After a Cancer Diagnosis https://youtu.be/RxK0WmMgaJE Episode 6 – Survivor Guilt in Cancer https://youtu.be/TfO810C5dfc\ Episode 7 – Battle Language in Cancer https://youtu.be/0zr3NZq0D8o Episode 8 – The Reality of Cancer Survivorship Today https://youtu.be/gntcH3lvTDs Episode 9 – Cancer Explained: What Cancer Actually Is and How It Starts https://youtu.be/k9_NkHp1rZ8 Episode 10 – Cancer Surgery 101 https://youtu.be/ESWK-oB3muM Episode 11 – Chemotherapy Explained https://youtu.be/jdJc3u7HMlU Episode 12 – Radiation Therapy 101 https://youtu.be/N09j9ViFmm0 Episode 13 – Exercise During & After Cancer Treatment https://youtu.be/V3gnQtdRRYE Episode 14 – The Relationship Earthquakes https://youtu.be/KrbOzeEwLww Community Shout Out ABCD (After Breast Cancer Diagnosis) provides free, virtual, personalized emotional support by matching anyone impacted by breast cancer with a trained volunteer mentor who has a similar lived experience. Abcdbreastcancersupport.org About the Host Dr. Leslie Waltke, PT, DPT, is an oncology physical therapist, educator, speaker, and founder of the Waltke Cancer Rehabilitation Academy. She serves as Cancer Rehabilitation Coordinator for Aurora Health Care and is dedicated to helping people recover, understand and navigate life during and after cancer. About the Podcast The After. Cancer Podcast, in partnership with CURE, is rooted in medicine, spoken in human. Each week, Dr. Leslie Waltke explores the physical, emotional, and practical realities of life during and after cancer.

Ep 14 - The Relationship Earthquakes

The Relationship Earthquakes: How Cancer Changes Marriages, Friendships, Families, Intimacy, Parenting, and the Invisible Expectations Between People Cancer does not just change bodies. It changes relationships. In this episode of The After. Cancer Podcast, Dr. Leslie Waltke explores the often-unspoken ways cancer can reshape marriages, friendships, family dynamics, parenting, intimacy, communication, and support systems. While many people expect the physical challenges of cancer, few are prepared for the relationship aftershocks that can continue long after treatment ends. Dr. Waltke discusses why some relationships become stronger while others fracture, how cancer can expose existing patterns within relationships, and why survivors often find themselves carrying not only the weight of their diagnosis but also the emotions and expectations of the people around them. Topics include caregiver dynamics, friendship loss, emotional support, parenting through cancer, body image, intimacy, communication challenges, changing identities, and the difficult reality that cancer sometimes reveals which relationships are capable of growing and which are not. If your relationships changed after cancer—or if you have struggled to explain those changes to others—this episode offers validation, insight, and perspective on one of the most common yet least discussed parts of the cancer experience. This podcast is in Partnership with CURE. Visit CUREtoday.com Resources Mentioned - ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis - The After. Cancer Podcast Community Related Episodes • Episode 1: Cancer Labels and Claiming Identity: Who Decides What to Call You? https://youtu.be/09HpIAh92sk?si=ZYprI812Tmd5tKtH • Episode 2: The Finish Line Myth: Why Survivorship May Feel Harder Than You Expected https://youtu.be/UUggVScpzY8?si=_TFewtGFLg-gqcT7 • Episode 4: Living in a Hyper-Vigilant Body: Why Your Body Stays on High Alert After Cancer https://youtu.be/h8p7bvUWBew?si=dA8hWjfcylw3XAJ5 • Episode 6: Survivor Guilt in Cancer https://youtu.be/TfO810C5dfc • Episode 15: Your Body Is Not Betraying You – coming soon! Community Shout Outs A special thank you to ABCD (After Breast Cancer Diagnosis) for their ongoing support of people living with and beyond breast cancer. ABCD provides free, personalized emotional support by matching individuals impacted by breast cancer with trained volunteer mentors who have lived similar experiences. About the Host Dr. Leslie Waltke is an internationally respected oncology physical therapist, educator, speaker, consultant, and cancer rehabilitation leader. For more than three decades, she has helped people living with and beyond cancer navigate recovery, function, survivorship, and quality of life. She is the founder of the Waltke Cancer Rehabilitation Academy, host of The After. Cancer Podcast, and a national advocate for improving access to cancer rehabilitation and survivorship care. About the Podcast The After. Cancer Podcast is rooted in medicine and spoken in human. Hosted by oncology physical therapist Dr. Leslie Waltke, this podcast explores the physical, emotional, and practical realities of cancer and survivorship. Each episode combines evidence-based education, clinical insight, and real-world experience to help survivors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals better understand life during and after cancer. Subscribe and Follow If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, follow, leave a review, and share the podcast with someone who may benefit from these conversations. Your support helps more people living with and beyond cancer discover the information, validation, and community they deserve. Join the After Cancer Podcast email list and get new episodes delivered to your inbox: https://drwaltke.myflodesk.com/aftercancer Work With Dr. Waltke Dr. Waltke is available for CEU and CME education programs, keynote speaking engagements, cancer survivorship presentations, oncology rehabilitation consulting, health system program development, and professional/interdisciplinary healthcare education. To learn more about educational programs, speaking engagements, and consulting services through the Waltke Cancer Rehabilitation Academy, visit WaltkeAcademy.com. Contact Information Website: WaltkeAcademy.com LinkedIn: Dr. Leslie Waltke Topics Cancer survivorship, relationships after cancer, marriage and cancer, friendship loss, caregivers, caregiving, family dynamics, intimacy after cancer, body image, parenting with cancer, emotional support, communication, survivorship challenges, cancer recovery, cancer relationships, caregiver burden, survivorship psychology, life after cancer, oncology rehabilitation, Dr. Leslie Waltke If you are navigating cancer, survivorship, treatment side effects, or the emotional realities of life after diagnosis, The After. Cancer Podcast is here for you!