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IT's Therapy Thursday!!

A doctor once told Tim McDonald he had three years to live. Tim didn’t accept that as the end of the story, and he didn’t try to “positive-think” his way out of reality either. He got curious, asked harder questions, tracked what his body was doing during chemo, and kept building a plan that matched his goals. What unfolds is a raw, practical conversation about stage 4 colorectal cancer, the shock of diagnosis, and what treatment is really like when fatigue, nausea, neuropathy, and scanxiety become part of the calendar.

Tim shares how online patient communities helped him discover an option no one had brought to him early on: liver transplant for select colorectal cancer patients with liver-only metastases. We dig into what the living donor search feels like, why the waiting can be more emotionally draining than chemo, and how hope changes when you finally see a path off lifelong treatment. We also talk about the part people don’t prepare you for: survivorship mental health, grief, and the strange weight of losing friends you met through advocacy and support spaces.

Along the way, we pull out clear self-advocacy lessons you can use right now, whether you’re facing cancer or any chronic illness: get multiple opinions until you believe what you hear, find specialists who know the nuances, and remember you’re allowed to choose your care team. If this conversation helps you, subscribe, share it with someone who needs hope, and leave a review. What’s one question you want to ask your doctor after listening?

Tim McDonald is a stage IV colorectal cancer survivor, patient advocate, podcast host, and author. After being diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer in 2020, Tim transformed one of the most difficult seasons of his life into a mission of hope, support, and advocacy. Drawing from his experiences navigating fear, uncertainty, mental health challenges, and survivorship, he now mentors patients, advances cancer research initiatives, and helps others find purpose through adversity. Tim serves as a Research Advocate with Fight Colorectal Cancer, leads the Florida chapter of Man Up To Cancer, hosts the Advocacy at Work podcast, and is the author of From Patient to Advocate: Turning Survivorship into Impact.

https://advocacyatwork.com

https://manuprocancer.org

https://COLONTOWN.org

https://FightCRC.org

https://www.patientadvocate.org/ (formerly PAN Foundation)

From Patient to Advocate: Turning Survivorship Into Impact — Available on Amazon

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Host Candace Patrice
Co-host Janet Hale

visit the website at https://www.essentialmotivation.com/
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visit Janet's website https://haleempowermentllc.com/

To be a guest on our show email me at candacefleming@essentialmotivation.com
In the subject line put EMH Guest

Suicide Prevention Lifeline 988

Music by Lukrembo: https://soundcloud.com/lukrembo
Provided by Knowledge Base: https://bit.ly/2BdvqzN