046. Friendship, Love, and the Profound Path of a Terminal Illness Journey with Caroline Young
In this heartfelt episode, Caroline Young joins me as a special guest. Caroline is a stylist, mother, and one of my dearest friends, and together we delve into the deep bond of our life-long friendship. We share the journey of owning businesses together, providing unwavering support, and being each other's pillars in times of need.
However, life got flipped upside down when Caroline received the devastating diagnosis of Stage 4 lung cancer.
Throughout our conversation, Caroline courageously opens up about her experiences, starting with the surreal feeling of living in the hospital and undergoing treatment. We discuss the impact of finding tumors all over her body and the toll it took on her mental health. Together, we explore the importance of being kinder and gentler to our bodies, especially in the face of such a challenging diagnosis.
Caroline shares the type of treatment options available to her, and I reflect on the significant role she played in my life, dedicating my third book, "Loving Yourself Without Losing Your Cool," to her. We also touch upon personal journeys, such as Caroline's decision to let go of a marriage that was no longer a fit. As friends, we delve into emotional awareness in relationships, the shifting dynamics of friendships after a cancer diagnosis, and the vital support provided by Caroline's oncology team.
Throughout our conversation, we discuss the profound impact of living with a terminal illness. Caroline shares her thoughts on being a mother and facing such a challenging situation. We explore the role of self-care and its connection to acknowledging the presence of cancer in her body. We emphasize the importance of not minimizing the feelings of others and reflect on the choices we would have made differently in life if we had known about a terminal illness in advance.
As parents, we discuss the inheritance of trauma and the thoughts of our loved ones experiencing life without us. However, amidst the chaos, Caroline finds moments of clarity that provide solace and perspective. Together, we examine the ways in which life changes and transforms after facing the harsh reality of cancer.
We talk about:
- [0:00] Intro
- [0:20] Our life-long friendship, owning businesses together, and having a shoulder to lean on
- [2:30] Getting diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer
- [6:30] Why we constantly second guess ourselves as women
- [11:05] The surreal feeling of living in the hospital and undergoing treatment
- [13:55] Finding out the details of her prognosis
- [15:20] Finding out she has tumors all over her body, and the impact it had on her mental health
- [16:15] Being kinder and gentler to your body
- [18:35] The type of treatment that is available to Caroline
- [20:45] Dedicating my third book, Loving Yourself Without Losing Your Cool to Caroline
- [24:30] Letting go of a marriage that was no longer a fit
- [29:55] Levels 1-3 when it comes to emotional awareness in a relationship
- [30:40] How cancer has changed her friendships
- [37:45] Leaning on your oncology team to help you with your care
- [40:40] How to live in the present moment while being terminally ill
- [46:00] Being a mom and living with a terminal illness
- [49:45] Does subconsciously taking care of herself help her acknlowdge that there's cancer in her body?
- [51:55] Why we can't minimize how other people feel
- [53:45] Would she have done anything differently in life if she knew she would get diagnosed with a terminal illness?
- [56:50] Why we will always pass down trauma as parents
- [1:01:20] Thinking about her girls experiencing life without her there
- [1:07:25] Finding clarity amidst the chaos
- [1:10:10] How life changes after cancer
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