Episode 35

Feeling the Fear: A Guide to Post-Treatment Healing

with Shayla Martin
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Feeling the Fear: A Guide to Post-Treatment Healing

What helps when treatment ends but the feelings don’t?

Shayla Martin is a breast cancer survivor, Chief Wellness Officer, certified meditation practitioner, and co-founder of a startup. She brings both lived experience and professional insight into what healing looks like beyond the medical treatments.

In this episode, Shayla shares the moment that changed everything—a strange “beach fly” bite that led her to discover a lump. From diagnosis in New York through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, she leaned on humor and community to get through the hardest days. Yet she reveals that the biggest challenge came after treatment, when the full weight of emotions landed, and she no longer had the structure of appointments and check-ins.

Shayla opens up about grief, especially around not having a mother to call after difficult scans, and how therapy became a path for addressing what she calls the “mother wound.” She explains why denial and fear are often the first hurdles, and why processing feelings honestly is a sign of strength.

You’ll hear practical ways to hold space for fear, invite trusted people into treatment days, and use tools like sound baths, meditation, and counseling. Shayla shares that post-treatment is often when emotions truly surface. And allowing yourself to feel them, without judgment, is where real strength begins. Her message: you’re allowed to be scared, you’re not alone, and support is ready when you ask. Keep going. Hope grows where feelings are welcomed.

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Highlights:

00:00 – Welcome and Guest Introduction
Meet Shayla Martin, breast cancer survivor and wellness leader.

02:05 – From Corporate to Healing Work
Shayla shares her career shift into wellness and sound healing.

04:10 – The “Beach Fly Bite” That Led to Diagnosis
A strange bump at the beach sparks her cancer journey.

07:20 – The Oncologist Who Saved My Life
A chance public speaking class nudges Shayla to get checked.

09:21 – Facing Fear at Weill Cornell
The day denial lifted and reality of cancer hit.

13:24 – The Call I Couldn’t Make
Realizing she didn’t have a mother to call after diagnosis.

17:17 – The Tornado of Treatment
Why life feels like survival mode during chemo and radiation.

23:00 – Naming the Tumor and Throwing a Party
How humor and community helped her face surgery and chemo.

27:10 – Creating a Chemo Lounge
Why she invited friends, music, and joy into treatment days.

39:34 – The Greatest Gift of Cancer
Living at 100% capacity of feeling and choosing hope.

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Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

www.cancare.org/hopebook

About the Guest:

Shayla Martin faced breast cancer at 39 years old head-on and discovered that healing goes far beyond the physical. A former collegiate runner, she’s now a Chief Wellness Officer and Certified Meditation Practitioner, creating spaces for others to reconnect with themselves through coaching and sound meditation. Based in New York City, Shayla speaks openly about life after cancer, reminding us that joy and intention can exist even in the face of the unknown.

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Ep 56

Rediscovering Identity After Caregiving

with Jill Kelly & Diane Rolston
How do you find yourself again after caregiving becomes your entire identity? When Jill Kelly, a retired physical therapist, became her husband Ron's caregiver after his esophageal cancer diagnosis, she spent more than six years balancing medical care, emotional support, and the uncertainty that comes with living through cancer. After Ron's death, grief coach and life coach Diane Ralston helped Jill navigate the painful journey of rebuilding her identity while honoring the life and love they shared. Jill shares the realities of caregiving, the emotional weight that often goes unseen, and the challenge of learning who you are when the role of caregiver ends. Diane introduces practical frameworks that help caregivers understand why they often lose themselves and offers simple tools to begin healing without guilt or pressure. Together, they explore the importance of feeling grief instead of avoiding it, discovering personal values, setting healthy boundaries, and choosing purpose one step at a time. Whether you're caring for someone with cancer, grieving the loss of a loved one, or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers reassurance that healing doesn't mean leaving someone behind. It means carrying their love forward while giving yourself permission to live fully again. Hope often returns through small moments, steady support, and the courage to take the next step. Highlights:  Learn why caregivers often lose their sense of identity and how to recognize it before burnout takes over.  Discover practical frameworks for moving through grief without rushing the healing process.  Hear why giving yourself permission to feel emotions is an essential part of recovery.  Understand how values, boundaries, and self-care help rebuild a meaningful life after loss.  Find encouragement that healing isn't about moving on. It's about carrying love forward while choosing life again. Mentioned Resources: CanCare- www.cancare.org Diane’s website - https://www.dianerolston.com/ About the Guest: Jill Kelly spent years as a physical therapist, helping others heal and rebuild their strength. Then her husband Ron was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, and the healer became the caregiver. Jill walked beside him through every stage, and after his passing, she faced the work of rebuilding her own identity from the ground up. Diane Rolston is a life and business coach on a mission to help women find balance and reach their goals, even when life feels overwhelming. Her coaching programs have guided women around the world in honoring their ambitions while carrying the real weight of everyday life. Diane helps people rebuild new futures through seasons of change.
Ep 55

One Diagnosis. 3,000 Women Helped.

with Lyndsay Levingston
How do you turn a life-changing cancer diagnosis into a mission that helps thousands of others? At 37 years old, Lindsay Levingston was building a successful career in television news in New York City when she discovered a lump that would change the course of her life. The diagnosis was stage 2B triple-negative breast cancer. What followed was a journey through treatment, difficult decisions, and unexpected challenges that ultimately led her to a greater sense of purpose. Today, Lindsay is a breast cancer survivor, advocate, speaker, and founder of Survive Her, a nonprofit dedicated to education, support, and empowerment for women affected by breast cancer. As Lindsay reflects on her diagnosis, she shares how faith, family, and community became her foundation. What began as a desire to tell her story during the pandemic grew into Survive Her, a nonprofit dedicated to breast health education, support, screening awareness, and survivorship. She discusses the growing number of young women facing breast cancer, the importance of knowing your family history, and why every survivor's story matters. This conversation is a powerful reminder that hope is medicine, support changes lives, and purpose can emerge from places we never expected. Lindsey's story offers encouragement for anyone facing cancer and a call to use your voice, your experience, and your compassion to help others along the way. Highlights: 1. Learn why knowing your family history can be a critical part of early cancer detection. 2. Discover how support systems can impact both treatment and recovery. 3. Understand the unique challenges younger adults face after a cancer diagnosis. 4. Hear how faith and mindset can help people navigate uncertainty and fear. 5. Learn how personal adversity can become the foundation for meaningful service and advocacy. Mentioned Resources: CanCare- www.cancare.org SurviveHER – https://www.imasurviveher.org/ ‍About the Guest: Lyndsay Levingston is a breast cancer survivor, nonprofit founder, and tireless advocate for women navigating their breast health journey. After her own diagnosis, Lyndsay turned lived experience into lasting impact, building SurviveHER into a vibrant sisterhood offering education, financial assistance, wellness resources, and access to life-saving screenings for uninsured and underinsured women. Since 2020, SurviveHER has supported more than 3,000 women and received national recognition, including acknowledgments from the United States Congress. Her work has been featured in ESSENCE, Oprah Daily, NBC News, and Yahoo!.
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