Episode 54

When Medicine Meets Compassion

with Susan Sabo-Wagner and Isabel Verastegui
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When Medicine Meets Compassion

What if one of the most powerful forms of cancer support comes from someone who has already walked the path before you?

Darcie Wells sits down with Susan Sabo-Wagner, Vice President of Clinical Innovation at the American Oncology Network (AON) , and Isabel Verastegui, Manager of Care Coordination at AON, to explore how personal cancer experiences can shape the way patients are supported. Susan shares how a leukemia diagnosis at age 17 influenced her lifelong career in oncology nursing, while Isabel reflects on being diagnosed with triple-positive breast cancer at 41 while working in the oncology field herself. Both women open up about fear, uncertainty, treatment, and the support systems that helped them move forward.

Their conversation highlights the importance of community oncology, the value of receiving care close to home, and the life-changing impact of peer support. Isabel explains how finding CanCare during treatment helped ease her anxiety and inspired her to become a volunteer for others facing cancer. Susan shares why emotional support is just as important as clinical care and how hope can help people navigate even the most difficult moments.

This episode is a reminder that no one should face cancer alone. Whether you're in treatment, supporting a loved one, or navigating survivorship, there is strength in connection, comfort in shared experience, and always hope ahead.

Highlights:

1. Why peer support often provides reassurance that even the best medical team cannot offer.

2. How community oncology is helping more people access high-quality cancer care closer to home.

3. Practical ways to manage fear, uncertainty, and anxiety after a cancer diagnosis.

4. What survivors learn about gratitude, perspective, and living one day at a time.

5. How healthcare organizations are expanding support beyond treatment to address emotional well-being.

-Mentioned Resources:

CanCare- www.cancare.org

AON - https://www.aoncology.com/

About the Guest:

Susan Sabo-Wagner is an oncology-certified nurse executive, Vice President of Clinical Innovation at the American Oncology Network, and a living testament to the resilience that defines the cancer journey. Diagnosed with leukemia as a teenager, Susan faced the fear and uncertainty that comes with a diagnosis that changes everything and came out the other side with a calling. She has spent her career transforming how cancer patients experience care across the country, bringing to that work something no credential can teach: the knowledge of what it truly means to sit in that chair.

Isabel Verastegui is a Care Coordination Manager at the American Oncology Network, where she has spent 12 years working with cancer patients. In January 2022, at just 41 years old, Isabel was diagnosed with triple-positive breast cancer. Cancer did not stop her. It deepened her. Today she shows up not only for her patients at AON but as a CanCare volunteer for other women who find themselves navigating their own cancer journeys.

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Ep 65

Brave Enough to Choose Joy

with Shannon Donohoe-Simpson
Listener Advisory: This conversation touches on sensitive topics, including sexual assault. Please take care while listening, and feel free to pause or skip ahead whenever you need. How do you find the courage to ask for help and rediscover joy after a breast cancer diagnosis? At 35, Shannon Donahoe-Simpson was raising one-year-old twins when she was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, a rare and aggressive form of the disease. Now a TEDx speaker, storyteller, and advocate for wholehearted living, Shannon shares how one of the hardest seasons of her life became the start of a profound personal transformation. Through chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and the challenges of caring for her young family, Shannon learned the power of community, emotional healing, and allowing others to help. She opens up to Darcie Wells about the childhood trauma she began to confront during her cancer journey and the healing she found through counseling, support groups, and honest conversations. Her experiences also shaped how she advocated for her son as he navigated autism. Today, Shannon helps women find the courage to choose joy, even after deep pain and loss. Her story is a reminder that healing doesn't have to happen alone, asking for help is an act of bravery, and hope can begin with one small step forward. Highlights:  Why receiving help can be harder than offering it.  How shared experiences can ease feelings of isolation.  The connection between vulnerability and personal growth.  Learning to release control when life feels uncertain.  Making room for grief without closing the door to joy. Mentioned Resources: CanCare- www.cancare.org Shannon’s Website -https://shannondonohoesimpson.com/ About the Guest: Shannon Donohoe-Simpson is a TEDx speaker, storyteller, breast cancer survivor, and self-proclaimed joy bringer from Vancouver Island, Canada. In 2009, a year after welcoming twins and at just 35, she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive breast cancer. Today, she helps women become brave enough to choose joy and step fully into authentic, wholehearted living.
Ep 64

Not Just Doctoring. “Humaning”

with Dr. Jason Rosenberg
“What if healing after breast cancer could mean coming out stronger? Reconstructive surgeon Dr. Jason Rosenberg shares how compassionate care and survivor sisterhood help women rebuild their bodies and their hope.” What does it take to heal emotionally after breast cancer, and how can connecting with someone who's been there make a difference? For more than 24 years, reconstructive microsurgeon Dr. Jason Rosenberg has helped women rebuild after breast cancer. Trained at MD Anderson Cancer Center, he understands that breast reconstruction is about more than physical healing. He joins Darcie Wells to share how compassionate care, honest conversations, and survivor support can restore hope during an uncertain time. Recognizing how isolated patients often feel, Dr. Rosenberg created the Butterfly Sisters, a peer support network connecting women facing breast cancer and reconstruction with others who understand their journey. He shares how these relationships ease fears, build confidence, and remind women that life continues beyond treatment. His perspective became even more personal after losing two sisters to cancer. Through those experiences, he gained a deeper understanding of the emotional toll on families and caregivers, including the helplessness of watching someone you love suffer. This heartfelt conversation offers guidance on choosing a breast reconstruction surgeon, advocating for your needs, and supporting loved ones without feeling responsible for fixing everything. It's a reminder that healing takes many forms, hope can exist alongside uncertainty, and no one should have to face cancer alone. Highlights:  Healing Beyond Surgery: Why emotional recovery deserves as much attention as physical healing.  The Power of Shared Experience: How connecting with survivors can ease fear and isolation.  Finding the Right Medical Team: What matters when choosing doctors you can trust.  Support Without Fixing: How caregivers can offer comfort when they can't change the outcome.  Hope Beyond the Diagnosis: Finding meaning, connection, and moments of joy during cancer. Mentioned Resources: CanCare- www.cancare.org Dr. Rosenberg’s podcast - https://linktr.ee/srppodcasts About the Guest: Dr. Jason Rosenberg is a reconstructive microsurgeon with 24 years of experience walking beside women through breast cancer — before, during, and long after surgery. Trained in general surgery under renowned breast surgeon Dr. Ted Copeland and in reconstructive microsurgery at MD Anderson. Dr. Rosenberg founded the Butterfly Sisters patient network and the Survive and Thrive events, both built on the belief that patient-to-patient connection is a form of medicine. He describes his work not just as doctoring, but as “humaning.”
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