Not Today Cancer

What happens when a clear mammogram doesn't match what your gut is telling you?

Debra Annunziata was diagnosed with breast cancer at 49, just weeks after a normal mammogram. She felt something small in the shower, was told it was probably nothing, and couldn't shake the nudge to get it checked. That nudge led to a stage 1, grade 2 invasive diagnosis, a CHEK2 genetic mutation, and a double mastectomy she had to advocate hard to get.

Debra is a wife, a mom of two busy teens, a licensed clinical social worker turned realtor, and someone who spent the 10 years before her diagnosis getting into the best shape of her life without knowing what she was preparing for.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Finding out she had cancer from ChatGPT at 5am before Pilates
• Why "it's the good kind" doesn't make the diagnosis any less scary
• Pushing back on a lumpectomy recommendation and getting multiple opinions
• Her CHEK2 result and how it changed the surgical conversation
• Oncotype scores, sentinel nodes, and avoiding chemo and radiation
• The brain fog on tamoxifen and her decision to stop taking it
• Why there's no one right way through treatment, and no room for judgment in the breast cancer sisterhood
• Pursuing a Signatera test after being told no
• Strength training, stress, and slowing down as a type A mom
• How her daughter found out, and what she told her kids
• Living "slower and deeper" after cancer

Debra's biggest message: you're allowed to question, ask for more, and get second opinions. You're the one living in that body for the rest of your life.

Connect with Debra: Instagram and TikTok: @debrasellsnj Debra is based in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Connect with Jen: Website: https://jendelvaux.com/ Instagram & TikTok: @jendelvaux Free guided meditation: https://www.jendelvaux.com/calm Not Today Cancer Inner Circle: weekly Thursday calls at 1pm ET, recorded, plus a group chat, just $19.99/month: https://www.jendelvaux.com/ntc Free Not Today Cancer community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1272880634809475

What I take every day: Perga Core 4 (CoreFlow, CoreBlue, CoreGreen, CoreRed): https://pergainc.com/en-us/jendelvaux/pages/product-page

If this episode meant something to you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. Someone out there is sitting alone with these same decisions, and this conversation might be exactly what helps.

Not today, cancer.

This episode is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please talk with your care team about decisions related to your treatment.

Still exhausted months or even years after treatment? You're not lazy, and it's not in your head. In this solo episode, Jen dives into the tiny power plants inside your cells, your mitochondria, and why they matter so much for energy after cancer.

Jen breaks down what mitochondria actually do, how chemotherapy and the loss of estrogen (from menopause, ovarian suppression, or aromatase inhibitors) are linked to changes in how they work, and why research shows exercise beat medication for cancer-related fatigue. Then she shares six simple, doable ways to support your mitochondria starting this week, plus what she personally takes every day.

In this episode:

• Why cancer-related fatigue is real and can last for years
• Mitochondria 101: how your cells make energy
• How chemo is linked to mitochondrial changes and muscle loss
• The estrogen and mitochondria connection
• 6 ways to support your mitochondria: movement, strength, food, sleep, calming your nervous system, and light
• What Jen personally takes: Perga Core 4
• This week's challenge: pick just one

Connect with Jen: Website: https://jendelvaux.com/ Instagram & TikTok: @jendelvaux Free guided meditation: https://www.jendelvaux.com/calm Not Today Cancer Inner Circle: weekly Thursday calls at 1pm ET, recorded, plus a group chat, just $19.99/month: https://www.jendelvaux.com/ntc Free Not Today Cancer community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1272880634809475

What I take every day: Perga Core 4 (CoreFlow, CoreBlue, CoreGreen, CoreRed): https://pergainc.com/jendelvaux/pages/select-your-pack Want to learn more first? DM me CORE4 on Instagram.

What does it really look like to be the caretaker when cancer comes into your home?

In this episode, I sit down with Melissa Coulier, wife of Full House's Dave Coulier, movement specialist, wellness educator, and founder of Recess Club. Over the last two years, Melissa walked alongside Dave through two completely different cancers, starting with a stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis in October 2024. Today Dave is in remission from both.

Melissa opens up about the day Dave told her "I have cancer," what it felt like to hold it together for him, and the emotions that come up when you give everything you have to someone you love. We talk about why she'll probably never use the words "cancer-free" again, how movement became her lifeline, and why the smallest moments of self-care matter most when you're in the thick of it.

We also dive into the story behind Awear Market, the nontoxic wellness marketplace Dave dreamed up from their couch so people don't have to do all the ingredient research themselves, plus the simple swaps they made at home with water, air, cleaning products, and laundry. And Melissa shares how a 20-minute walk with a friend turned into Recess Club, a community helping women step away from screens, get outside, and move together.

If you're a caretaker, or you love someone who is, this one is for you.

In this episode: 00:00 Welcome and intro 01:25 The day they heard "lymphoma" 03:00 Early symptoms and listening to your body 05:00 Why Dave chose to share his story publicly 07:19 Being the caretaker and losing pieces of yourself 10:06 The second diagnosis and why "remission" feels different 13:10 Movement as a lifeline 14:35 How Recess Club started 18:32 The story behind Awear Market 24:13 Why community matters in clean living 26:14 Simple home swaps: water, air, cleaning, and laundry 27:37 You don't have to swap everything at once 29:26 Nature as a reset for your nervous system 33:28 Advice for someone who just became a caretaker 35:43 How Recess Club grew organically 37:57 Where to find Melissa

Connect with Melissa: Instagram: @melissacoulier Recess Club: recess-club.com Awear Market: awearmarket.com Awear Market on Instagram: @awear.market

Connect with Jen: Website: https://jendelvaux.com/ Instagram & TikTok: @jendelvaux Not Today Cancer Inner Circle: weekly Thursday calls at 1pm ET, recorded, plus a group chat, just $19.99/month: jendelvaux.com/ntc

What I use every day: Perga Core 4 supplements (CoreFlow, CoreBlue, CoreGreen, CoreRed) for gut health, cellular energy, and daily support: https://pergainc.com/jendelvaux/pages/select-your-pack Want to learn more first? DM me CORE4 on Instagram.

If this episode meant something to you, share it with a caretaker in your life, and hit follow so you never miss an episode. This podcast is for educational purposes only and is never medical advice. Always talk with your doctor or healthcare team about your own care.

Today you're getting an unfiltered behind the mic with me and my husband Darren (aka Mr. Worldwide). No guest, no script. Just our real life right now.

Darren was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2009 and is living with grade 4 astrocytoma after three brain surgeries and two rounds of chemo and radiation. He's basically a walking miracle. Lately he's had some new and strange episodes, including a day where his mind felt like a "blank slate." We talk through what happened, what his care team said, his upcoming MRI, and how he stays so calm through all of it (we need "Be Like Darren" shirts).

Then it's my turn, and I'm the polar opposite. A routine checkup led to a conversation about my very high lipoprotein(a), which is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular events, and a calcium score that showed plaque for the first time. I'm getting really honest about the fear, a recent panic attack that almost sent me to the ER, and why I finally decided to start medication for my anxiety. If you've been avoiding asking for help, this one's for you. You deserve to feel good.

In this episode:

• Darren's recent symptoms, possible breakthrough seizures, and his upcoming brain and liver imaging
• Why we say "don't look at the stats"
• What Lp(a) is and what a calcium score shows
• My panic attack, and why you should never feel embarrassed going to the ER for chest symptoms
• Choosing anxiety medication after avoiding it for so long
• Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the frustration with "pink" toxic products
• Not Today Cancer merch is coming!

Join the community: Inner Circle meets every Thursday at 1pm ET, recorded, plus a group chat. Just $19.99/month. JOIN HERE Free community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1272880634809475

Mentioned: Perga: CORE4 If this episode spoke to you, please share it with someone who might feel alone in what they're going through. We're here, and you're not by yourself.

Not today, cancer. 💗

This episode shares personal experiences and is not medical advice. Please talk with your healthcare team about your own care.

What is chemo really like? Registered nurse Mary Ghosh spent her career caring for patients. Then, at 41, her second mammogram found a 1.6 cm mass, and she became the patient herself. She was diagnosed with stage 1 triple negative breast cancer and spent six months in the chemo chair.

Mary didn't pretend it was fine. She told the truth: the fear, the fatigue, the hair loss, the steroid mood swings, the nerve pain, and all the strange little things nobody warns you about. She told it with humor, and she told it with a playlist. That became her book, Chemo Boogers: A Music-Fueled Memoir of Humor and Hope in the Chaos of Cancer.

If you're about to start chemo, you love someone who's in it right now, or you just need proof that laughter still belongs in hard places, this one's for you.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Getting a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis at 41 from just her second mammogram
• Why Mary is so passionate about mammograms and early detection
• Going from nurse to patient, and why she wanted to hear from people who had actually been through it
• Neoadjuvant chemo (chemo before surgery), the Red Devil, Taxol, and steroid side effects
• Why "day three" was always the hardest, and how she tracked her good and bad days
• How music became therapy, from Johnny Cash on the hard days to Flight of the Bumblebee on Taxol days
• How every chapter of her book pairs with a song, plus journal prompts to build your own chemo playlist
• The story behind the title Chemo Boogers
• Using humor to get through the hardest seasons of life and marriage
• The confusing "after," and how writing a book gave her purpose after treatment
• The best gift to give someone who's about to start chemo
• Mary's advice for anyone newly diagnosed: take a breath, you have a little time, and don't be afraid to reach out

Get Mary's book, Chemo Boogers: Amazon: https://a.co/d/0giNPJYf Also available at Barnes & Noble and wherever books are sold. Mary's chemo playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Pio6P00VwHmCD6VgWRCwq?si=zOT4L1sDQxCMImfRKe_nwg&utm_source=sms&pi=iXgwbhe8S76mV

Follow Mary: Instagram: @chemo_candor TikTok: @chemo_candor

A word from our sponsor: the Perga Core 4 Feeling like your energy has been hijacked since treatment? The Core 4 is my daily mitochondrial support system: CoreFlow and CoreBlue in the morning, and CoreGreen and CoreRed at night. All four are third-party tested and GMP verified. Grab yours here: https://pergainc.com/en-us/jendelvaux/pages/product-page

Connect with Jen: Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/jendelvaux/ jendelvaux.com Email: coachjennyd@gmail.com

If this episode helped you, please share it. You never know who's sitting alone right now, about to start chemo, and needs to hear Mary's story. And as always, not today, cancer.

If you've ever walked out of your last treatment appointment and thought "okay, now what," this one is for you.

Dr. Lucas Tims is a naturopathic doctor board certified in naturopathic oncology, a credential very few people in this country hold. He trained in microbiology, did a cancer-focused residency at City of Hope, and served as medical director at City of Hope Phoenix and the Riordan Clinic in Kansas. He now runs Root Causes in San Antonio.

But here's why I wanted him on. He didn't come to this from a textbook. His wife was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer while they were still dating and he was still in medical school. He has been the doctor and he has been the person in the waiting room.

We got into the question that almost nobody asks after a diagnosis: why. Not to assign blame, and I want to be really clear about that, because I think a lot of us hear "why" and immediately hear "what did I do wrong." That's not what this is. For me, asking why was the thing that gave me back a sense of control.

We also talked about what "terrain" actually means inside your body, why he says treating cancer without addressing the terrain is like clearing out the burnt furniture and leaving the house, and what he'd tell you to start with if you're overwhelmed and don't know where to begin.

Plus, he taught me a ten second test for your nervous system that I tried the second we got off the call.

What we get into:

• Why he thinks the victimhood mindset is the most dangerous thing you can carry
• What conventional cancer care does extraordinarily well, and where the blind spot is
• What "terrain" actually means, and the soil analogy that finally made it click for me
• Restoring immune function after chemo or radiation
• When to bring in integrative care (his answer surprised me)
• The six core therapies and what each one is for
• My own IV vitamin C experience that scared me off, and what went wrong
• Cortisol, the sympathetic nervous system, and why stress isn't a soft topic
• The humming test
• The three toxic exposures he'd clean up first, and why your laundry room might be the dirtiest room in your house
• Endocrine disruptors versus your own hormones, and why he says those are not the same conversation
• Hormone positive breast cancer, the Dutch test, and where he lands on HRT
• Why prevention is so hard, even when you have the information in front of you
• His book, coming in 2027

Resources

• Start here: the page Dr. Tims built just for Not Today Cancer listeners, with the six core therapy white papers and the first chapter of his book. http://rootcausesoncology.com/ntc
• His Substack, where he writes about terrain and root cause work: http://rootcauses.substack.com/
• Root Causes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctorlucas/
• Those white papers are worth grabbing even if you never become a patient. They're a few pages each and they're specifically designed so you can hand them to your own oncologist.

If you have ever finished treatment, rung the bell, and thought "wait, why do I feel worse now than I did during chemo," this episode is for you.

Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky is back on the show, and there is a very good reason. She is a board-certified medical oncologist specializing in breast and gynecologic cancers, Director of Breast and Gynecologic Medical Oncology at Valley Health System in New Jersey, host of the Interlude podcast, and her first book, Beyond the Pink: Navigating Life, Health, and Breast Cancer, comes out September 29.

Her core message is one we talk about here constantly: survivorship does not start when treatment ends. It starts the day you are diagnosed.

We go deep into the things most women are never prepared for. Why the "after" is often harder than active treatment. Why a DEXA scan is only half the bone health picture and muscle mass is the piece almost no one measures. What the emerging GLP-1 and breast cancer recurrence research actually shows, and what it does not show yet. Why vaginal estrogen is still being denied to women who have every guideline on their side. Where testosterone and systemic HRT fit in, and the three-bucket framework she uses to help patients decide. And how to tell trustworthy health information from the noise.

Dr. Teplinsky wrote Beyond the Pink with more than 400 citations, and where the evidence does not exist yet, she says so. It is the resource she wished her patients had, and it is written to be brought into the exam room.

In this episode

• Why survivorship begins on day one, not after your last treatment
• The gap in medical training around menopause, sexual health, and long-term survivorship
• Why the post-treatment period is often the hardest, and why the support disappears right when you need it
• Fear of recurrence and scanxiety, and what an oncologist actually says to patients living in it
• Bone health after an aromatase inhibitor: DEXA scans, calcium, vitamin D, and bone medications
• The muscle health conversation almost no one is having, sarcopenia, and how it is linked to aromatase inhibitor side effects and adherence
• How little movement it actually takes: resistance bands, dumbbells, and 20 minutes
• GLP-1s and breast cancer: the recurrence signal, what is still unknown, and why the source of your prescription matters
• Why "humans are not mice" and the caution around unstudied peptides
• Sexual health after cancer: body image, intimacy, dryness, bladder issues, and why sexual health is health
• Vaginal estrogen: the guidelines, the study that gets misquoted, and the link to reduced UTIs, sepsis, and hospitalizations
• Testosterone after breast cancer: the theoretical concerns, the hormone receptor nuance, and what newer data suggests
• Systemic HRT and the three-bucket framework: symptoms, recurrence risk, and your personal risk tolerance
• A chapter-by-chapter look inside Beyond the Pink
• Her three pieces of advice for someone newly diagnosed
• Being mindful of what you consume online, and why nothing good happens on social media after 10pm Connect with Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky

• Pre-order Beyond the Pink: Navigating Life, Health, and Breast Cancer (out September 29): https://interludecancerstories.com/book/
• Pre-order on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Pink-Navigating-Health-Breast/dp/1538777142
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drteplinsky/
• Interlude podcast and website: https://interludecancerstories.com/

Connect with Jen

• Website: https://www.jendelvaux.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jendelvaux
• Free guide, the changes I made after my diagnosis: https://www.jendelvaux.com/nowwhat

If this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who needs it, and follow the show so you never miss an episode. Pre-order Beyond the Pink, take care of yourself, and be gentle with yourself.

This episode is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Please talk with your own care team about what is right for you.

We talk a lot on this show about root causes...what you eat, what you're exposed to, what you're healing inside of. This episode is about the one almost nobody checks: the air in your own home.

Ariana Thacker is a chemical engineer and venture capitalist who, by her own description, was a highly functional human — daily boot camp, dialed-in diet, running a VC firm solo. Within months of moving into a new apartment, she was rereading simple emails just to process them, losing clumps of hair, and getting winded on the stairs. She saw more than a dozen providers — immunologists, allergists, pulmonologists, neurologists, PCPs — and none of them ran the right test. Most didn't believe mold could cause a whole-body inflammatory response at all.

It took a Shoemaker-certified physician to name it: CIRS, chronic inflammatory response syndrome. She had one of the "dreaded" HLA haplotypes — part of the roughly 24% of the U.S. population that can't clear biotoxins on its own.

She got better. Then she built the road she'd just clawed her way down. Ariana is the founder and CEO of MoldCo, a virtual clinic that answers three questions: Am I being exposed? Is mold making me sick? How do I get better? — with a $199 home test and a lab panel that starts at $56, roughly a tenth the cost of what most people pay to guess.

Jen shares her own story too: a mold inspection that came back clean, and the leak found years later behind the living room wall by the family who bought the house.

In this episode

• Why "highly functional" doesn't protect you — and how fast the symptoms started
• The 24% with a genetic susceptibility to mold, and what HLA haplotypes actually mean
• What CIRS is, and why ~80% of cases trace back to a water-damaged building
• Why the urinary mycotoxin test may be sending people down the wrong path — and the inflammatory markers (MMP9, MSH, TGF beta-1, C4A) that matter more
• How to hire a mold inspector who's actually qualified — the certifications to ask for and the 70-page report you should expect
• Why mold grows within 24–48 hours of water intrusion, and why new builds can be worse, not better
• The "canary effect": why one person in a house gets sick and nobody else does
• Prescription binders vs. natural binders — and why the natural route can take ten times longer
• Do air purifiers actually help?
• Moldy coffee and protein powder: is ingested mold the real threat, or is it what you're breathing?
• The environmental red flags to walk your own house for this week

If you take one action

Look up Shoemaker biotoxin symptom clusters (S-H-O-E-M-A-K-E-R). If a lot of those boxes light up for you — you only need one symptom per box to count — that's a strong signal to investigate your environment.

Then walk your home for: that earthy, musty odor (especially in a basement), visible mold, peeling or cracking paint, warped flooring, dust on your HVAC vents, and indoor humidity consistently above 60%.

Connect with Ariana

• MoldCo — moldco.com
• Instagram — @themoldcompany
• LinkedIn — in/arianadthacker
• X — @m0ldilocks

🤍 Follow The After on Instagram: @jendelvaux 💬 Join the community: jendelvaux.com/ntc

Links and resources:

• CoreFlow waitlist: JOIN HERE
• Free Not Today Cancer community: Request to join here
• Find Jen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jendelvaux/
• Email Jen: jen@jendelvaux.com

Loved this episode? I would love it if you left a 5 star review. And if it gave you one idea to try tomorrow morning, share it with a friend who could use a softer, stronger start to her day.

Whether you're a cancer survivor, newly diagnosed, or just want to eat for a longer, healthier life, this is a practical, hopeful place to start.

This episode is for information and encouragement, not medical advice — always check with your care team.

Not today, cancer. 💛

Nobody warns you that surviving cancer means grieving the person you used to be. Not the diagnosis, not the treatment — her. The version of you who trusted her body, who didn't flinch at every ache, who didn't know what a scan felt like.

In this episode of Not Today Cancer, Jen goes deep on one of the most overlooked parts of life after treatment: the quiet grief of losing your "before" self — and why naming it is the first step to healing. If you've ever felt guilty for mourning who you were when you're "supposed" to just be grateful, this one's for you.

Jen also walks you through her new series, The After — the truths no one prepares you for once treatment ends.

In this episode:

• Why life after treatment is its own kind of hard (and why "you're done!" feels so confusing)
• What "disenfranchised grief" is — the grief the world doesn't make space for
• The specific things we grieve: the body you trusted, your innocence, your sense of safety, the future you'd pictured
• Why gratitude and grief can live side by side
• A simple practice to move through it — name her, write the letter, say goodbye and hello
• The hope on the other side: post-traumatic growth, and the 5 ways survivors grow

"You're allowed to miss who you were… and love who you're becoming."

🤍 Follow The After on Instagram: @jendelvaux 💬 Join the community: jendelvaux.com/ntc

Links and resources:

• Jen's protein powderUse Code: Hello10
• CoreFlow waitlist: JOIN HERE
• Free Not Today Cancer community: Request to join here
• Find Jen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jendelvaux/
• Email Jen: jen@jendelvaux.com

Loved this episode? I would love it if you left a 5 star review. And if it gave you one idea to try tomorrow morning, share it with a friend who could use a softer, stronger start to her day.

Whether you're a cancer survivor, newly diagnosed, or just want to eat for a longer, healthier life, this is a practical, hopeful place to start.

This episode is for information and encouragement, not medical advice — always check with your care team.

Not today, cancer. 💛

You survived cancer — so why does no one talk about what comes next? In this solo episode, Jen opens up the five conversations every survivor should be having, but almost no one starts: hormones, intimacy, mental health, purpose, and energy. These are the quiet struggles that hit after treatment ends, when the appointments stop and everyone else exhales — and you're left figuring out how to feel like yourself again.

This is your permission slip to break the silence.

Jen walks through each conversation with warmth and honesty, naming the things survivors feel but rarely say out loud — and giving you one real conversation to start and one small step to take this week for each.

In this episode:

• Why hormone changes after treatment aren't "you falling apart" — and how to advocate for yourself with your care team
• The intimacy conversation nobody prepares you for (and it's about way more than sex)
• Why finishing treatment can be one of the hardest mental health moments of the whole journey
• How cancer rearranges your sense of purpose — and why that's not ingratitude
• Cancer fatigue vs. regular tired, and how to protect your energy without guilt

Whether you're newly out of treatment or years into survivorship, this episode will make you feel seen — and give you the words for something you've been carrying.

➡️ Your challenge this week: Pick the ONE conversation that made your chest tighten. That's the one you need most. Take one small step — send the text, book the appointment, or say the honest thing out loud.

If this episode spoke to you, share it with a survivor who needs to hear they're not the only one. And come tell Jen which of the five hit home — solo episodes like this come straight from your questions.

Not today, Cancer. 💛

Links and resources:

• Jen's protein powderUse Code: Hello10
• CoreFlow waitlist: JOIN HERE
• Free Not Today Cancer community: Request to join here
• Find Jen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jendelvaux/
• Email Jen: jen@jendelvaux.com

Loved this episode? I would love it if you left a 5 star review. And if it gave you one idea to try tomorrow morning, share it with a friend who could use a softer, stronger start to her day.

Whether you're a cancer survivor, newly diagnosed, or just want to eat for a longer, healthier life, this is a practical, hopeful place to start.

This episode is for information and encouragement, not medical advice — always check with your care team.

Not today, cancer. 💛

Can beans really lower your cancer risk? In this episode of Not Today Cancer, we break down the research on beans, breast cancer, and longevity — and exactly how to start eating them without the bloat.

After my own diagnosis I moved to a whole food plant-based diet, slowly, and beans became the hero of the story. My partner Darren joins me — and the twist is he barely changed his diet at all, which is kind of the point: you don't have to overhaul everything.

In this episode we cover: • The study linking high bean-fiber intake to ~25% lower breast cancer risk • Why soy is safe (and reassuring) for breast cancer survivors • Beans, colorectal cancer, and the power of dietary fiber • What beans do for cholesterol, blood sugar, and type 2 diabetes risk • The Blue Zones longevity connection • How to start slow without gas or bloating • Simple beginner bean recipes to try this week

Links and resources:

• PDF Bean Recipes
• Jen's protein powderUse Code: Hello10
• CoreFlow waitlist: JOIN HERE
• Free Not Today Cancer community: Request to join here
• Find Jen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jendelvaux/

Loved this episode? I would love it if you left a 5 star review. And if it gave you one idea to try tomorrow morning, share it with a friend who could use a softer, stronger start to her day.

Whether you're a cancer survivor, newly diagnosed, or just want to eat for a longer, healthier life, this is a practical, hopeful place to start.

This episode is for information and encouragement, not medical advice — always check with your care team.

Not today, cancer. 💛

Some of the most powerful medicine you'll ever take doesn't come from a pharmacy. It's the first hour of your day.

In this solo episode, Jen walks you through her real morning routine after breast cancer. Not the highlight reel, the actual one. From the moment her feet hit the floor to the moment she sits down to work, every habit earned its spot, and Jen shares the research behind each one. You'll hear why she gets sunlight first thing, what goes in her smoothie and why prunes made the list, the reason she walks right after she eats, and the breathwork she never skips.

Take what serves you and leave the rest. There's no gold star for doing it all. Pick one habit and start there.

In this episode:

• Why how you wake up sets the frame for your whole day
• Morning sunlight and its link to cortisol, sleep, and mood
• Why moving slow calms your nervous system
• The plastic free swap that lowers your daily toxic load
• Red light therapy and collagen after estrogen loss
• The research on gratitude journaling, including a study in breast cancer survivors
• What's in Jen's smoothie, and why prunes support bone health
• The gut as your "second brain"
• How a 10 minute walk after eating supports blood sugar
• Movement for bone strength, plus breathwork to come back to center

Links and resources:

• Simply Good Coffee (plastic free coffee maker, discount inside): Get it HERE
• Jen's red light panel: Use Code: jendelvaux to save
• CoreFlow waitlist: JOIN HERE
• Free Not Today Cancer community: Request to join here
• Find Jen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jendelvaux/

Loved this episode? I would love it if you left a 5 star review. And if it gave you one idea to try tomorrow morning, share it with a friend who could use a softer, stronger start to her day.

Between the two of us, we have been through cancer twice, on opposite sides of it, and we have heard some things. Some truly wild things.

In this one, Darren joins me to put them all on the table. The comments, the questions, the head tilts, the "how long did they give you," the "at least you get a free boob job." We are laughing about it, because after everything we have earned that, and then we get into the part that actually matters: what to say, and what not to say, when someone you love gets news like this.

Here is what we get into:

• The prognosis questions and why the number is never the whole story
• The doom stories people cannot wait to share
• The breast cancer "specials" every survivor has heard
• Why "aren't you done with that already" misses what survivorship really is
• The comments people aim at the well spouse, not the patient
• The friends who go quiet, and why the silence hurts more than any clumsy comment
• What actually helps, in plain and simple words

Almost nobody who said these things meant to hurt us. So this is not a roast. It is a peek into what it really feels like on the receiving end, so you can show up a little better for the people you love.

Grab my free 13 Self-Care Tips guide: jendelvaux.com/selfcare

Got your own wild one? DM me the craziest thing anyone ever said to you and we may read it on part two.

Wake up and expect every day to be the best day of your life.

🔗 Resources & Support

•

Join Not Today Cancer the Community, the Communityhttps://jendelvaux.com/ntc

• FREE community: Request to join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1272880634809475
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•

Favorite Tea – Third party, organic tea crystals

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Email Me – coachjennyd@gmail.com

That exhaustion that lingers months — even years — after treatment ends has a name: cancer-related fatigue. And for too long, survivors were simply told to live with it. This week, Jen sits down with Dr. Jessa Landmann, a naturopathic doctor and integrative oncology specialist in Calgary who works right alongside oncology teams to support the whole person. Her brand-new book, Beyond Cancer Fatigue: A Path to Reclaiming Energy, is the first resource devoted entirely to this overlooked struggle — and it's packed with evidence-based, do-it-today tools.

Jen and Dr. Jessa get into why fatigue lingers long after the bell is rung, the surprising link between estrogen loss and brain fog in breast cancer survivors, and why healing is an active process, not a waiting game.

In this episode:

• What a naturopathic doctor actually does — and how integrative care fills the gap conventional oncology doesn't have time for
• Why acupuncture is one of the most researched complementary therapies for pain
• The one supplement endorsed by ASCO for fatigue (hint: it's an adaptogen)
• The shocking stat on muscle loss after chemo — and why creatine, HMB, and resistance training matter
• Cutting through nutrition confusion: why carbs aren't the enemy and under-eating backfires
• The truth about motivation: action comes first, motivation follows
• Dr. Jessa's "movement menu," starting with the Barely There list for your lowest-energy days
• How estrogen loss drives brain fog, weight changes, and disrupted sleep
• What caregivers need to understand about invisible fatigue
• Healing the physical, emotional, and spiritual — and giving yourself grace along the way

About the guest: Dr. Jessa Landmann is a naturopathic doctor and integrative oncology specialist based in Calgary, with nearly 15 years supporting people through cancer. She offers virtual appointments to patients worldwide.

Get the book: Beyond Cancer Fatigue: A Path to Reclaiming Energy is available on Amazon and through Wiley Publishing. Use code BCF at checkout on the Wiley site for 20% off.

Links:

• 📖 Book (Wiley + code BCF): https://www.wiley.com/en-ca/shop/general-introductory-medical-science/beyond-cancer-fatigue-a-path-to-reclaiming-energy-p-9781394381388 - The discount code to be used at checkout for 20% off is BCF20.
• 💻 Work with Dr. Jessa: http://www.drjessalandmann.com/

Be gentle with yourself. Take the next small step. Not today, cancer.

Note: This episode is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your oncology team before making changes to your care.

What do you do when you're 31, just bought your first house, and hear the words "you have breast cancer"?

In this powerful episode, Jen sits down with Jessica Slocumb — a nearly nine-year breast cancer survivor, prevention advocate, and the heart behind the Instagram community @breast.friends_united. Jessica shares the moment everything changed, from feeling a lump while getting ready for work to the radiating pain she believes was God telling her to get checked.

We talk about her stage 2, estrogen- and HER2-positive diagnosis, five rounds of chemo, a double mastectomy, and the year of HER2 infusions that followed — plus the honest, messy, in-between parts no one prepares you for. Jessica opens up about the testimony she received on her front stoop, the question her oncologist couldn't answer ("what caused this?"), and how that one unanswered question sent her on a journey to research the lifestyle, environmental, and wellness factors so often left out of the conversation.

This conversation is for any woman who's newly diagnosed, in the thick of treatment, or trying to reduce her risk — and for anyone who loves someone walking this road.

In this episode we cover:

• Finding a lump at 31 and why she almost skipped the mammogram
• Her full treatment path: chemo, double mastectomy, tissue expanders, and recalled implants
• The "we don't know what causes cancer" answer that changed everything
• Small, doable swaps to reduce everyday toxic burden — laundry detergent, skincare, food, candles, and water
• Why diet and going organic were her first changes (glyphosate, grass-fed, pasture-raised)
• The 28-day study on switching to non-toxic products and breast cancer gene expression
• Childhood trauma, nervous system regulation, and why stress is part of healing
• How cancer reshaped her relationships — and the wisdom her husband gave her
• Releasing the fear of recurrence and living fully anyway
• Her message for the woman hearing "you have breast cancer" tonight

"God takes our ashes and turns them to beauty. This is only a season — your world is not over."

Connect with Jessica: Instagram: @breast.friends_united

A note: This episode is for education and encouragement, not medical advice. Always work with your own care team on decisions about screening, treatment, and prevention.

If this episode moved you, share it with a woman who needs it today — someone is sitting alone in her diagnosis right now, and your share might be the thing that reaches her. And as always… Not Today Cancer. 💗

This week is personal. We unplugged completely — and there's a reason. When you've heard the word cancer, your life flashes in front of you, and you start asking the question no parent wants to ask: Will I be here to see it?

This time, "it" was our daughter Maddie's wedding. In this episode, Jen and Darren pull back the curtain on the entire week in Folly Beach / Charleston, SC — the vision Maddie had, the flower panic, Darren's day-drinking detour, the rehearsal poem, and a wedding day that started picture-perfect and turned into a 10-minutes-to-go downpour with the umbrellas 45 minutes away. There were tears, rings under a chair, three shoe changes, and a whole lot of joy between two people in love.

It's a reminder of what actually matters: put the phone down, be all the way present, and take in the moments you once wondered if you'd get to see.

A quick note: Jen is not a doctor — she's a Certified Integrative Health Practitioner sharing her own lived experience. Not Today Cancer is for anyone navigating a cancer diagnosis, not breast cancer alone.

🔗 Resources & Support

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Join Not Today Cancer the Community, the Communityhttps://jendelvaux.com/ntc

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Triple Boost Protein – my go-to clean, hormone-safe protein. Use HELLO10 for $10 off

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AnaOno – Intimates for breast cancer survivors → [ANAONO]

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Favorite Tea – Third party, organic tea crystals

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Email Me – coachjennyd@gmail.com If this episode reminded you to hold your people a little closer, share it with someone who needs the nudge to unplug. Subscribe to Not Today Cancer, leave a review, and come find me on Instagram @jendelvaux.

What do you do when you're 40, building a "perfect on paper" life, and a routine first mammogram turns into a stage 4 cancer diagnosis? In this episode, Jen sits down with Chelsea Hassink, who was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer that had metastasized to her liver — and later her brain — at just 40 years old, with two young kids at home.

Chelsea takes us through her entire journey: the intuition that told her it was worse than the doctors first said, six rounds of chemo, her decision to stop treatment and spend a year going fully integrative, and her transformative three weeks at Hope for Cancer in Mexico. She opens up about the brain tumor that led to a craniotomy, temporary paralysis, and a recovery she credits as much to mindset as to medicine.

This is a raw, hopeful conversation about refusing to be put in a box, advocating fiercely for yourself, and merging the medical and integrative worlds on your own terms. Chelsea shares the exact framework she lives by, the role faith and prayer have played in her healing, and why she believes the stress she was carrying — not genetics — created the terrain her cancer thrived in.

In this episode, we cover:

• Chelsea's original diagnosis and the "boring" checkup that missed every red flag
• Why she trusted her intuition over her initial stage 2 diagnosis
• Stopping chemo after 6 rounds and going integrative for a full year
• What Hope for Cancer is really like — and the mind, body, spirit work that changed her
• The bold, specific prayer and the "messenger in the parking lot" that led her to her craniotomy
• Losing and regaining mobility after brain surgery
• Where her scans stand today — and how she handles a curveball
• Finding an oncologist who meets you where you are (without guilt or scare tactics)
• Her 4-bucket healing framework: Nutrition & Movement, Emotional & Spiritual, Non-Toxic Therapies, and Detoxification
• Specific therapies: mistletoe, high-dose vitamin C (and how to do it safely), SPDT / sono-photodynamic therapy, hyperthermia, coffee enemas, sauna, red light, vibration plate, acupuncture
• Her go-to supplements and why supplementation is deeply individual
• The #1 thing she wishes someone had told her at diagnosis: you have time to pause

Resources & mentions:

• Hope for Cancer (integrative clinic, Mexico)
• SPDT — sono-photodynamic therapy (light + sound device)
• Supplements mentioned: black seed oil, beta-glucan, PectaSol (modified citrus pectin), Vitamin D3, curcumin with K2, greens powder
• Follow Chelsea on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassink_health_bites/
• Chelsea's book — currently in the works
• Community: Not Today Cancer — The Inner Circle
• GET BrocElite: Mara Labs supplements - Use code NotTodayCancer for 20% off
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jendelvaux/
• Email me: coachjennyd@gmail.com

A note: This episode shares personal experiences and is not medical advice. Always work with your own care team before changing your treatment, diet, or supplement routine — especially while on chemo.

Don't forget to share this episode so it reaches more people who need it. And as always — not today, cancer. 💛

If you've ever laid awake at 2 or 3 in the morning wondering, "What if it comes back?"...this episode is for you. You are not alone, and you are not weak. In fact, nearly 6 in 10 cancer survivors report a fear of recurrence, and among young survivors that number jumps to 88%. It's the most common unmet need in survivorship...and almost no one talks about it openly.

In this episode, Jen shares honestly where she is five years after her breast cancer diagnosis, what the fear of recurrence used to look like, and what's changed. Spoiler: the fear didn't disappear, but it's no longer running the show.

What you'll learn in this episode:

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Why fear of recurrence is the most common (and most under-discussed) part of survivorship

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The research and statistics behind fear of recurrence in cancer survivors

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How to build your own trigger inventory so you stop getting ambushed

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The lifestyle, environmental, and spiritual shifts that helped Jen take her power back

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The one mindset shift that changes everything: from "What if it comes back?" to "If it comes back, here's what I do"

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Small, doable practices for when the fear shows up at 2 AM

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Why naming the fear out loud takes its power away

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How to choose the one person you can be totally honest with

Key moments / chapter markers:

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(00:03) Why this thought is the most normal thing in the world

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(01:00) The research: 6 in 10 survivors carry this — and women carry it more

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(02:00) Building your trigger inventory: scans, anniversaries, Facebook memories, headlines

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(04:00) The work that changed everything — diet, environment, toxins, lifestyle

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(07:00) Becoming more spiritual and making peace with the unknown

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(09:30) Why breast cancer treatment in 2026 is night-and-day from 5–10 years ago

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(10:30) The shift: from "What if?" to "If it does, here's what I'll do"

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(11:30) Three small things to try when the fear shows up

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(14:00) The truth: the fear doesn't leave, but it stops being the loudest voice

Connect with Jen:

Community: Not Today Cancer — The Inner Circle GET BrocElite: Mara Labs supplements - Use code NotTodayCancer for 20% off Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jendelvaux/ Email me: coachjennyd@gmail.com

A gentle reminder:

This episode is not medical advice and not a prescription. It's one survivor's story and the tools that have helped her. Always work with your own care team on what's right for you.

What if joy was part of your healing plan?

Today's guest, Shantel Behroozan, has 243,000 followers on Instagram — and the moment you hear her story, you'll understand why. Beverly Hills-based and seven years cancer-free, Shantel was diagnosed with breast cancer at 36 after being told three separate times that she was "fine." She kept advocating for herself, and that decision likely saved her life.

But what she did next is what stopped Jen in her tracks: Shantel went to dance class every single day before her radiation treatments — walking in sweaty, red-faced, and happy while others sat exhausted in the waiting room. That refusal to let cancer steal her joy became the seed for Exit 33, her 4,000-square-foot dance studio in Beverly Hills, where she's now danced with thousands of women over the past seven years.

In this episode, Shantel and Jen talk about:

• The "small pebble" she felt under her shirt at dinner — and why she refused to wait for the test results
• The lymph node sign her doctors missed (twice) and what every woman should know
• Why she chose a lumpectomy at 36 — and what she'd reconsider today
• How she danced through chemical menopause, Lupron injections, and aromatase inhibitors
• Turning her backyard into a 75-woman dance party during COVID
• The grief of losing the choice to have a fourth child
• Breaking Persian cultural norms by dancing publicly and speaking openly about cancer
• Why she now says "now I know why me"
• Practical advice for women newly diagnosed (spoiler: it starts with movement)

Whether you're navigating a diagnosis, supporting someone who is, or just need a reminder that joy is still available to you — this conversation will leave you wanting to turn the music up and dance in your kitchen.

Connect with Shantel:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/free.by.shantel/
• Studio: Exit 33 Dance, Beverly Hills
• Website: exit33dance.com

Resources mentioned:

• Not Today Cancer Inner Circle (Thursday Calls!) JOIN HERE
• GET BrocElite: Mara Labs supplements - Use code NotTodayCancer for 20% off

Connect with Jen:

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jendelvaux/

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Email me: jen@jendelvaux.com

If this episode spoke to you…

Please take 30 seconds to follow the show and leave a review—it truly helps more women find this podcast when they're newly diagnosed, in treatment, or trying to rebuild life after cancer. And as always, remember: Not today, cancer. Medical Disclaimer: Jen Delvaux is not a medical doctor, and nothing in this episode constitutes medical advice. Always consult your oncologist or healthcare provider before making any changes to your treatment plan.

If this episode moved you, please share it. You never know who needs to hear that joy is still available to them. Not today, cancer.

Cortisol after cancer is the conversation nobody on my care team had with me. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 — invasive ductal carcinoma, stage one, grade two. I went through lumpectomy, radiation, ovarian suppression, and two years on an aromatase inhibitor before I had to come off because my bones were already in osteoporosis. Throughout all of it, my nervous system was screaming. My cortisol was running hot all day long, confirmed by a Dutch test. And not one doctor told me what stress was doing to my body or how to mitigate it.

In this solo episode of Not Today Cancer, I'm walking you through the seven activities that lowered my cortisol...broken into the things that don't cost a dime (meditation, breathwork, walking outside, unplugging) and the things that do (acupuncture, energy healing, therapy). I'm also sharing the actual research behind each one, so you know this isn't woo...it's documented science.

What you'll learn:

• Why cortisol is wrecked after a cancer diagnosis (and why mine was high long before)

• The symptoms of high cortisol most breast cancer survivors miss

• How mindfulness meditation protected the cortisol rhythm of breast cancer survivors in a randomized controlled trial

• Why a single session of slow breathing drops cortisol immediately

• The "nature pill" research showing 20–30 minutes outside lowers cortisol 21% per hour

• Why the NCCN officially recommends acupuncture for cancer survivors

If you're a breast cancer survivor, caregiver, or anyone whose body has been running on fumes...this episode is for you. We don't get the option of not mitigating stress. Pick one thing on this list and start tomorrow.

Disclaimer: This episode reflects my personal experience and a summary of public research. It is not medical advice. Always consult your care team.

📋 RESOURCES + LINKS

📿 Free 10-minute meditation for survivors: CALM

💚 Free Facebook community: JOIN HERE

🌟 Paid Community ($19.99/mo): INFO HERE

📖 Nontoxic Home Guide: SWAPS

💪 DNA Test: INFO HERE

🎙️ Not Today Cancer Podcast — new episodes every Tuesday + Friday

🌐 Website: jendelvaux.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jendelvaux/

If this episode helped you, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Reviews are how more women in this situation find the show...and they take less than 60 seconds.

Subscribe so you don't miss Tuesday and Friday episodes.

📋 RESEARCH CITATIONS

MEDITATION + CORTISOL:

• Carlson et al. — Mindfulness-based stress reduction maintains healthy diurnal cortisol rhythm in distressed breast cancer survivors. Published in PMC. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5430085/

• MBSR reduces salivary cortisol immediately following class — PMC

BREATHWORK + CORTISOL:

• "The Effect of Breathing Exercise on Stress Hormones" — Cyprus Journal of Medical Sciences

• Slow breathing at ~6 bpm boosts heart rate variability up to 40% — International Journal of Psychophysiology

WALKING + NATURE:

• Olafsdottir et al. — Walking in nature vs treadmill: cortisol comparison. Sage Publications

• Hunter et al. — "Nature pill" research: 20-30 minutes outdoors drops salivary cortisol 21% per hour. Frontiers in Psychology

• Repeated forest walking reduces hair cortisol (chronic stress marker) — Scientific Reports, 2025

ACUPUNCTURE:

• NCCN (National Comprehensive Cancer Network) guidelines recommend acupuncture for cancer survivors

• Acupuncture modulates HPA axis, serotonin, GABA, melatonin — Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2022

• Bayesian network meta-analysis — Frontiers in Oncology, 2023