Just Katie...Not Cancer: Recent Episodes
Katie Zereski
This podcast is all about how you can have the big, the dark, the ugliest of Cancer and still choose to live your life. I promise to share the good, the bad, the funny, the scary, and everything in between while educating and spreading the importance of awareness and being your own champion throughout it all. No subject is off-limits so be prepared to take a deep dive into my crazy world. It’s going to be a roller coaster ride for sure and some of it may be bumpy, but I promise to make it worth the ride.
Has there ever been a time when you feel like you just hit a brick wall? That was me this week. Up to this point, I have been really lucky with how I have been able to tolerate chemotherapy. But this week, it caught up to me and made me hit my bed and the couch, and that was it. That has been the story of my life this week. I got just ridiculously sick. All of the side effects hit me...aches, pains, no ability to eat, and no energy. I got a head cold on top of it. So it was just everything and then some.
It forced me to have to withdraw, which is not me in any capacity. I am typically living life and grabbing the bull by its horns, so to speak, every day that I can. But this forced me to have to take myself to bed and stay there. And that is not easy for me. It makes you think of all of the things that you don't want to think of.
In the beginning, part of me felt really guilty about that because that's not me. But it dawned on me that part of taking care of yourself is knowing when your body and your mindset need a break. It's knowing when you just need to stop and not push. It's knowing when you need to dial it back. And that's exactly what I did. So I gave myself permission to dial it back and not think of anything besides what I was going to binge-watch. The moral of the story is LISTEN to what your body is telling you and that it's OKAY to take yourself to bed when you need it.
About Katie-
Katie is an entrepreneur, Marketing, and Business Executive with an extensive background in startups and corporate marketing as well as public relations. She’s a single mom of 2 kids and was diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer at the age of 49. She’s also heavily involved in fitness and wellness and am a former competitor and coach. She invites you to join her and a host of friends, family, and a number of really awesome special guests as she journeys down this path for the fight of her life.
Connect with Katie:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/441568581134113/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollin_with_my_colon/
How do you manage life when you have so many balls up in the air? Of course, having cancer adds some extra things to your to-do list. Scans, labs, appointments, etc. But in the midst of all that, I still have to be a mom, see my parents and friends, work with my clients, and do a whole list of other daily things I have to get done. So how can you manage all the things that life puts in your lap while also balancing all the appointments that come with cancer?
I do this by controlling the controllables. You have to realize that you cannot control every outcome or situation. I wanted to outrun surgery, but it looks like that surgery is going to have to happen. That's life. I get through times like these by controlling the things I can control and releasing the rest. Want to know how? Check out this episode of Just Katie...Not Cancer.
About Katie-
Katie is an entrepreneur, Marketing, and Business Executive with an extensive background in startups and corporate marketing as well as public relations. She’s a single mom of 2 kids and was diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer at the age of 49. She’s also heavily involved in fitness and wellness and am a former competitor and coach. She invites you to join her and a host of friends, family, and a number of really awesome special guests as she journeys down this path for the fight of her life.
Connect with Katie:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/441568581134113/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollin_with_my_colon/
Do you ever feel like you are running on fumes? Like maybe you have so much left on your never-ending to-do list, but not enough gas in the tank to make it across the finish line? Truthfully, in today's world, everyone is somewhat like that especially if they have kids, jobs, families, spouses, dogs, cats, etc.
We all know that the F-bomb is my favorite swear word. But, alas, this episode has nothing to do with that. It does however have to do with keeping your energy up when life gets hectic. Whether you are going through cancer treatment or not, just a busy mom or dad with a million things to do, or possibly both, these 5 tips will definitely help you keep your energy up so you can get that to-do list done. These are things that I do and are things that are really important to me. Let's get to it!
About Katie-
Katie is an entrepreneur, Marketing, and Business Executive with an extensive background in startups and corporate marketing as well as public relations. She’s a single mom of 2 kids and was diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer at the age of 49. She’s also heavily involved in fitness and wellness and am a former competitor and coach. She invites you to join her and a host of friends, family, and a number of really awesome special guests as she journeys down this path for the fight of her life.
Connect with Katie:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/441568581134113/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollin_with_my_colon/
I'm sure we've all heard the saying, "A little kindness goes a long way." We are literally taught from preschool to be kind to one another. However, the act of kindness and respect seems to get lost in translation as we get older. I don't know if it's just me or what, but I have noticed that kindness and respect seem to keep disappearing at a rapid rate in today's day and age. I see it almost daily. People have screamed at my 18-year-old daughter over pulling into the wrong parking space. A truck almost ran me over as I was walking and then the driver yelled at me as if I was in the wrong as a pedestrian.
I'm telling you more and more I see kindness and respect disappearing from this world. As someone who is battling cancer, and doesn't quite show it, I want to remind you that you never truly know what's going on in someone's life. You don't know what they are battling or what is going on behind closed doors. So always be kind. Your kindness and respect might be what gets them through the day. So I encourage you... open the door for someone, say hello with a smile, put someone's buggy away at the store, buy someone's coffee, send a nice text, call a friend and tell them how wonderful they are...do something to bring some kindness back into this world because it truly does need it.
About Katie-
Katie is an entrepreneur, Marketing, and Business Executive with an extensive background in startups and corporate marketing as well as public relations. She’s a single mom of 2 kids and was diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer at the age of 49. She’s also heavily involved in fitness and wellness and am a former competitor and coach. She invites you to join her and a host of friends, family, and a number of really awesome special guests as she journeys down this path for the fight of her life.
Connect with Katie:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/441568581134113/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollin_with_my_colon/
It's okay to take on new challenges even if you have some things that aren't perfect in your life. In my case, it's the big "C". Cancer that is in my body. It's okay for me to have cancer, and still get up and try to take on new challenges. In the spirit of my daughter going to college and taking on new challenges, I'm taking on new challenges too. And my first challenge is running a 5k in October.
For those of you that don't know me very well, I am the furthest thing from a runner you will ever meet other than maybe a seal. Truthfully, I am not happy doing cardio in any capacity. But I am doing this in support of my brother and my sister-in-law and the Reliant Foundation. So I'm taking on this new challenge because I believe that just because you're battling something in your life doesn't mean that life has to stop. To learn more about why you should take on new challenges, check out episode 9 of Just Katie...NOT Cancer today!
About Katie-
Katie is an entrepreneur, Marketing, and Business Executive with an extensive background in startups and corporate marketing as well as public relations. She’s a single mom of 2 kids and was diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer at the age of 49. She’s also heavily involved in fitness and wellness and am a former competitor and coach. She invites you to join her and a host of friends, family, and a number of really awesome special guests as she journeys down this path for the fight of her life.
Connect with Katie:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/441568581134113/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollin_with_my_colon/
It's back to school here in the Northeast and despite some tears (on my end), I'm enjoying every little moment. I'm enjoying the clothes shopping, getting supplies for a dorm room, orientations, and all of the little things in between. But there is a reason for that. This time last year I was fighting a 6 month long battle after my GI stent basically ripped apart my colon. I missed the first half of my daughter's senior year and all the little things that happened then. So I promised myself that I would enjoy every little thing from that moment on.
So here I am. Flash forward a year later, fully present in my life stronger, still battling the shit out of this cancer, right? But I'm here and I'm on my feet. I'm present. I get to have a birthday this year. So while I'm a little emotional about all this, that's okay! I think it's okay to get emotional when you talk about the things you love. So join me for Episode 8 where we're getting a little emotional and talking about enjoying even the simplest of things.
About Katie-
Katie is an entrepreneur, Marketing, and Business Executive with an extensive background in startups and corporate marketing as well as public relations. She’s a single mom of 2 kids and was diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer at the age of 49. She’s also heavily involved in fitness and wellness and am a former competitor and coach. She invites you to join her and a host of friends, family, and a number of really awesome special guests as she journeys down this path for the fight of her life.
Connect with Katie:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/441568581134113/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollin_with_my_colon/
Scanxiety is a real thing. As cancer patients, we are constantly undergoing testing. So if it's not a blood test to look at your tumor markers or imaging, it's something else. So one of the biggest tools that they use to assess where you are progress-wise, is imaging known as a CT scan. I go in for a CT scan every 4-6 weeks. Before I had to have these CT scans done, I had no problem with any tests. You want to take blood out? Go ahead. Literally, they could do any test and I had no issue whatsoever. And then I was diagnosed with cancer and had multiple scans. Now every time I have to scan, I literally am hyperventilating. Part of the reason why is because it's never great news. Join me as I talk all things scanxiety with my friend Grace who is a nurse at UMass.
About Katie-
Katie is an entrepreneur, Marketing, and Business Executive with an extensive background in startups and corporate marketing as well as public relations. She’s a single mom of 2 kids and was diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer at the age of 49. She’s also heavily involved in fitness and wellness and am a former competitor and coach. She invites you to join her and a host of friends, family, and a number of really awesome special guests as she journeys down this path for the fight of her life.
Connect with Katie:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/441568581134113/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollin_with_my_colon/
Boy oh boy, am I SUPER PUMPED for today’s episode! Pun totally intended! Today I have a very special guest on the show to help me talk about the importance of physical fitness for cancer patients. Joining me today is Kristie Ruksnasitis. I have to say that one of the things that throws a lot of people off when they see me is that I don't “look like I’m sick.” Because I have cancer…people expect me to look sick.
But for me, I think what has helped me is that I work out every day. Even if it's just the littlest of things like a 2-minute plank, then maybe an hour later I do a 10-minute arm workout, and then maybe later I do a 10-minute lower body workout. For cancer patients, this is not necessarily something that’s easy to do.
Yes, sometimes you have to will yourself do it. Bottomline…working out is important for everyone, BUT it’s especially important for cancer patients. Join me today as I talk with Kristie Ruksnasitis, AKA K-Rux, about the importance of physical fitness in your cancer battle.
About Katie-
Katie is an entrepreneur, Marketing, and Business Executive with an extensive background in startups and corporate marketing as well as public relations. She’s a single mom of 2 kids and was diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer at the age of 49. She’s also heavily involved in fitness and wellness and am a former competitor and coach. She invites you to join her and a host of friends, family, and a number of really awesome special guests as she journeys down this path for the fight of her life.
Connect with Katie:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/441568581134113/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollin_with_my_colon/
When I started my podcast, I knew I wanted to keep it real. While the purpose of my podcast is to show people your cancer does not have to define you, I also realize there is a very "real" side to cancer. That "real" side comes out for me when I have my chemo. The only time I actually feel like I have cancer is when I'm going through my chemotherapy. I know...that seems unreal. But it's true. I have chemo every other week. Sometimes I'm fine afterward. And other others, armageddon happens for me. I'll be completely honest and keep it real with you! Some of the side effects I experience from chemo can be weird! So today I'm breaking down some of these side effects because I realize there may be others who are going through the same thing. This podcast episode was actually recorded WHILE I was going through the side effects of my most recent chemotherapy.
About Katie-
Katie is an entrepreneur, Marketing, and Business Executive with an extensive background in startups and corporate marketing as well as public relations. She’s a single mom of 2 kids and was diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer at the age of 49. She’s also heavily involved in fitness and wellness and am a former competitor and coach. She invites you to join her and a host of friends, family, and a number of really awesome special guests as she journeys down this path for the fight of her life.
Connect with Katie:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/441568581134113/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollin_with_my_colon/
So Mom has cancer...now what? Cancer is not just a diagnosis that affects the person who has it. It also affects the families of the people who get diagnosed, including children. I have 2 children, McKenzie and Zach, who have been on this journey with me. Today, McKenzie is sharing her part of this journey and how she has viewed it through her eyes. It's important to understand how our kids may view this cancer journey so that we can support them as they support us. If you currently have cancer or have just been diagnosed, and you have kids, this is an episode you don't want to miss.
About Katie-
Katie is an entrepreneur, Marketing, and Business Executive with an extensive background in startups and corporate marketing as well as public relations. She’s a single mom of 2 kids and was diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer at the age of 49. She’s also heavily involved in fitness and wellness and am a former competitor and coach. She invites you to join her and a host of friends, family, and a number of really awesome special guests as she journeys down this path for the fight of her life.
Connect with Katie:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/441568581134113/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollin_with_my_colon/
My topic today is the F word. Full stop…it's another F word, friend. I drop F-bombs left and right. But this F word can be paralyzing. It can be debilitating and hold you back. Or it can have the opposite effect and be motivating and help you slay whatever you want to achieve or overcome. So- can you guess what the F word is?
About Katie-
Katie is an entrepreneur, Marketing, and Business Executive with an extensive background in startups and corporate marketing as well as public relations. She’s a single mom of 2 kids and was diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer at the age of 49. She’s also heavily involved in fitness and wellness and am a former competitor and coach. She invites you to join her and a host of friends, family, and a number of really awesome special guests as she journeys down this path for the fight of her life.
Connect with Katie:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/441568581134113/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollin_with_my_colon/
Crabs are helping me fight cancer! I know, I know, that sounds crazy. But they are. So here’s the story on that. I am a reality TV junkie.And at the beginning of my journey to beat this beast, I had a lot of downtime thanks to my surgery. I was also trying to wrap my mind around everything that was happening and how I was going to continue to do all the things I needed to do and beat cancer’s ass.
And there was a show that totally sucked me in called Deadliest Catch. It is about a fleet of elite crab fishermen and women who literally put their lives on the line to bring in the big catch and make that money. But it was this show that taught me something very important.
About Katie-
Katie is an entrepreneur, Marketing, and Business Executive with an extensive background in startups and corporate marketing as well as public relations. She’s a single mom of 2 kids and was diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer at the age of 49. She’s also heavily involved in fitness and wellness and am a former competitor and coach. She invites you to join her and a host of friends, family, and a number of really awesome special guests as she journeys down this path for the fight of her life.
Connect with Katie:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/441568581134113/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollin_with_my_colon/
When you’re going through chemo, how does it affect your hair? In Episode 1, I sat down with my dearest friend and hairstylist Kristen to talk about a very sensitive subject for those of us going through cancer…hair. To be completely honest with you, it affects everybody differently because it depends on the type of chemo that's coursing through your body. So what’s a girl (or guy) to do?
About Katie-
Katie is an entrepreneur, Marketing, and Business Executive with an extensive background in startups and corporate marketing as well as public relations. She’s a single mom of 2 kids and was diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer at the age of 49. She’s also heavily involved in fitness and wellness and am a former competitor and coach. She invites you to join her and a host of friends, family, and a number of really awesome special guests as she journeys down this path for the fight of her life.
Connect with Katie:
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/441568581134113/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollin_with_my_colon/
Kristen’s studio: https://msha.ke/kristengiorgistudio/
Kristen’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamkristenxoxo/
Welcome to Just Katie...Not Cancer. I’m Katie Zereski, an entrepreneur, Marketing and Business Executive with an extensive background in startups and corporate marketing as well as public relations. I’m also heavily involved in fitness and wellness and am a former competitor and coach. I invite you to join me and a host of friends, family, and a number of really awesome special guests as I journey down this path for the fight of my life.
We all know about the “C” word. No! not that C word….get your mind out of the gutter. I’m talking about the Big, Dark, Scary C-word, meaning Cancer.
As I started this battle, what I encountered very quickly, was that people started treating me like I was an old farm animal being put out to pasture. They saw cancer first; not me and assumed that I was A sick, sad, feeble, downtrodden Katie, who would easily succumb to this jackass! What they found was just me, not the disease. and although they wanted to be supportive, they didn’t know what to say, how to say it other than “I’m so sorry. If you ever need anything let me know”
So, this podcast is all about how you can have the big, the dark, the ugliest of Cancer and still choose to live your life. I promise to share the good, the bad, the funny, the scary, and everything in between while educating and spreading the importance of awareness and being your own champion throughout it all. No subject is off-limits so be prepared to take a deep dive into my crazy world. It’s going to be a roller coaster ride for sure and some of it may be bumpy, but I promise to make it worth the ride.