Nearly Departed: Cancer, Kids, and Courage, with Gila Pfeffer

What do you do when by age 30 you're the oldest living member of your family? Do you live in fear or take action?

In this powerful and humorous episode, author Gila Pfeffer shares her journey as both a "previvor" and survivor of breast cancer. After losing her mother and grandmother to breast cancer, Gila took proactive steps to prevent the same fate, only to find cancer anyway – and then write about it with unexpected wit and wisdom in her memoir Nearly Departed: Adventures in Loss, Cancer, and Other Inconveniences.

Gila opens up about choosing a radically different approach to illness than her own mother took, making the controversial decision to shield her young children from her diagnosis, and how her incredible network of friends showed up in exactly the right ways during her treatment. Through stories both touching and hilarious – including an intake form that asks about everything from frozen ribeye steaks to forgotten surgical tools – Gila demonstrates how humor can help us navigate life's darkest moments.

Her experience offers valuable insights for anyone facing health challenges, supporting loved ones through crisis, or making difficult parenting decisions. With warmth and wit, she reminds us that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to handling life's biggest challenges.

Key Takeaways:

• Trust that you know what's best for your family. What works for one family might not work for another, and that's okay.
• Create a small, trusted circle of support rather than trying to include everyone who wants to help. Choose people you feel completely comfortable being vulnerable with.
• Remember to check in on the partner and kids of someone going through a health crisis - they often get overlooked but need support too.
• Take preventative health measures seriously, especially if you have family history. Don't let fear stop you from getting screenings or genetic testing.
• Make decisions based on what feels right for you and your specific situation, not what others think you should do.

Learn more about Gila:

Instagram
Gila's website 

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Music credit: Limitless by Bells