CROC Podcast | For Cancer Survivors

S4Ep:181 Miracles of Faith: Mary's Unbeatable Journey

Join Dr. E and Angel as they recount the extraordinary and inspiring journey of Mary a true survivor. This Christmas special episode delves into Mary's battles with two of the most daunting cancers, exploring themes of hope, courage, and miraculous endurance. Despite overwhelming odds and dire prognoses, Mary defies the grim expectations, embodying strength and faith.

Reflect on...

Welcome to the Croc Podcast with Dr. E and Angel Santana. In this episode, they explain the SPIKES protocol for breaking bad news and introduce Dr. E’s approach of guarded optimism — balancing honest, clear medical communication with empathy and hope. The hosts offer practical tips for clinicians on creating safe spaces, assessing patients’ understanding and emotions, and delivering news in ways that support survivors and their com...

Ep90: If One More Person Wishes Me A Merry Christmas, I'm Going to Scream!!!! The Holiday Season is supposed to be filled with joy and love and hope; a time of togetherness with family and friends; a time for new beginnings and new resolutions. But what if you not only feel no joy, but actually feel depressed, hopeless, and alone? Maybe you've just been diagnosed, or perhaps you're suffering the side effects of your treatments, ...

In this Rewind episode of The Croc Podcast, Dr. E and Angel revisit conversations about physicians criticizing colleagues in front of patients and the growing lack of empathy and follow-through when survivor thrivers are referred to outside specialists.

They share real cases, explain responsibilities for referring and specialist doctors, and offer five clear rules to improve care: always care, use redundant follow-up systems, choos...

In this episode, Dr. Eanelli and co-host Angel Santana explore the damaging practice of physicians criticizing other physicians in front of patients. Using authentic clinic vignettes and research, they explain how such comments harm teamwork, increase patient confusion, distress, and even worsen outcomes.

The hosts review four common scenarios, discuss why clinicians sometimes engage in this behavior, and offer clear solutions for ...

Dr. E and co-host Angel Santana mark 26 years of grassroots cancer support of CROC Organization and 5 Years of The CROC PODCAST in a Thanksgiving special that centers on restoring humanity to healing. Through personal stories, the “black moleskin” practice, and reflections on survivorship, the episode explores why understanding the person behind the patient is essential for proper healing.

This episode offers practical insight for ...

🎙️ Croc Podcast Special Announcement

Hello everyone! We wanted to let you know that this week’s Croc Podcast will be airing on a special new day — Wednesday, November 12th, at 9:00 a.m.

Dr. E has been handling some unexpected administrative duties, so we’ll be postponing today’s episode and rescheduling it for this Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.

We appreciate you're understanding and support! In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the rest of...

Ep8: Defining Survivorship Module 6 - Cancer survivorship past, present, and future What better way to end this tremendously informative module on defining survivorship than with Dr. Charles Shapiro professor of medicine Mount Sinai medical center; one of the pioneers of cancer survivor advocacy and a legacy level clinician in breast cancer and translational medicine. --------------------------------------------------------------...

I Believe in Miracles Joanne’s Journey of Hope When we think about the concept of miracles, we immediately think of something grand, like the parting of the Red Sea. But there are many small miracles that surround us on a daily basis that often go unnoticed. On today’s podcast Angel and Dr. E discuss a patient’s miraculous journey to cure from what many thought was an incurable and stigmatized illness.

• #CancerSurvivor

• #C...

Jive Talking & Other Slangs as a Way to Connect & Communicate with Survivor/Thrivers Traditional medical training teaches formality and distance; and discourages the use of language that is understandable, comfortable and brings us closer to our patients. On today’s podcast Dr. E tells a story of a patient who taught him how important it is to use not just formal training but also personal and cultural experience to bette...

Back Sept 14 with Dr. E — Stay Connected to Croc Nation

Hello everyone, this is Angel Santana, co-host and producer of The Croc Podcast. September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month — a time to raise awareness for leukemia, lymphoma, and melanoma and to emphasize education, early detection, and support for those affected.

We don't have a new episode this week, but we'll be back Sunday, September 14 with Dr. E in studio. Stay connected...

Today The CROC Podcast will continue on with part 2 of last week's episode called Defining Survivorship Module 1 Ep 2. Today we talk about Defining Survivorship Seasons of Survival Module 2 Ep 3. We referenced article from the New England Journal of Medicine from 1985 Vol. 313 pages 270-273. Last week we introduced you to Dr. Fitzhugh Mullan who was an American physician, writer, educator, and social activist. He participated i...

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Secondary Cancers But Were Afraid To Ask

If having cancer wasn’t hard enough, between the fear of recurrence and the pain and inconvenience of post-treatment side effects, our brave Survivor/Thrivers also have to traverse the treacherous minefield of possibly getting a secondary tumor.

This week, Angel and Dr. E take a deep dive into this complex and confusing world to bring you the latest d...

Top Ten Reasons Why Cancer Survivors Don’t Take Vacation and Top 10 Reasons Why They Should

As we ease into the warmth and light of summer, our dreams and fantasies of packing up and getting “away from it all” begin to take form and come true. We make our plans without worry or consequence.

But our sacred and worthy Survivor/Thrivers, who not only deserve but also need this break, often pass on these life-affirming and necessary v...

Savor Every Patient Encounter Like It’s Your Last We often preach about “Mindfulness” and “Living in the Moment” here on the CROC Podcast, but do we follow our own advice? I recently noticed a trend where I would be physically sitting in a room with a patient, but my mind was elsewhere. Sometimes I would be thinking about the next patient, my next task, or perhaps something unrelated to my job. That realization did not sit well ...

Savor Every Patient Encounter Like It’s Your Last We often preach about “Mindfulness” and “Living in the Moment” here on the CROC Podcast, but do we follow our own advice? I recently noticed a trend where I would be physically sitting in a room with a patient, but my mind was elsewhere. Sometimes I would be thinking about the next patient, my next task, or perhaps something unrelated to my job. That realization did not sit well ...