Trigger warning:  death and loss. --Shara shares an emotional clip with Pete where his health was very bad.  They were in the hospital for hospice patients whose symptoms couldn't be managed at home.  Shara also shar...

Shara discusses the emotions around Pete and Shara's eldest's wedding without Pete there.  

Today's episode is the first podcast with just Shara, a year after Pete passed away on February 15th.  She talks about things that you can do as a friend or family member of someone who is experiencing a difficult season.  

In this episode, Pete explains all that he's learned with his different rounds and different types of chemotherapy. He gives us all three takeaways that we can keep in mind when we think about, talk about, or take on chemo. 

In this episode, Pete tells about a turn in his treatment for the worse and how it affected him differently than previous treatments. This led to a serious need for rest and recovery and forced him to take a break from posting. If ...

Should we be so sensitive? Just because something triggers a memory of my traumatic journey, is that bad? Or, as a fighter, can I face that fear? And, if I let it, can that actually be healthy for me? Some folks have claimed that T...

Should we be so sensitive? Just because something triggers a memory of my traumatic journey, is that bad? Or, as a fighter, can I face that fear? And, if I let it, can that actually be healthy for me? Some folks have claimed that T...

Can I take a trip for vacation when I have cancer? How can you go camping while fighting cancer? Should you go on an excursion when you're in the midst of a cancer fight?Pete discusses these questions from his usual "journey" perspectiv...

In this Episode of Stages Podcast, Pete shares how he was inspired by a True Crime Drama that he and his wife have been watching on Hulu called Under the Banner of Heaven. He was inspired to dig deeper and ask some hard hitting questions of him...

What happens when you were convinced that cancer was in your rearview mirror and it comes back aggressively?  What would be your response? Anger? Desperation? Hope? Listen to Shara and Pete as they tell their personal response...

Did you know that cardio and weight resistance training are a great way to stay in the fight against cancer? But, what about after cancer surgery? Listen to Pete as he tells his experience coming out of two surgeries on his colon and liver and ...

What can you do when cancer lingers? What can you do when you just can't shake "that feeling." ever? There's a part of cancer that is a cloud that can hang over you. You never feel quite done with it. Cancer lingers. Listen to Pete as he tells ...

Pete and Shara began 2022 knowing that they were headed into surgery. This surgery was to remove all cancer seen with the scans. This would involve surgical removal of some sections of Pete's liver as well as a resection of his colon. ...

As I get deeper into chemo rounds, what side effects will I encounter? What kind of pain will I experience? Will I throw up every time? My friend had it bad, but then the cancer went away, is that what I can expect? It is tempting t...

In this episode of Stages Podcast, Pete encourages us through focusing on the healthcare team that will surround us. Pete: "Your nurses, pharmacists, doctors, oncologists, all your healthcare workers are heroes and they will become like family....

Just prior to his first day of treatment, Pete had so many questions still: Will I be having chemo on a hospital bed in my own private room? Will I experience any side effects while I'm receiving chemo?  If so, how quickly? What is infusio...

Pete had just been diagnosed with cancer and he's starting chemo for the first time. His head was swirling with questions: What is chemotherapy like? What should I know going into my first round? Is chemo the same for everyone or are there diff...

How will I feel after radiation? What side effects does radiation have? Much of the fear that we have around radiation treatment is based on what we believe the answers to those questions are. In this post, Pete honestly...

What is the actual radiation procedure like? Do you feel any pain during the actual treatment session? What should I or my loved one be prepared for?Again, if this is our first experience with radiation, we can go to dark places in our ...

Timing Matters. When you discuss radiation with your oncology team for the first time, you will learn that timing is everything. So, there are a few variables to consider with your team before you can decide to pull the trigger on radiation.&nb...

So many of us have misconceptions about radiation based on past experiences from several years ago to what we conjure up in our minds. This is often because we have heard bits and pieces of stories around radiation and we've developed our own m...

In this episode, we relate to Kate Bowler's telling of how she had to admit that she did not how to do this: Live with life as a chronic condition. She gives this beautiful illustration of hikers on the Appalachian Trail and the ad...

The self-help and prosperity gospel culture of our day often leads us to toxic positivity. Toxic Positivity is when we feel we must turn everything we are going through into a positive. Often this approach is aided with some system of trying to...

Listen to Shara Heiniger (caregiver) and Pete Heiniger (cancer fighter) as they further discuss good communication strategies for a cancer journey. So many times caregivers are motivated out of a love for the cancer fighter and a s...

We’re pumped because this is our #2 Podcast for Stages!  Where we’re working hard to not only be a voice for cancer fighters, but also add the perspective of the spouse and caregiver. This week, as promised, we want t...