Whole New Life
PODCAST: Having survived cancer in my 40s and the loss of my husband in my 50s, I deeply empathize with the challenges you may be facing. I share my coping strategies and the determination it takes to remain resilient. By following my journey, you'll discover practical techniques to manage grief, build emotional strength, and find hope even in the darkest times.
Throughout 30 episodes, I candidly share every moment of my falls and the strength I found to rise again each time. I chronicle my journey of learning and growth and include a surprising twist I never thought possible: falling in love again.
Widowhood has been far from easy, the effort I invested in five years following my husband's passing has, and will always remain, entirely worthwhile.
BOOK SERIES: In 2024 I wrote and self-published a 3-book series about my life, love, and loss. You may purchase on Amazon in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.
Book One:
46 Days: Just the beginning of my healing journey…
Approximately two months after my husband passed away from cancer, I needed to get away for a while. In 2020 I was not only his wife, but also his caregiver for the last year of his life. Watching my husband slowly die in front of my eyes took everything out of me.
Book Two:
140.6 sMILES: It was more than just crossing the finish line…
Both the physical and mental strength it took to train for, as well as complete, actually provided me with the physical and mental strength I needed when I found out I had cancer in 2013, as well as learning my husband’s cancer was terminal in 2020.
Book Three:
3 Words: Powerful words that changed my life forever…
The most gut-wrenching words I have ever heard were spoken to me in 2013 and then again to my husband in 2019: “You Have Cancer.”
WEBSITE: https://stacyryanauthor.com/
DISCLAIMER: My story should not be interpreted in any way as expert, health, or medical advice. I chose to share my story, in my voice, to assure people they are not alone and perhaps provide a bit of inspiration or a glimpse of hope, if needed.
Whole New Life
Finding Purpose After Losing Our Husbands to Cancer: The Past, The Now & The Future
Grief rewrites our entire life story, dividing it into clear chapters—before loss, during caregiving, after death, and the future we must now reimagine. In this deeply moving conversation, I sit with my friend Teri as we explore these four distinct parts of our widowhood journey after losing our husbands to colon cancer.
We begin by reflecting on our previous lives—relationships marked by profound ease and partnership. Teri shares her 30-year love story with Rob, while I recall how my husband John seemed to know me better than I knew myself.
When cancer arrived uninvited, we both made similar choices without realizing it. We refused to let the disease become the center of our households. We didn't Google statistics or dwell on prognoses. Instead, we focused on living each day fully, appreciating mundane moments with newfound intensity. We trusted our medical teams and protected our mental health by staying present rather than spiraling into anxiety about the inevitable.
The most powerful moments emerge as we discuss our current lives as young widows. Teri reveals how her children became her purpose: "I never stopped, and I think I never stopped because of my kids." I share how my healing began with the smallest victories—just brushing my teeth felt like an accomplishment some days. We both acknowledge that grief visits periodically, but we've learned not to let it take permanent residence.
We've discovered the gift of presence—living fully in each moment rather than fixating on five-year plans. When I ask Teri if she ever feels guilty for finding happiness again, her answer resonates deeply: "I do not. Rob would never plant that seed in my head."
StacyRyanAuthor.com
