Whole New Life
by Stacy Ryan
Loving Twice: How I Honor My Past While Embracing My Future
About this podcast
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.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 30 episodes
- Loving Twice: How I Honor My Past While Embracing My Future · 22 min · Season 3 Episode 10After losing my husband to cancer in 2020, I embarked on what felt like an impossible journey—finding purpose in my shattered world. In this final episode, I reflect on the path…
- Rebuilding Hearts: Dale and Annie's Journey from Grief to a Second Chance · 13 min · Season 3 Episode 9Can your heart truly find love again after experiencing the shattering pain of losing a spouse? Dale and Annie's story proves it's not only possible—it can happen when you least…
- The Evolution of Remembering: How Memories Shift After Loss · 9 min · Season 3 Episode 8Memory works in mysterious ways after profound loss. Four years after my husband John died from cancer, I've made a startling discovery about grief that nobody warned me about –…
- When Time Stops: How Caregiving and Sudden Loss Shape Different Grief Journeys · 15 min · Season 3 Episode 7Grief arrives in many forms, and its timing is never what we expect. After losing my husband to cancer in 2020, I discovered that my grieving process had actually begun a year…
- Finding Purpose After Losing Our Husbands to Cancer: The Past, The Now & The Future · 26 min · Season 3 Episode 6Grief 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…
- Real Emotions of Being a Widow: Feeling Guilty and Happy at the Same Time · 15 min · Season 3 Episode 5Can you feel genuinely happy after devastating loss? When my husband died in 2020, I couldn't imagine ever experiencing true happiness again. Now, five years later, I've found…
- Grief's Awkward Moments: Things People Said or Did and The Impact · 18 min · Season 3 Episode 4Four of us share the raw truth about what helped—and hurt—our first year of grief. My sister-in-law Annie, Annie's husband Dale, and my boyfriend John join me for an intimate…
- From "We Were Going To" to "I Get To": My Journey of Renewal · 9 min · Season 3 Episode 3When the future you planned suddenly vanishes, how do you move forward? After losing my husband to cancer in 2020, I faced the incredibly difficult journey of transforming our…
- Life After Loss: Navigating Memories · 16 min · Season 3 Episode 2Grief transforms over time, especially in how we relate to photographs and memories of those we've lost. Four years after losing my husband John to cancer, I've discovered that…
- From Grief to Growth: Accepting My Whole New Life · 19 min · Season 3 Episode 1Four years after grief changed everything, I'm returning for my final season to share the culmination of my healing journey. What does it truly mean to accept a new chapter after…
- Harboring Courage in the Wake of Grief · 18 min · Season 2 Episode 6As the sun sets on a transformative season of Whole New Life, I find comfort and courage in the company of Wendy, a friend who's been the mirror reflecting my journey from…
- Narratives of Heartache and Hope in New Beginnings · 21 min · Season 2 Episode 5Navigating through the stormy seas of loss, I found solace and purpose in the written word, crafting a narrative that would both honor my husband John's memory and offer solace…
- A Journey of Triumphs, Tattoos, and Timeless Memories · 11 min · Season 2 Episode 4With each significant life event, from crossing an Ironman finish line to overcoming cancer and embracing widowhood, my tapestry of tattoos narrates a tale of resilience and…
- Embracing Change & Fostering Resilience Amidst Sorrow · 17 min · Season 2 Episode 3When your world crumbles, how do you find the strength to rebuild it? This episode of Whole New Life is about: YES, I have changed; how can you not after witnessing the person…
- Moving Forward: Honoring Love, Letting Go, and Welcoming a Fresh Start · 14 min · Season 2 Episode 2When the house you lived in for over 20 years becomes a tapestry of memories, how do you find the strength to let go and begin anew? Join me as I recount the emotional odyssey of…
- Charting Uncharted Territories: The Year of Dabbling and Discovery · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 1Embarking on a 'Year of Dabbling' after the loss of my husband, I am here to share the beauty and challenges of forging a new path, one dabble at a time. Imagine the courage it…
- Sisterhood ~ sharing a different, but similar experience at the same time (guest) · 24 min · Season 1 Episode 14I will share my relationship with John’s sister, the journey of both losing our husbands in 2020 and how we've grown the past 2.5 years. Season 1: Year of Surviving…
- Starting To Make Changes ~ feeling what's in my heart, in the moment · 10 min · Season 1 Episode 13I will share some personal journal entries from Aug 2021, when I started to intentionally write down & act on some changes that I felt in my heart, what I learned & how I've…
- Explaining How I Feel Is Challenging ~ relying on someone who understands (guest) · 18 min · Season 1 Episode 12I will share how hard it is to understand how I feel myself much less explain it to others and the benefits of finding people who truly do understand. Today’s guest is my friend…
- Inspirational Refresh ~ taking my Jeep Wrangler off road · 13 min · Season 1 Episode 11I will share a little about my Jeep girl history and my new off-roading hobby. Season 1: Year of Surviving StacyRyanAuthor.com
