This week Jenn’s back in Philly for a funeral, I’m with my family in the country and we’re talking all about what it’s like to go back home, the waning days of summer, the burden of home-ownership, attention neediness, owning your foibles, slowing down time, dealing with anger and rage, coming to terms with professional jealousy and so much more! Listen in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
I listened to this episode as I drove to and from my appointment to be fitted for the radiation machine for my post lumpectomy for a breast cancer tumor. Can I tell you….. it really kept me in a great mood. Do a good one next week for when I start the actual radiation. I relate to pretty much every subject you guys discuss. To me you’re both young pups, I’m 61….. but have the energy of a toddler!
And “everything is fine” and will be fine, we caught the little bugger early on so no chemo or mastectomy necessary. Get those mammograms regularly, ladies!
Best of luck with radiation, Monique. I found it to be more of a pain in the ass than anything.
Wow…. I’m assuming you had breast cancer too. Ok. Glad to see you doing so well. Can I ask you, did you take the estrogen blocker? I am not concerned with the radiation (I had a brain tumor and after a craniotomy had radiation) but the idea of the estrogen blocker fucks with my head. I’ve already gone through menopause and it wasn’t fun. I hear that 30% of women who get on the estrogen blocker get off it because it’s too much. If you were on it, how did it affect you?
Yes, I had breast cancer when I was 39. I did not go on estrogen blockers.
Agree with sentiments expressed here already – it’s always a joy to listen to you and Jen – no need to change a thing – it’s perfect. Thanks for sharing your authentic selves with us
Jumping in to say I totally relate to the creeping feeling of dread you get when summer winds down. I am only really alive in the summer — the rest of the year is just waiting. Hate it that I tend to waste any of the precious moments of August with anxiety, depression, and insomnia. It was worse when I taught, but even now, my body still knows Winter Is Coming. God save us.
As always, this week’s podcast was lively and engaging. In terms of the anger discussion, I just wanted to say that as a psychodynamic psychotherapist I’m not generally in the business of ranking emotions hierarchically (i,e, “primary” or “secondary”), but I very much disagree that anger is not often primary. In fact, in women especially, anger is very often the authentic emotion but is defended against in favor of sadness, bluntedness, etc. because of societal norms that its’s unacceptable for women to express (or even have) angry feelings. This is one reason that women are much more likely to receive diagnoses of depression (often, anger that is redirected at the self), while men are more likely to receive diagnoses that more directly correlate with their anger (impulse-control disorders such as intermittent explosive disorder and oppositional-defiant disorder).
Please don’t stop podcasting the conversations between the two of you. I enjoy those episodes as much as the ones with guests.
Not to worry, Gemma—we never will!
Loved this episode! Please don’t feel obliged to become more “professional” with the podcast — you two are so naturally conversational, and hilarious, in your guest-free episodes, that those chats are *especially* engaging! (-:
Love the casual conversations that cover all sorts of topics, all of which that interest me. You two are the best!