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Hard to Kill: Casey Kang · Pete Vs Anxiety!!!!!

• Pete "mental health champ": Welcome to another episode of Voice of the Voiceless. I'm Pete. Maddie, unfortunately, is not here with us this week. She is just handling some issues, so we're saying nothing but the best to her. With that being said, my guest, my guest today is a three-time survivor of acute lymph lympho. I'm sure I'm butchering this completely, leukemia and a stroke survivor. She is now a trauma-informed cancer coach. She's also the author of Finding Your Way Back to the Heart. Cancer Treatment and It Now What? Casey Kang: Or just analysis is used on the screen. Yeah. Pete "mental health champ": She's also a personal trainer, yoga instructor, yoga for oncology certified, yoga for trauma, cancer exercise specialist, a PN1 nutritionist, somatic therapist, restorative yoga, ⁓ N-I-C-A-M, B ⁓ A B ⁓ Trauma Certified, Happiness Certified, and a level one Riki Healer. Please welcome in the very impressive Casey King. How are you doing, Casey? Casey Kang: Okay. Is that why? ⁓ I'm great, how are you? Pete "mental health champ": Jesus, that a lot of things to read, girl. Damn, you got a lot of things on that list. Casey Kang: I'm a lifelong learner, so you know, it'll it'll never stop. Pete "mental health champ": Ob obviously, but dang man, that's that's a lot. Like, you know, you're a three time survivor, a stroke survivor, and and look at everything you've accomplished since then. Like, like, wow, that's that's impressive. What is what got you into all that kind of stuff though? Casey Kang: ⁓ it it's ⁓ it started because of ⁓ my own journey with recovery and trying to physically, mentally and emotionally be able to move forward. And so it was my own curiosity to selfishly help myself and because of that now I'm able to lift up so many more people with me because of the solutions that I found that ⁓ were necessary to be able to live without fear and and move forward. Pete "mental health champ": Yeah. I I could say that though, but I mean, wow, you've you've got a lot of areas that you're in. Is this like something you solely built on? I mean, you wrote a book, you're your yoga certified, you're all these other things that are lit on that monster list of things, man. You've accomplished so much, man. It it's it's amazing, honestly. You're a three time survivor, which congratulations on that. You survived the stroke. It's like, you know, you you're like life's trying to put me down, but I don't I listen, I'm I'm hard to kill at this point. Casey Kang: Yeah, that's what a I say, like it's ⁓ I guess when when your back's up against a wall, which that's what I felt like ⁓ what I i it was ⁓ when I survived, you know, there wasn't really ⁓ a lot of hope when I was trying to figure it out. And so I was already in therapy and it wasn't enough. Like I I was like, Okay, this hour is great, but Pete "mental health champ": Mm-hmm. Casey Kang: the rest of the seven days and twenty-three hours, like what am I supposed to be doing? And I just felt like everything that I did was leading me to the next thing, to the next thing, to the next thing. And so I just kept going until I felt like I was in a good place, like I had solid ground. And then I got to a place where I wasn't on solid ground. And I kept so then I meant I had to dive deeper into something and then find solid ground and do the same thing over and over again. ⁓ and it it was everyone comes out of cancer going like, okay, great, I'm gonna live my best life, but no one teaches you how to go about doing that. You know? I was yeah, Pete, I was terrified. Like I woke up after they were like, yeah, I think you're okay. Pete "mental health champ": No, agree, a hundred percent. Casey Kang: Like literally going like, Am I gonna waking up like, am I gonna die today? Are they gonna call me today telling me like lab work came back and and I have to go back into treatment again, like for a fourth time? And so like I just I was like, I can't live. I ⁓ my somebody asked me like if I had six months more to live, am I okay with living it the way I was? And I said no. And that's when I knew something had to change and it just it propelled everything. Pete "mental health champ": Yeah. ⁓ I believe it though. You know, especially getting a cancer diagnosis, you know, a lot of people's minds go to just like dark places because that's usually the final word for people. Most people don't make it out, you know, but you've you beat this thing three times and you've survived a stroke. It's like you're you and now you're sharing all your experiences with everybody else, you know. And and you know, I mean that's a really great question to ask somebody though. If you had six months to live, would you continue living the way you are or would you change it? Casey Kang: Right. This is you know. Yeah. Yeah, I know. Pete "mental health champ": You know, a lot of people would say yes, but you know, you're like, No, I'm not satisfied that I wanna do something meaningful. Casey Kang: Well say yeah, but you know you're like ⁓ Right, right. And ⁓ you know, I I I lived a lot of my journey, you know, it was five years straight basically of just trying not to die. ⁓ and we ran out of treatment options. And so there there's constant fear and constant like, am I gonna live through this to get to tomorrow? And you know there was so much unknown and no guarantees with it all that it it take you take a step back and then when I Pete "mental health champ": Mm-hmm. Casey Kang: Got asked that question, I was like, ⁓ it brought it back full circle, like, no, this is not okay. Like I can't do this. Pete "mental health champ": Yeah. But I I do love the title of the book, Finding your Way Back to H heart center, cancer treatment and now what? I mean, that's a great question for a lot of people. So okay, well cancer treatment ended. So now what? It's a lot of people's question, you know, I mean, and but you're filling in that void with like there's so many other things you can do now. You still have life to look at, you know. You beat this thing, you might as well just go on and and live a better life, you know, and just do something with it, make it meaningful, you know. Casey Kang: A lot of people spectrum, you know. Right. And I think it meaning that can mean something different to me, to you, to anyone, but to live scared of living, like it's just that I think that's more heartbreaking than fearlessly trying to move forward and and figure out. Yeah. It's like every day one is Pete "mental health champ": Yeah. Yeah, the the stress alone of just like every day wondering if you're gonna make it to the next day, ⁓ and things like that. It's just it's rough on you and it's rough on everybody around you, you know. And and if you have a love you have a spouse, you know, it's hard on them too, because they don't know what to do for you or what you're even thinking about in that state of mind, you know, and and and a you know, but look at you go though. Like you've got a long list of just things you've got here. This and it's you know, yoga and everything else. And yoga's great too though, because it works so well. A lot of Casey Kang: Really worse. Pete "mental health champ": lot of mental health disorders 'cause yoga's logo yoga is so freeing. Like I've tried it before. Let me tell you the most high intense thing with the most low least amount of impact you've ever done in your life is yoga, man. Like I've done it a few times and it's great. It it restores your flexibility for me, you know, 'cause I hurt my back when I was younger. So, you know, it helps with all that. And, you know, so I get some flexibility back now so I can actually move, you know, and things like that too. But you you've got it all here. Casey Kang: Great. Mm. It's human. Pete "mental health champ": Happiness certified, level one rekey healer. You're doing it all, girl. You you like let me see what else I can add to this list of many, many things. Casey Kang: Yeah. Yeah, I mean, so the happiness certification is from Yale University. And I remember when when I took this, this was like one of the very first things that I like kind of dove into for yoga. And I was like, I kind of took it as like a pessimist going into it. Like, how is this really gonna help me? Right? You know? Cause I was like, is this a joke almost? I couldn't believe that something like this existed. And so I took the course and I was like Pete "mental health champ": ⁓ okay. Casey Kang: And they have measurable results. Like you go in taking a a survey and you leave taking a survey. So it's like you can really see your progress. And it was dramatically different. And I was like, ⁓ my God. I'm like, that's insane. I go, okay. That taught me way more than I had anticipated. Okay. Pete "mental health champ": Right. Yeah. Yeah, that's that's crazy though. You know, it's it's like you have that list up there, you have cancer exercise specialists. So what what is that exactly? Is it like is it like ways to help relieve some of the pain that people are dealing with? Casey Kang: Yeah, you know, because ⁓ so much of the treatment impacts like our mobility, like especially if you've had surgery or radiation, ⁓ there's so much involved in the physical body that like we have to make modifications to do things, just as a result of going through things that ⁓ movement isn't so essential to life that it's like, okay, well, if you've had surgery, ⁓ like specifically brown. Cancer surgery and you've had reconstruction. There's a lot of upper chest mobility ⁓ issues that come along with it for a lot of women, like tightness of the muscles, all these things. And ⁓ if if you don't know how to work with that, it becomes frustrating, especially for women, because they're like, Well, I can't do these things, or I'm not supposed to pick up over 10 pounds. I'm told. Well, yes and no. ⁓ Pete "mental health champ": Mm-hmm. Casey Kang: you can eventually pick up more weight, but it's you have to learn how to how to use your body differently. Pete "mental health champ": Yeah. Yeah. I ⁓ for my main show, Peter's Excited, I did interview somebody who did a memoir about breast cancer. ⁓ and it was the wildest book I've ever read in my life. I read it front to back. I saw the pictures. Like like hats off to these ladies that go through that thing, man. Like it's it's some rough things to look at, man. Like those those saw like scars they have and the stitch it holy crap, dude. Like like you have no idea. Casey Kang: Is You have no idea. Pete "mental health champ": Until you start reading this book and then you get an insight from the author's point of view, which is Erica Newbert. She came on and we were talking about it. And it was it was the most terrifying thing ever. And it wasn't even me. It was just like, Holy fuck, man. Like you're looking at what she's going through, man, and the and how open she was to show these pictures of PP. And it was horrible because she referred to them several times as Frankenstein scars. And I'm like, d it was some rough things to look at. Like, needless to say. Casey Kang: Look at the story from how obvious it was to show. These right designs are Pete "mental health champ": But it was a great perspective of, you know, what people that are going through cancer with what their mindset would be. And, you know, and the overwhelming responses she got were just like people like saying thank you because now I understand what my partner or my friend or so and so's dealing with, and you know, and it's a better insight, you know. Now, in your book, is that what it's kind of like? You're giving them a little little idea into the mindset of what it's like when someone gets that diagnosis. Casey Kang: Okay. I know. ⁓ it's not really talking about so much the journey of can't of of what I went through, the chemotherapy, radiation stroke, all of those things. ⁓ stem cell transplant, immunotherapy. it is more focused on the after. Like how do I actually like, okay, you survived this horrific thing. How do you actually put the pieces of your life back together? because that was the hard treatment was was hard. Like Pete "mental health champ": ⁓ okay. Casey Kang: didn't anticipate a stroke or anything like that, but ⁓ surviving for me was harder. I I was like, okay, I had a stroke. I know how to physically get back and recover from that. I know how to work to get my energy back and and move my body and do all those things to build back strength and things. But I didn't know how to move forward from surviving something at, you know, by the time I finished treatment, I was like thirty-six. But my life Pete "mental health champ": Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Casey Kang: like totally a hundred percent different. And I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to handle that. And that was that's what the book is about is like how do you cope with the with living again? And how do you get back at it? Pete "mental health champ": Yeah. Yeah. Can you have a different mindset now that you're not you're not battling this horrible thing, you know, and and all that stuff too. You know, but you should consider writing a memoir about like what it was like going through those things. 'Cause it sounds like you did every treatment that is out there, you know, and then it just, you know. It would be interesting though. Get an interesting perspective for people of what you were dealing with and what you what was going on, your mindset of what it felt like. Casey Kang: Like what is like Mm-hmm. Pete "mental health champ": You know, in and stuff like that too. I think it'd be an interesting book. Listen, if you if you do write it, we're gonna call it hard to kill though, because we gotta we gotta coin that term there. Casey Kang: Yeah, but just ⁓ my god, that is such a beautiful title actually. That's kinda perfect. Pete "mental health champ": I'm telling ya. I I'm telling you, that's what it's me perfect. Hard to kill the Casey King so there you go. Casey Kang: Yeah, like cancer definitely tried really hard. Pete "mental health champ": She's like, I ain't going down for this, you know. But no, it's it it's so cool though that you you took your time to go back into that and and use what you've learned and your experiences to help other people, you know. And you don't find that very often with a lot of people that go through these things. A lot of times it's like you see them posting. Like I have a friend, he ⁓ he went through cancer as well. He's a professional boxer now, ⁓ and things like that too. And he came on and we were talking about his story too, and that's what he does now. He does a podcast as well, and that's what he's all about, is talking to people. Casey Kang: Is it so? Pete "mental health champ": You know, have been through these situations and these crazy things while he travels the world in boxes and all this other kind of stuff, you know, and it's really cool when you see somebody, but damn, you really put a lot of work back into it. You know, you you really went guns to the wall here because you have yoga for oncology certified and all these other things, you know, which is great though, because you don't find a lot of people that are in this area. Like I've done 250 episodes of my other show and I've never met anybody with a resume that that stacks up like this just for cancer patients alone. Casey Kang: I think I've walked past it. But after him. Yeah, I mean like I just felt like we were such an underserved market. Like, you know, myself, like I couldn't find anybody. I couldn't find anybody to help me. And like in with the world of Instagram and Facebook and all these things that I couldn't find anyone. And so I I was just like, Okay, I guess I'm gonna have to figure this out. And then once I did and I started sharing what I was doing, everyone kept well like what did what else did you do? And what else did you and so like I didn't start this off to even help other women. It just Pete "mental health champ": Mm-hmm. Casey Kang: The more I shared the struggle and how I fig found solutions, the more women were like, Help me, help me and I was like, Of course, like, let's go. I mean, you know, we don't have we don't have time to waste. So let's figure it out together. Pete "mental health champ": Yeah. And and that's awesome though. You got such a boring response though when you were sharing your own story. Cause a lot of people, depending on what it is, you the internet's not a friendly place at times for people. You get some wild things. And Maddie was here. She would tell you about her whole story. Her backstory was, you know, she was on like 18 different medications for mental health disorders and all this other crazy stuff, you know, and and the internet wasn't fun to her at all. They were just trashing her, telling her to go to a mental hospital, this and that. Casey Kang: It's a lot. Three about it out in Yeah, it's trying to color it. Pete "mental health champ": All these kind things. So Maddie's accomplished a lot though. She she's a gr she's working on her masters right now and everything else. She's gotten awards from UNC and things like that. She's had meetings of the Chancellors and things all these other really cool things. She has a support group as well on her side. ⁓ it's called Jane E. And when we met on the first on my main show, I asked her to come do the side project of me. And she's been having a blast. So, you know, and things like that too. But she's she's been through a lot too, as well, you know, and it's it's really cool to see people being very receptive. Casey Kang: She she either got either analysis right now. ⁓ I ⁓ it's company. Yeah, I'm sorry. ⁓ Pete "mental health champ": Are they are they the same way about the book though too? I mean you have to be getting great reviews for it. Casey Kang: Yeah, I mean I've gotten some really great feedback about like like they like it it gives women a place to at least start and figure out like ⁓ okay this makes sense like all of this these steps that you're you've suggested here make sense right there's a lot of lot of questions inside of the book as opposed to answers right because my answers are different than somebody else's answers and so ⁓ but I I I struggled with what Pete "mental health champ": Mm-hmm. Casey Kang: question do I even need to be asked to figure out the answer? And so the book is full of helpful questions that that will you will essentially get the answer that you were looking for. Pete "mental health champ": I love that approach though. I think that's a great idea because your answer is one hundred percent correct though. You think about it, your answers will be different than somebody else's, but you're you're putting those questions in their mind of like, Hey, listen, think of this. You know, this is what I answered, but your answer will be different, obviously. So then they just start challenging themselves to answer a lot of those questions and things like that, you know, give themselves a sense of purpose, ⁓ and things like that too, you know. And and like I said though, it's Casey Kang: But you if I I guess I don't know if Pete "mental health champ": It's it's really cool though that you're really open and honest about everything. People are just so thrilled to want to know more. Like, hey, what's more? Because I remember reading your email and I was like, Holy crap. What? Like, you know, I've I've heard some wild stories, Casey. Don't get me wrong. I I've heard some pretty intense stories. But this this tops them right here. I met a guy though, ⁓ he was the first person to get a get a chemo pump before he had come on the show and me and him were talking and he went back to work full time where he had it like because it was like a diet, it was an insulin pump originally. Casey Kang: Right. Pete "mental health champ": And then they designed it for a chemo pump for him. And he was one of the first recipients of it. Yeah, he he had it though. And he was like going back to work full time, full steam, did slow down. And I was just like, dude, holy crap. Casey, you just joined him up there with like some of the most powerful people I've ever met on this show. Like just pure human will alone. Because you went through all those things and now you're turning your your trauma into an actual purpose to help other people. Casey Kang: Yeah. right, yeah, yeah. People I think ⁓ you can. Coming into a hyper. Pete "mental health champ": And you didn't even intend to in the first place. You're like, I just started sharing and people just started asking. So, you know, and then it turned into a demand of like, well, now if these all these people have questions, I might as well put it together in this book. And then, you know, when writing the book, you you basically turn it on its head because it's not like I'm not giving you all the answers. I'm making you work for these answers, which a lot of people they don't like to do the work. That's that's why a lot of times therapy fails for a lot of people, is because they get excited. Casey Kang: Yeah, I'm Pete "mental health champ": They leave the office and then what happens? They don't do the work and then they're back to the endless cycle. You're like, No, no, let me twist this on its head. Let me ask you a question and let you answer what you think, you know, and go from there, which I think is a great perspective and way to do it though for people too, you know, in and things like that as well. Casey Kang: a hundred percent. And I think I think everyone has the answers inside of them already. They just haven't been asked the right questions to get there and realize what it is. And ⁓ it's it's hard you're ⁓ hard because you don't know what you're supposed to be asking yourself, right? And so, ⁓ yeah, I mean, like your friend had gone through so much. I I didn't anticipate going through this, but I said I I even I even said to myself, Pete "mental health champ": Mm-hmm. Yep. Casey Kang: when I first started like actually helping women, I go, if I help one person that's then this is all not for nothing because I will share openly about everything and be as honest and truthful as possible. And if it helps one person, that's all that matters. Because that one person is the one person that needs to hear it. Yeah. Pete "mental health champ": Yeah, and that's all it takes is one person. That's that was the goal of the original show when I started was that if we could change one person or touch one person, that's it. That's all it mattered. You already won the battle, you know. Now I'm God, 250 episodes plus doing that. Now I've got this show going as well. And it's it's it's great to see the response I get from people. Like people are just so amazed that, you know, we me and Maddie opened this space for other people to share stories in general because I was like, you know what? I like doing mental health thing around because that's my main show. But I'm like, well, there's gotta be other stories out there we gotta hear. And we've had some interesting people come through here. But you're you're right there at the top, trust me. I don't think anybody's beaten this story so far because it it's just it's so cool to hear though. Like, you know, after all that stuff in in the stroke, you you obviously didn't suffer any paralysis, did you? Casey Kang: But you ⁓ Yeah, it's so good. ⁓ I did. So I was ⁓ so I four months into my treatment I had a stroke and ⁓ I did I was left temporarily paralyzed on my whole left side. I couldn't do I couldn't even sit up. ⁓ and so I was I was in the ICU and then transferred to the rehabilitation hospital. I spent three weeks in the re rehabilitation hospital and basically like begged them to let me out because I mentally couldn't be there anymore. ⁓ and then I did outpatient therapy for eight weeks, three hours every single day, five days a week, while still getting treatment for for my cancer because it had na I wasn't in remission and they couldn't stop. So I was going from sometimes rehab ⁓ straight to the the hospital and getting chemotherapy and then rinsing and repeating that. Pete "mental health champ": Jesus. Wow. And what was your mental state like? You know, obviously being the mental health guy, I've got to ask these questions now. Like what was your mental health like? It couldn't be great at that point because you're going from rehab to the hospital. That you're already putting enough stress doing rehab. Now you're taking the chemotherapy treatments. And God, girl, you had to be I I don't I I don't even know how you did it, honestly. I don't think I could do all that. Like I said, that's that's wild. Casey Kang: ⁓ It it was. ⁓ and so like while I was in the rehab ⁓ inpatient hospital, I there was a moment where I was putting ⁓ well I was getting help. I was trying to put on shoes and socks. And my husband at the time, we're divorced now, ⁓ he was tying my shoe and I go. And I just broke down and I started crying. And I go, I have friends my age teaching their children how to tie their shoe, and I'm learning the same thing as they are. And I just started crying and I couldn't stop. But in that moment that I was crying, it made it I realized I was like, if I can learn how to tie my shoe, which means I can use like my left hand again and balance my body. So like there's a lot of things that go into Pete "mental health champ": Mm-hmm. Casey Kang: Bending down and tying your shoe, I was like, I will be on the right track. And so, like that, putting even that goal in my head of like, you're gonna be able to tie your own shoe. That's all you have to figure out, like gave me enough drive and incentive to keep going. Because the one smart thing that my doctors did was they never told me with any certainty how much mobility I would get back. They go, We don't know, just keep going. We don't know. Keep going. So when I became when I switched to outpatient though, I only had three hours that my insurance would approve and then everything else was on my own. So I would go home for rehab and after chemotherapy sometimes and just keep typing on the computer. I got like one of those typing programs that like kids get. and just started doing all these things on my own. ⁓ a Pete "mental health champ": Mm-hmm. Casey Kang: In addition to the rehab, and yeah, it was physically exhausting. I was going to bed at like five o'clock in the afternoon. But mentally, there was something inside me because they didn't give any certainty one way or the other, that I was like, I'm going to get this back. There was so much inside of me that wanted it so badly to not be dependent on anyone else to get up and do the daily tasks of life that. Pete "mental health champ": Yeah. Casey Kang: It just like I my ego, I don't know, whatever inside me just could not to be dependent on another human being. Yeah. Pete "mental health champ": At pure at pure human will, man. That's what it was. I mean, there's there's a lot of people I've met. There's a guy that was fully paralyzed from the neck down and he still pushed through everything just to try and have a normal life in in some sense for himself. He even had a family too. He had he had three boys and everything else. So, I mean, it's it's the human will, man, it's the power of human will. It's awesome to hear though that, you know, you're doing all this for everybody else now, you know. It and it you know Casey Kang: Yeah. ⁓ Pete "mental health champ": You have anything planned for the future? I mean, well we already talked about the memoir. We obviously need that, you know, 'cause we think that's gonna be great, honestly, the title alone. But you know what I'm saying? Do you have an anything planned for the future now? Or we just ⁓ because you got a list of resume there. What else we adding to that thing? Casey Kang: Yeah. to be determined. I'm kind of at my next point of of okay, the ground's getting unshaky. What what's next for me? ⁓ in my evolution. But I have been asked several times to write a book. And so like maybe is this the universe's nudge to like do that? I don't know. ⁓ so but I'm gonna continue to help women as much as possible. ⁓ I also ⁓ volunteer with Pete "mental health champ": Mm. Casey Kang: the organization Blood Cancer United, ⁓ formerly the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, ⁓ in a lot of ways to to again help survivors. But also ⁓ this last year, one of my friends was a Visionary of the Year candidate and so as a team member raising money for them. Research is important. They are the they are spearheriting a lot of the drugs and without them I would I wouldn't be here today. one of the immunotherapies they developed saved my life. So Pete "mental health champ": Awesome. Casey Kang: Giving back is huge for me in in inside of the cancer space period because without I I just feel like we're all we all deserve that opportunity and that chance to live a long life. And without research and innovation, we won't have that. Pete "mental health champ": And I I think you touched on a point earlier. You said there's not a lot out there for you guys. Like you went looking and you didn't find anything. So you're creating a space for people where there's a demand. Like there's not a lot of people like yourself out there, you know? And it gives you the opportunity to try and find others and to start creating that space for people to have somewhere to go. You know, get the information. You know, like Alzheimer's is another one too. I did a brain awareness special with somebody. ⁓ she hosts the podcast Truth Lies and Alzheimer's. And we were talking about it. And the scary thing is that she's like, I'm the only person in this space doing anything. I'm just like, What? That's that's crazy. Like, why? You know, for something that is right there on the top like in the top ten list of things that are killing the people, we don't know a lot about. And it's it's crazy, you know. And it's the same thing with cancer. It's like a lot of people cancer, but it's like, you know, nobody nobody thinks it's the aftermath because everybody thinks it's the end all be all. Casey Kang: Things are clear to people. We have no Pete "mental health champ": You know, in in stuff like that. But you know, it's like for people like you that survived, it's like you s like your book says, like, now what? Now what do I do now? You know. Casey Kang: Mm-hmm. I mean, I l I literally Googled that I don't know how many times because I was like, what am I supposed to be doing? Like, what's the plan? Right. And I I 20 pages deep on Google couldn't find anything. And so ⁓ Yeah, like ⁓ and so I just I I I feel like it's such a lonely journey already too. And then Pete "mental health champ": Right. That's crazy. Mm-hmm. Casey Kang: not have anybody that gets it or understands it is is even lonelier because you feel like s something's wrong with you and like it's not you. It everyone feels this way, but no one talks about it because the weird thing about cancer is like you go through and everyone's like sunshine and rainbows and you're grateful to be alive, right? Like just you should be the happiest person in the world when the expectations don't meet the reality because your life is completely topsy turvy and and train changed forever. Pete "mental health champ": I think I think you hit another point that's very interesting. You said not a lot of people talk about it, but why? I don't understand. Like it's it's the same thing like I'm pushing for mental health. It's like, why can't we just talk about these things? You know, why do we have to make it so demonized? You know, like yeah, okay. I have a friend, she has cancer and she's battling it right now and she's supposed to have surgery. ⁓ and now they're she's saying that it she's having something else. So she means having another problem, you know? And it's it's hard to watch because it's like, you know. Casey Kang: Yeah, it's just a lot of people I think. Pete "mental health champ": Nobody wants to talk about it, but I'll ask her about it all day. Like, you know, maybe that's just me, but I'm generally a curious person. I start asking questions about things, you know, but I don't know why we have to demonize it so much. Like, you know, everybody goes to these things. Why do we have to make it weird? You know, and I think that's a that's an interesting point though. You're like everybody's like, so so happy because you made it. No, motherfucker, I just went through hell and back. Do you know understand what it's like here? Let's be honest. Like Casey can tell you, she's been there three times and had a damn stroke. Casey Kang: Yeah. Yeah. Pete "mental health champ": Like she'll tell you it's it's wild, you know what I'm saying? Like it's it's crazy the way the internet perceives these things. And then you have to sit there and watch it, like, no, wait, hold up. Part the breaks here. That ain't how this shit works. Hell no. That's why we need this book so bad, Casey. That's why we need the book. Damn it, we need to know what it's like. You know what I mean? You You ever you ever consider doing like like keynote speaking and things about it too? I mean, if you if you do the book, that's something you should look into too, possibly, going out there and telling people. Casey Kang: that perceives these things. ⁓ Right, right. Like I Pete "mental health champ": your story 'cause you know because I feel like a lot of people be able to connect with it though and and be in the same place you were. You know, and then they don't feel so lone. I feel like it's such a lonely thing when you find out you have it and then it's like people start like, ⁓ well I don't want to bother them because No, go bother them. They want some human interaction. You know, it's the same thing with mental health. It's like you as soon as you mention it, everybody gets so scared and it's like, Okay, well we'll mention it and then Casey Kang: Yeah, it's like Okay, well that's it. Pete "mental health champ": Sweep it under the rug. And it's like, why? Why do you do these kind of things? And it it's like, we just like to demonize things that aren't fun to talk about. You know, and then when somebody starts talking about it, luckily in your situation, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Like I said, Maddie's situation is the polar opposite where they were just demons. They were just saying the nastiest things ever to her, ever. You know, but they find out about your story and then it's like, ⁓ well, you know, it Casey Kang: Talking about it, what means? ⁓ simple. Mm. Yeah. Pete "mental health champ": You know, and I think it's I think it's because a lot of people, cancer, you're like people do talk a little bit about it, but a lot of people it's more of a serious thing. A lot of people take it more serious versus mental health as we're seeing a lot of people now are now talking a little more, but not enough at the at the rate you know, I could go on for days about the suicide rates that we're looking at are just insane. But but you but you know what I'm saying though, it's it's so weird. Why do we have to demonize everything? Why can't we just have open conversations about these things? Casey Kang: More serious versus red. Okay. Mm-hmm. ⁓ You know, Pete "mental health champ": You know, and we as a society, we need to stop doing those things. Stop th demonizing anything, especially their their guys' situation. Because what you guys go through is it's a hell. You're basically going to war with your own body, man. You're taking in chemo, which is radiation. In in the things you're going through, in the things you're going through, like I watched my aunt go through it. She had breast cancer, and you just saw her. She was just miserable in the back scene. Every time we were in a big group call together, she's just back there, just not feeling it all. And she's out of it, sick to her stomach. Casey Kang: Yeah. Chemo radiation also. Yeah. ⁓ Yeah, you felt. Pete "mental health champ": ⁓ she was using edibles to help with her appetite and in things like that too, which I thought was great. 'Cause I know a lot of these lot of these drugs you cover a lot of side effects and thing, you know, you're gonna get that with anything you get, honestly. Not to demonized pharmacies and things like it. I get it. If you need it, you need it, but whatever works for you really at the end of the day, it works, you know. Hers was just, you know, taking some edibles that helped and you know, which really was great to see, you know, 'cause she was always a very lively person. Casey Kang: You're doing ⁓ yeah, yeah. Yeah. ⁓ Pete "mental health champ": And and things like that too. And I remember when she had to she had to she had had all the hair loss and had to shave her head and was asking me about it and and things like that 'cause I'm bald and I I shaved mine a long time ago. I love it. It's great. I'm gonna be honest with you. The first time I did it's the last time I ever didn't stop doing it. But you know, it's it was so hard, but you know, you always wanted to check in on them and see how they're doing and every time, you know, they'd post something she'd post something, you always want to celebrate with her. Casey Kang: And absolutely. Yeah. Anyway, celebrate. Pete "mental health champ": And blow it up bigger than it had to be, just because, man, like, you know, you don't understand what a lot of these guys are going through, you know. And like when I read Erica's book, it was a little more insight to the the mental struggle a lot of you guys are dealing with. You know, yeah, she had breast cancer, but she still had cancer in general. And and when you get that diagnosis, it's it's hard, man, because it's like that's the death sentence. Just like when people told me when I when I found out I have diabetes, I was like, ⁓ shit. Then everybody started treating it like a death sentence. I'm like, it doesn't have to be that way though. Casey Kang: It was a little ⁓ It's like yeah. No, I I agree with you. ⁓ our society has a way of anything that makes people uncomfortable of sweeping under the rug, right? Like if you're not doing great, we don't want to hear about it. We don't you know. And I think that's unfortunate because life is life, right? There's ups, downs, and everything in between. And so I I wanted I want that's what I was trying to do is normalize the conversation of like Pete "mental health champ": Mm-hmm. Uh-huh. Casey Kang: It's okay if you feel this way. Like you're not supposed to feel one way or the other. ⁓ it's exhausting and it's it's hard and and it challenges you on every every level of your life, physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally. You start questioning everything, you know? ⁓ and the reality is like it it leaves more struggling than not. Pete "mental health champ": Mm-hmm. Casey Kang: It kinda reminds me of the best tech analogy that I've ever ever used is, you know, same, same different. And so I'm not trying to say it's the same exactly but because it's different, but veterans go to go to or people in the military go to war, they come back, they're very different, right? ⁓ but there's a lot of support for them. They have all of these communities that they can choose to be a part of and are a part of. ⁓ whereas Pete "mental health champ": Mm-hmm. Casey Kang: Our war is internal, it's with ourselves, but there's no after care for us. There's no here's what you do next, here's your place, here's your help. ⁓ and that's you know, I'm not saying like it's the same, but it is mentally it's PTSC, it's trauma, it's we ha and we have to go back to the same place as the trauma happened a lot of times. Pete "mental health champ": You you know a scary thing though with the military is that I interviewed the first person I ever did on Pete Versus Anxiety was a 22-year veteran. He told me that when he came back that they had to check his mental health status and said that he was okay. Now, the way they figured this out was when he asked them, he said, Hey, did you check my results from before or after I came back? They said I checked it before you came. So how are you making assumptions that I'm okay? Casey Kang: Yes, something that I'm Pete "mental health champ": Yeah. Then how are you telling me I'm okay? I in this poor guy couldn't even go do any daily thing, picking a daily topic. I always say go get a loaf of bread or something. He can't for him to go to the store and come back, he is so drained because he is going through so much. He has he got into a Humvee, ⁓ where his Humvee got attacked and the whole thing blew up, flipped in the air, went upside down, was alcoholed for fifteen minutes, had to get up and act like everything was okay because he was the commanding officer. But then when he told me that when he came back, and I was just like Casey Kang: Yeah. He can't work. Look yeah ⁓ with this Pete "mental health champ": What? Like like are you s it's it's scary to know that. Like he went through war, he was in a in a scene or something he had somebody shooting a explosive projectiles at him for them to come back and tell him basically that ⁓ you you're okay. Casey Kang: It's scary. Yeah. Yeah, I mean like that's it is. Like I even my my therapist was like, You're okay and I'm like, Yeah, I could I could have told you that. That's why I'm here and ⁓ you know, she goes you P T S D, C P S D all these things. And I was like, Yeah, that's fair. She goes, Do you want to go on medication? I go, Nope. I don't want to I I have no problem with medication. I just personally knew that it wasn't for me. I wanted to to Pete "mental health champ": It's the scary part. Yeah. Casey Kang: get to the root cause of it, not not just get through it. And so ⁓ that that the which I which unfortunately those are that's ninety nine percent of what were were offered only. And I was like, I I d I don't disagree. Some people do need it and so a lot of people do benefit, but for me it was not a route that I was willing to take. ⁓ and I wanted to do it the hard way, I guess. Because I knew there that there was a way forward, I just had to find it. Yeah. Yeah. Pete "mental health champ": Yeah. Yeah, definitely. You know, so I mean it's it it's scary though because, you know, a lot of these these these medicines they give them are just so horrible. And it's not the demonize medicine. I get it. Medicine works in certain cases. It's the same thing with mental health. A lot of those people that really need ⁓ should be on ⁓ but not everybody needs to be on some of these things, you know? And Casey Kang: Very well because you know a lot of these these these credits that they have so important, even Pete "mental health champ": And it makes sense though, you know, 'cause you're you're a Ricky healer, so you know, you're looking at the eastern medicine side of things, which I go to too a lot too now. I don't I don't like I tried anxiety medicines, didn't work for me. They were horrible. So, you know, I went in a whole different route. I went to like breath work and, you know, I write in journals. I have journals and all these other tools I have in my belt that I've earned and learned along the way of doing the other show, recording things and hearing meeting different people with different things and, you know, stuff like that as well. Casey Kang: But you know, there was a Mm-hmm. Pete "mental health champ": You know, so but you know, before we start wrapping up though, Casey, do do you have a community you have already built, like a Facebook or social site where people can get together? You know, or do you do you where where's your socials at though too? Yeah, no go ahead and list those, let them know where they can find you, you know. Casey Kang: I do. Yeah. ⁓ so I have a Facebook community that's free. It's called Thriving After Cancer Treatment. ⁓ and you can find me on Instagram and Facebook at the happier hustle and ⁓ reach out, say hello. ⁓ I I do work with women. I am taking clients and so ⁓ I built a 13 week program as well. So there's definitely options to work together if that calls you. And I did write a book, Pete mentioned many times. Pete "mental health champ": She's gonna write another book, The Memoir. It's hard. Remember, we called it Hard to Kill, the Casey Casey Kang story, I'm telling you. ⁓ You can do like a promo for it. She's hard to kill. Casey Kang is hard to kill. You know, think of thinking like Major League 2. ⁓ Yeah. ⁓ yeah. Listen, I just listen. The only thing I'm asking for is if you do it, write a book. Sign you. I want to sign copy for my collection. So I could say that I had you on the show at some point. Casey Kang: I don't know. I will give you full credit. Pete "mental health champ": ⁓ in and things like that too because ⁓ it's it's been a great honor having you here it's so great hangout. I wish Maddie could be here for this, you know, and hang out. But listen, if you have the second book, you're gonna have to come back. You can meet Maddie that time. Maddie'll hopefully he'll be back at that time and things like that too. Guys, I will get all those socials and links and everything. I will put them in the description of this episode, like I do every week for y'all ⁓ and things like that. And Casey, let me let me ask you one thing, okay? So normally I'm Pete for anxiety asks people this question. So I'm gonna ask you Casey Kang: And so Okay. Pete "mental health champ": a question I ask all my guests on the show. Okay. So the question to you is if your mental health had a song, what would you say that song would be? I'm kinda curious to know what this would be. Casey Kang: ⁓ my god. ⁓ that was ⁓ that's a tough one. ew. ⁓ I think I'm I'm blanking on this artist's name, which is so bad. Can I look for a second? So I know the name of the song, but I'm blanking on her her name. Pete "mental health champ": It's on. Yeah, go look it up, yeah. We had ⁓ I had Kimberly Lou, who's been featured on HBO, ESPN, all those major network names. Hers was ⁓ God, what the hell was it? She played what the song was. I had to go look up what the song was too. And hers was something wild. I was like, ⁓ my Kimberly, Jesus. So we've had some interesting ones. I think the last person I asked that question to, Casey, his answer was grandma got ran over by a reindeer. I died laughing. I was like, this is great. I love this. Casey Kang: Yeah, what is it? Yeah. ⁓ that's hilarious. ⁓ Mine would probably be Rise Up by Audra Day. And yeah, it's one of those songs where you're just like the hits keep coming but you just keep keep going like you like Yeah. ⁓ Pete "mental health champ": Okay, okay. I love it. I love it. I love it. Well, Casey, thank you again so much for being here on Voice of the Voiceless with me. ⁓ you know, ⁓ I do you have any last words for everybody before we sign off? You wanna give them a little row give a little roaring replace for them or something? What do you want to gonna say to the people? Casey Kang: We can go out the No, If you're stronger than you think you are, then don't give up. And if you really, really need help, you reach out to someone, anyone. people do love you and care about you. Pete "mental health champ": I love it. I love it. Thank you so much, Casey, again, guys. With that being said, we're going to wrap up this episode of Voice of the Voiceless. You know to find us every Saturday, 9 a.m. every week. People like Casey will be here to hang out with us. Unfortunately, Maddie was not here. Maddie, we're sending nothing but the best to you as always. Guys, and always say, be bold, be brave, be one of the voice of the voiceless. Until next time, guys, I'm signing off. Later. Casey Kang: This is all great.