Episode 54: Sitting With Uncertainty

When someone is diagnosed with cancer, one of the first questions is simple: What happens next? But for many, that question doesn’t come with a clear answer. Instead, it opens the door to something much harder to navigate—uncertainty.

In this episode of NETWise, host Jessica Thomas explores what it means to live in that space of the unknown. From the shock of diagnosis to the ongoing reality of treatment decisions, scan results, and everything in between, uncertainty becomes a constant companion for many people living with neuroendocrine cancer.

Through deeply personal stories and expert insight, this episode brings together the voices of patients, a caregiver, and a physician who is also a patient—each offering a different perspective on how to cope, adapt, and move forward without all the answers.
You’ll hear from:

• Jackie Dong, diagnosed at just 23, navigating recovery and redefining his outlook on life
• Dr. Mark Lewis, oncologist and patient, sharing the limits of statistics and the reality of lived experience
• Jennifer Rogers Anderson, who found peace by letting go of the need to know
• Jessica Ochoa, confronting the hardest question—how much time do I have?
• Gary Murfin, emphasizing the importance of self-advocacy and informed decision-making
• Jamie Metzl, a caregiver whose search for knowledge became deeply personal

Together, their stories reveal a powerful truth: uncertainty doesn’t just happen at diagnosis—it continues throughout the cancer journey. It shows up in treatment decisions, in waiting for scan results, in understanding the disease itself, and in imagining the future.

But while uncertainty may not go away, the way we relate to it can change.

This episode explores:

• The emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis and the shock that follows
• Why statistics and percentages don’t always translate to individual experience
• The balance between seeking information and avoiding overwhelm
• The reality of “scan-xiety” and living between results
• How routines, movement, and mindset can create stability
• The importance of self-advocacy and trusted information
• What it means to not just survive—but thrive—within uncertainty

At its core, this conversation is about learning how to live alongside uncertainty—not by eliminating it, but by finding ways to stay grounded, present, and connected to what matters most.

Because while the future may not always be clear… the way we show up for each day still is.