Cancer Cured Me

This week I’m sharing a very special encore episode with the wonderful Adele Wimsett (ignore the early days production values!). I wanted to bring this conversation back because the content is still so valid, so important and so needed. Adele is a women’s health practitioner and cyclical living guide who specialises in perimenopause, ADHD and hormone health, and she has been a hugely important part of my own healing journey. I’m also absolutely thrilled that Adele will be joining us at the Held Retreat in the Cotswolds from 25-28 September, where she’ll be running one of her fantastic workshops for the women attending. For more information www.lalaloves.com

In this episode, we talk about why hormones are not just about periods or fertility. They affect your mood, energy, brain, nervous system, sleep, joints, skin, immunity and so much more. Adele explains why progesterone is so important for emotional regulation, why stress can have such an impact on hormone balance and why so many women reach midlife feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, anxious or not quite themselves.
We also explore why perimenopause can feel especially intense for women with ADHD, how cyclical living can help us stop expecting ourselves to feel the same every day, and why simple things like morning light, protein at breakfast, blood sugar balance and nervous system tools can make such a difference.
This conversation is full of those “oh my goodness, that’s me” moments. It is not about perfection or another impossible wellness routine. It is about understanding your body, working with yourself rather than against yourself and realising that you are not broken.

The HELD Retreat 25-28 September 2026

Held is a luxury retreat for women who are ready to pause, reset, reconnect and feel deeply supported. Adele’s workshop is such an important part of the retreat because this work is exactly what so many women need - clear, grounded education about their bodies, hormones, nervous systems and how to start feeling more like themselves again.
In this episode we talk about:
Perimenopause and ADHD
Women’s hormone health
Progesterone, mood and nervous system regulation
Stress, cortisol and adrenal health
Blood sugar and midlife wellbeing
Cyclical living
PMDD and PCOS
Morning light and protein at breakfast
Why women need to stop pushing through

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Insta:@cancercuredme
Retreats: @lalalovesretreats
www.lalaloves.com

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In this encore episode of Cancer Cured Me, I’m joined by Kristen Carder, host of the I Have ADHD podcast, for a brutally honest and deeply validating conversation about ADHD in women, rejection sensitive dysphoria, emotional regulation, masking, parenting and learning to trust yourself again. We talk about why rejection can feel so painful, why ADHD mothers can be triggered by seeing their own struggles mirrored in their children and why you are not broken, lazy or “too sensitive”. A must-listen for women with ADHD, anyone exploring a late ADHD diagnosis and anyone who wants to understand RSD, nervous system regulation and self-compassion more deeply.

In this episode, we talk about:
ADHD in women and why so many are diagnosed later in life
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, also known as RSD
Why rejection sensitivity can feel so painful and physical
The link between childhood criticism, masking and adult ADHD shame
Why ADHD parenting can be so triggering
Repairing after you’ve snapped at your child
The difference between ADHD symptoms and everyday struggles
Why “everyone gets distracted” is not the same as having ADHD
Emotional regulation and nervous system support
Therapy, coaching and medication for ADHD
Self-soothing tools for rejection spirals
Why the first sting of rejection may still happen, even when you’ve done a lot of healing
ADHD, perfectionism and the pressure to be palatable
Why women with ADHD often lose their voice, their “no” and their sense of self
How to start building self-trust again

Kristen’s simple tool for rejection sensitivity
Kristen suggests:
First, honour the sting.
Don’t shame yourself for feeling hurt. Don’t tell yourself you’re being ridiculous. Don’t try to bulldoze the feeling away with “positive thinking” or any other nonsense that makes you want to throw a cushion across the room.
Let yourself acknowledge it.
Then soothe your body.
That might be breathing, placing a hand on your chest, asking someone safe for a hug, stepping outside or doing something that helps your nervous system settle.
Then, once your body has calmed down, check your thoughts.
Ask yourself:
Was this an actual rejection?
Or have I created a rejection story in my mind?
Because sometimes someone really has been unkind or dismissive. But very often, especially with ADHD and RSD, we are reacting to a scenario our brain has created to protect us.
It’s clever. It’s exhausting. And it is not always accurate.

About Kristen Carder
Kristen Carder is an ADHD coach, host of the I Have ADHD podcast and founder of Focused, a global coaching programme and community for adults with ADHD.
After being diagnosed with ADHD at 21, Kristen spent years learning how ADHD actually affects adult life, relationships, work, parenting, emotional regulation and self-trust. Through her podcast, coaching and community, she helps adults with ADHD feel less alone and learn practical ways to support themselves.
You can find Kristen here:
Podcast: I Have ADHD
Instagram: @i.have.adhd.podcast
Programme: Focused ADHD coaching programme

Listen if you’re looking for support with:
ADHD in women, adult ADHD, late ADHD diagnosis, rejection sensitive dysphoria, RSD, emotional regulation, nervous system regulation, ADHD parenting, ADHD mothers, ADHD and shame, ADHD and self-trust, masking in women, ADHD coaching, trauma-informed ADHD support, neurodivergence, ADHD relationships and feeling too sensitive.

Final words from me
This episode is such a gorgeous reminder that healing doesn’t mean never being triggered again.
It doesn’t mean never snapping, spiralling, overthinking or feeling that awful sting of rejection.
It means noticing sooner.
Repairing quicker.
Understanding yourself more gently.
And slowly, slowly learning that you are allowed to be human.
You are a human being, not a human doing.
And if this episode helps you feel even a tiny bit more understood, then I am so glad you’re here.
If you like what you hear... buymeacoffee.com/alexsimms
Insta:@cancercuredme
Retreats: @lalalovesretreats
www.lalaloves.com

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY COTSWOLDS RETREAT

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I owe Fearne Cotton an apology.

Years ago, I judged her after seeing one tiny moment from the outside. But after hearing her speak so honestly about people pleasing, panic attacks, public scrutiny, losing jobs and the pressure of being liked, I saw her completely differently.

In this solo episode, I talk about what Fearne’s words brought up for me, why people pleasing is often a nervous system response, and why so many women reach a point in midlife where they realise they can’t keep saying yes at the expense of themselves.

I also share why I’m pausing Cancer Cured Me after 75 episodes, what I’ve learned from creating this first long season, and how I’m putting more energy into The Wellness Collection, my non-profit CIC providing funded retreats and support for people recovering after cancer.

A very honest episode about judgement, burnout, boundaries, rest, purpose and knowing when to pause.

Please keep messaging while we're on our break - I always love hearing from you and will get back to everyone personally.

Big love, La x
If you like what you hear... buymeacoffee.com/alexsimms
Insta:@cancercuredme
Retreats: @lalalovesretreats
www.lalaloves.com

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY COTSWOLDS RETREAT

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE HAPPY MONDAY TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS & NEWS
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To mark Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month, I’m joined by the incredible Vikki Feltham - a senior leader, speaker and advocate whose story is one of the most powerful conversations I’ve ever had on Cancer Cured Me.

At 34, after almost five years of nosebleeds, pain and being repeatedly told it was nothing serious, Vikki was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma inside her nose. Her life-saving treatment meant losing her nose, followed by chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a long physical and emotional recovery.

But this episode is not only about cancer. It is about identity, visible difference, self-advocacy, motherhood, medical gaslighting, confidence and what happens when life strips you back to the rawest version of yourself.

Vikki shares how she went from hiding at home after treatment to using her story on TikTok, speaking publicly, working with cancer organisations and becoming an advocate for earlier diagnosis and better patient-led support.

We talk about the loneliness after treatment ends, the cliff edge so many cancer patients face, how visible difference changes the way you move through the world, and why rebuilding after adversity is messy, brave and deeply human.

NHS guidance lists persistent one-sided blocked nose, nosebleeds, loss of smell and blood-stained mucus as possible symptoms of nasal and sinus cancer, although these symptoms can also be caused by less serious conditions. If something does not feel right, please keep asking questions and seek medical advice.

In this episode, we talk about:

The nosebleeds that began years before Vikki’s diagnosis
Being dismissed, misdiagnosed and lost in the system
The shock of being told she had head and neck cancer
Losing her nose as part of life-saving treatment
Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and the reality of recovery
The emotional cliff edge after treatment ends
Visible difference, confidence and learning to be seen again
How Vikki used TikTok to help others advocate for themselves
Why cancer recovery is not just physical
Rebuilding identity after trauma
Motherhood, purpose and choosing not to shrink your life
The power of saying, “If not me, then who?”

Connect with Vikki: Click here check out her podcast coming Summer 2026

Insta: vikkidotcom
If you like what you hear... buymeacoffee.com/alexsimms
Insta:@cancercuredme
Retreats: @lalalovesretreats
www.lalaloves.com

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY COTSWOLDS RETREAT

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE HAPPY MONDAY TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS & NEWS
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Why do you keep falling back into the same habits - no matter how hard you try?
It’s not a lack of discipline… this is what's keeping you stuck...

Today’s episode is for you if you’ve ever thought…

Why can’t I just change?

Why do I keep falling back into the same habits, the same patterns, the same behaviours - no matter how hard I try?

Because here’s the truth - it’s not that you’re lazy, undisciplined or lacking willpower.

There’s actually a much deeper reason behind it.

In this episode, I’m diving into the science of behaviour patterns - including the concept of Pavlov’s dog - and how your environment is quietly shaping your habits every single day without you even realising it.

Your home, your routines, even your kitchen or sofa… they’re not neutral spaces.

They’re full of emotional and behavioural triggers that keep you stuck in the same loops.

And once you understand this, everything starts to make sense.

I’m also sharing something I’ve personally noticed - how I can be one version of myself at home, and a completely different version of myself when I step away. More present, more regulated, more intentional.
And that’s where the real shift happens.
Because sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do isn’t try harder…
it’s step out of the environment that’s keeping you stuck.

In this episode, I talk about:

Why your habits aren’t a discipline problem
How your environment creates automatic behaviours
The link between dopamine, stress and daily patterns
Why you feel different on holiday (and what that tells you)
How to gently break negative patterns without force
The power of a “pattern interrupt” and why it changes everything
How retreats help reset your nervous system and create lasting change

This is exactly why I believe so deeply in the power of retreats.
Not as an escape - but as a reset.
A chance to step away from the noise, the pressure, the constant doing…
and finally hear yourself again.
Because when you remove the triggers, regulate your nervous system, and give yourself space -
you don’t just feel better…
You start to think differently.
You make clearer decisions.
You create new patterns that actually stick.
And once you’ve experienced that version of yourself…
you can’t un-know it.

Your Invitation

If something in this episode resonated with you - if you know you’re ready for a shift but can’t seem to create it in your current environment - this could be exactly what you need.

I’m currently creating a waitlist for my upcoming luxury wellbeing retreats in the Cotswolds.

Think beautiful countryside, complete calm, chef-prepared nourishing food, powerful workshops, and world-class teachers - all designed to help you reset, regulate and reconnect with yourself.

This isn’t about escaping your life.

It’s about changing how you live it.

Spaces will be offered to the waitlist first.

→ Join the waitlist now via our website www.lalaloves.com

→ Or message us directly with the word WAITLIST via Instagram @lalalovesretreats

If retreats don’t feel accessible right now, please still reach out - there are other ways we can work together.
If you like what you hear... buymeacoffee.com/alexsimms
Insta:@cancercuredme
Retreats: @lalalovesretreats
www.lalaloves.com

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY COTSWOLDS RETREAT

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE HAPPY MONDAY TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS & NEWS
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.