LJ Amaral is a Clinical and Research Dietitian specializing in Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.  She is currently doing research on the ketogenic diet as an adjunct treatment to the standard of care for brain cancer patients.  Find LJ at https://www.ljamaral.com

Ethan Russo, MD, is a board-certified neurologist, psychopharmacology researcher, and former Senior Medical Advisor to GW Pharmaceuticals. He served as study physician to GW Pharmaceuticals for three Phase III clinical trials of Sativex.

He is author of Handbook of Psychotropic Herbs, co-editor of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Potential, and author of The Last Sorcerer: Echoes of the Rainforest. He was founding editor of Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics, selections of which were published as books: Cannabis Therapeutics in HIV/AIDS, Women and Cannabis: Medicine, Science and Sociology, Cannabis: From Pariah to Prescription, and Handbook of Cannabis Therapeutics: From Bench to Bedside. He has also published numerous book chapters, and over thirty articles in neurology, pain management, cannabis, and ethnobotany. 

- - - 

In this live salon from 9/20/22 on Clubhouse, Ethan, Dr. Russo and LJ discuss the current research and opportunities presented for brain cancer patients when it comes to diet and nutrition, specifically the Ketogenic Diet and the use of cannabis to treat brain cancer.

This conversation was hosted with the support of xCures, learn more and signup for their xINFORM platform that pairs patients with clinical trials at www.xcures.com/brain

Learn more about LIFECHANGES at www.ourlifechanges.co and the Love Extremist Project at www.extremist.love

Greg Link is an 8 year GBM survivor, athlete, entrepreneur and investor originally from New York and living in Miami and Los Angeles.  Learn more about Greg here: https://people.com/health/greg-link-gbm-awareness-day/

Devin Ryan is living with Glioblastoma and uses the Optune helmet to treat her tumor.  She loves being outdoors, lightsaber fencing and connecting with others facing a similar diagnosis.

Anne Donguy is the mother of a 12 yo boy named Anatole who was diagnosed in May 2018 with a Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG) on the thalamus. At that time, the tumor was inoperable, incurable, and they were told soon enough after radiotherapy and a first line of chemo that nothing could be done.  Now, with the help of xCures and the Musella Foundation, Anatole found a clinical trial drug he could use and his tumor shrunk by more than 80%. Anatole, despite important sequels (hemiparesi, bad vision, dizziness, fatigue), is a little guy who goes to school, has friends, plays checks and lives a life as normal as possible. He is a little miracle.

Anne wrote a novel (in French) that is inspired by their story, it is called an exceptional summer.
http://www.denoel.fr/Catalogue/DENOEL/Romans-francais/Un-ete-exceptionnel

Leslie Jared is a 15 year cancer survivor who spent 4 years as a nurse advocate for other cancer patients before joining ChadTough.org and becoming a DIPG Navigator, helping patients and families find treatments for this rare tumor that affects young children.  Find Leslie at www.mydipgnavigator.org

- - -

In this live salon from 9/13/22 on Clubhouse, Greg, Devin, Anne and Leslie discuss their experiences as patients, caregivers and advocates living through GBM and DPG.

This conversation was hosted with the support of xCures, learn more and signup for their xINFORM platform that pairs patients with clinical trials at www.xcures.com/brain

Learn more about LIFECHANGES at www.ourlifechanges.co and the Love Extremist Project at www.extremist.love

Caroline Catlin is a writer, photographer, and grief worker who believes in the power and impact of shared truths. Her writing has been featured in The New York Times, Teen Vogue, Longreads, Healthline, Glamour, and elsewhere. Her photography & film can be found in Boston Globe, AliveNow, The New York Times, and Healthline. Caroline’s background in behavioral health and developmental trauma has inspired her to incorporate art into the process of caregiving and advocacy, as well as to work on reforming the way health, illness, and disability are portrayed in the media. Her TED talk, Why I photograph the quiet moments of grief and loss, has been viewed over 1 million times. She is fueled most by connection, community, and sour candy.

Find Caroline at https://www.carolinecatlin.com On Instagram: @mybodyofwater and Twitter: https://twitter.com/caroline_catlin

In this episode Ethan and Caroline discuss how they relate to dis-ease in their own lives and those around them.  They discuss their relationships with mortality, creativity and connection through the life changes that accompany a major diagnosis.  

Find us at www.ourlifechanges.co and www.extremist.love

Pantera Sarah is a Wisconsin native who has lived in Los Angeles since 1994. For over 20 years she promoted some of the hottest nightclubs in Hollywood.  She produced the Emmy award winning “Yes We Can” video in support of President Obama”s campaign in 2008 and produced two coffee table books with over 200 celebrities , The Beauty Book for Brain Cancer-Editions 1 & 2, (www.thebeautybook.org) that benefited brain cancer research.

She is currently producing and developing projects for both film and television.

Michelle Pellizzon Lipsitz is the founder and HWIC of www.holisticism.com, a media platform that's challenging the status quo around what wellness truly means in a culture that is designed to keep us sick.

In this live salon from 8/30/22 on Clubhouse, Michelle and Pantera Sarah discuss their experiences supporting loved ones with Brain Cancer.  

This conversation was hosted with the support of xCures, learn more and signup for their xINFORM platform that pairs patients with clinical trials at www.xcures.com/brain

Learn more about LIFECHANGES at www.ourlifechanges.co and the Love Extremist Project at www.extremist.love

Dr. Zain Allison is a Lakewood CO based neurosurgeon and spine surgeon who specializes in cranial and spinal neurosurgery with an interest in neurotrauma, neuro-oncology, open neurovascular surgery, and minimally invasive and traditional spine surgeries. Dr. Allison has worked in Madagascar and Bali, and founded a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, “Gratia Servo,” to help fund access to emergency medical care in Madagascar. Working in different regions of the world as well as the US has given Dr. Allison a unique perspective when caring for patients with different backgrounds, approaching difficult medical decisions by treating patients as if they are part of his family.  His goal is to inform patients of all of their options, both surgical and nonsurgical, while guiding them toward realistic expectations.

In this episode Ethan and Zain talk about the intricacies of neurosurgery, the major LIFECHANGE that Zain experienced at 18 that eventually led him to become a neurosurgeon and how he operates as a doctor and a millennial in response to patients going through challenging diagnosis.  

Find Zain at https://www.neurosurgeryone.com/physician/dr-zain-allison-md/

Check out LIFECHANGES at http://www.ourlifechanges.co and join the Love Extremist Project at http://www.extremist.love/signup

Welcome to LIFECHANGES with Brain Cancer - a collaborative series of salon conversations on Clubhouse hosted in partnership with the Love Extremists Club and xCures.  Learn more about how xCures helps patients and doctors connect to clinical trials and sign up for their xINFORM platform at http://www.xcures.com/brain

- - -

Al Musella, DPM got interested in brain tumors when his sister-in-law and father were diagnosed with Glioblastomas, in 1992 and 1999.  He helped create the first online resources for brain tumor patients:  The first online support group dedicated to brain tumor topics, the first registry of treatments and outcomes for brain tumor patients – called the brain tumor virtual trial,  the first online directory of clinical trials for brain tumors (and helped the NIH create clinicaltrials.gov!) and the first video library of brain tumor topics.  He created the Musella Foundation For Brain Tumor Research & Information so that he could fund research and help more patients. https://virtualtrials.org/

Dr. Zain Allison is a Lakewood CO based neurosurgeon and spine surgeon who specializes in cranial and spinal neurosurgery with an interest in neurotrauma, neuro-oncology, open neurovascular surgery, and minimally invasive and traditional spine surgeries. Working in different regions of the world as well as the US has given Dr. Allison a unique perspective when caring for patients with different backgrounds, approaching difficult medical decisions by treating patients as if they are part of his family.  His goal is to inform patients of all of their options, both surgical and nonsurgical, while guiding them toward realistic expectations.

- - - 

In this conversation we explore what to consider when first diagnosed with a brain tumor, how clinical trials and cancer facilities can support survival and new opportunities to change our medical system so more people have access to the life saving care they need.

Support the Promising Pathway Act at https://virtualtrials.org/

Find LIFECHANGES and join us at http://www.ourlifechanges.co

Orion Owens is a fine art photographer from San Diego, California. His unique approach to photography explores the limits of emerging aerial imaging technologies and their relationship to human creativity and physical accessibility. Owens’ abstract and starkly captivating work reveals the similarities between environmental transformation and the process of human rehabilitation throughout time and space. Themes of perception, psychedelia, and environmentalism run throughout Owens’ work and offer the viewer an opportunity to wander amongst the details of each abstract landscape.

Find Orion at http://www.orionowens.com

In this episode Ethan and Orion discuss how friendship, art, the environment and athletic adventures have evolved through Orion's many lives before his spinal cord injury, immediately after and in the phases of adjustment and flow to where he is today.  Orion's connection to water, the earth and building strong relationships through his life and art teach us so much about resilience, the power of our planet and the beauty of human connection.

Stay connected to LIFECHANGES at http://www.ourlifechanges.co 

Produced by the Love Extremist Project and Ethan Lipsitz

http://www.extremist.love

http://www.ethanlipsitz.com

Dr. Jordana Jacobs is a clinical psychologist in private practice in New York City. Her approach is integrative, combining psychodynamic and existential therapy into her treatment of patients. Dr. Jacobs’ training at Memorial Sloan Kettering working with terminally ill cancer patients, her studies in Northern India, and her Vipassana meditation practice inspired her research on the complex relationship between death awareness and love. Her dissertation, entitled “Till Death do us Part: The Effect of Mortality Salience on Satisfaction in Long-term Romantic Relationships” specifically explored the ways in which priming for death has the potential to increase intimacy in partnerships. In addition to seeing patients, Dr. Jacobs gives presentations and leads retreats aimed towards helping people accept inevitable mortality so that they are able to live and love more fully.

Find Dr. Jacobs at https://www.drjordanajacobs.com/

In this episode Ethan and Jordana explore the motivations behind Jordana's research and keen interest in mortality and how facing our inevitable death can support a more loving and meaningful life, especially as we consider our relationships with ourselves, our partners and others.  

Learn more and join the Love Extremist Project at http://www.extremist.love and find us on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/loveextremist