Meeting her oncologist for the first time, Jo received two pieces of shocking news: her cancer was incurable and the huge cost of life-extending drugs. She tells Colleen about adjusting to a new routine dictated by treatment, learning to accept help and her anger at paying GST on unfunded medicines.﻿A range of organisations, including the <a href="https://www.cancer.org.nz/">Cancer Society</a> and <a href="https://bowelcancernz.org.nz/">Bowel Cancer NZ</a>, offer support services and information to cancer patients and their whanau. For a longer list, visit <a href="https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/support/c/cancer/">Health Navigator</a>.

Episode 4: Chemotherapy

Jo McKenzie-McLean’s life was turned upside down after a stage 4 bowel cancer diagnosis. In this candid podcast, the mother-of-two joins friend and fellow journalist Colleen O’Hanlon to explore life with an incurable illness. Through tears and laughter, Jo shares her experience - from diagnosis to surgery and chemo; from the impact on self-identity and her loved ones to facing the future. Jo vs Cancer is a vulnerable yet powerful series of conversations that provides insights you’ll wish you had years ago.