Andrea Wilson Woods - A life in 147 days

Resilience Unravelled

Keywords

Resilience - Liver Cancer - Blue Faery - Parenting - Advocacy

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled Andrea Wilson Woods shares her experiences raising her younger sister Adrienne after their mother's life unravelled due to prescription drug addiction. Andrea took legal custody of Adrienne when she was 22 and raised her until Adrienne was diagnosed with liver cancer when she was 15.

Andrea shares her challenging childhood, including managing household tasks after her parents' divorce and how it shaped her into a strong and independent individual. She talks about her experiences living with an abusive alcoholic father and how her sister's presence helped her realise the need to protect her and eventually led to her leaving. Andrea emphasises the importance of having a 'north star' or a guiding force in life, which for her was her sister, and her desire to provide her sister with unconditional love and a better upbringing than she had received from her own parents.

Andrea discusses the challenges of parenting a sibling and emphasises the importance of providing structure, compassion, and unconditional love. She also discusses her family's medical history, particularly her sister's early diagnosis of liver cancer and the likely transmission of hepatitis B and C from their mother during childbirth. The conversation also touches on the importance of advocacy in healthcare, the need for patients to focus on recovery, and the importance of being respected over being liked, especially in leadership roles.

Main topics

• The prevalence and prognosis of liver cancer which is often diagnosed in late stages due to the liver's lack of pain receptors.
• Why liver cancer is highly preventable but often has a terminal prognosis because treatments like targeted therapies and immunotherapies are palliative rather than curative.
• The importance of having an annual metabolic panel test to monitor liver function and detect potential issues early.
• How losing her sister led Andrea to found the Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association, also known as Blue Faery.
• The need for patients to focus on recovery and the importance of having an advocate in their lives.
• The importance of assertiveness and advocacy in healthcare settings.
• The importance of persistence and seeking a second opinion when necessary.
• The importance of being respected over being liked, especially in leadership roles.

Action items

Find out more about Blue Faery here.

Andrea has written two books "Better Off Bald" and "I'd Rather Be Dead Than Deaf" to raise funds for Blue Faery.