Believe Big > Patient Story > Defying the Odds: How Chris Joseph Overcame Stage 3 Pancreatic Cancer by Taking Charge of His Healing

Defying the Odds: How Chris Joseph Overcame Stage 3 Pancreatic Cancer by Taking Charge of His Healing

April 7, 2025 Patient Story, Podcast, Story of Hope

When Chris Joseph was diagnosed with stage 3 pancreatic cancer on Halloween day in 2016, the prognosis was grim. Doctors told him surgery and radiation weren’t options—and chemotherapy quickly proved ineffective. But instead of giving up, Chris made a radical decision that would change his life: he took control of his health.

Now, more than eight years later, Chris is cancer-free, thriving, and using his experience to coach others. His journey wasn’t conventional, but it was deeply personal—and ultimately, transformative. In this episode of the Believe Big Podcast, Chris shares the mindset shifts, healing strategies, and faith that carried him through the darkest days of his life.

Here’s what we learned from Chris’s powerful story:

🚦It All Started with Listening to His Body

In the months leading up to his diagnosis, Chris noticed something was off. He was experiencing unusual depression, unexplained weight loss, and persistent stomach discomfort. Though he was in a good place in life, the symptoms didn’t make sense—and eventually led him to seek medical attention.

A scan on October 31st revealed a large mass in his pancreas. The words “pancreatic cancer” were never spoken at that moment, but the fear hit instantly.

“I was alone. I had to pick up my kids for Halloween that night. It was the hardest conversation I’ve ever had.”

🧭 Becoming the CEO of His Health

Chris began chemotherapy, the only treatment option offered at the time. But after two rounds and worsening scans, he was getting sicker—not better.

“The day I quit chemo was the day my healing truly began.”

Without a plan B, Chris leaned on faith, intuition, and determination. He fired his oncologist and began searching for a different path—one rooted in integrative and metabolic healing.

🧠 Healing Is Hard Work—And It’s Not One-Size-Fits-All

Chris connected with Dr. Melanie Giesler, an integrative physician who started him on IV therapies and recommended the keto diet with guidance from Dr. Nasha Winters. But Chris, a single dad who didn’t cook, couldn’t commit to keto. Still, he transformed his nutrition by focusing on organic, low-carb, and anti-inflammatory foods.

More importantly, Chris tackled the emotional roots of illness—addressing long-standing stress, trauma from a broken marriage, and financial fallout from a failed business.

“Healing is hard work. It’s not for the passive. You get out what you put in.”

💬 A New Mission: Coaching Others Toward Radical Remission

Today, Chris is a certified Radical Remission Health Coach and a Metabolic Terrain Advocate. He works with individuals facing all types of cancer, guiding them toward personalized healing strategies that consider emotional, physical, and spiritual health.

While every cancer journey is unique, Chris teaches that resilience, self-awareness, and curiosity are essential tools for anyone navigating a diagnosis.

“I don’t want people to take what I say at face value. I want them to question everything—even me.”

📚 Writing a New Chapter

Chris’s memoir, Life Is A Ride: My Unconventional Journey of Cancer Recovery, details his early experience with cancer. But now, he’s working on a new book, The Kitchen Sink Approach to Cancer (And Why You Shouldn’t Always Listen to Your Doctor)—a bolder reflection on health, healing, and the broken systems many patients face.

“We are a profoundly unhealthy country. COVID exposed that. And we didn’t do much about it. It’s time we talk about real health.”

🕊️ What He Wants You to Know

If you’re facing a diagnosis—or love someone who is—Chris’s advice is simple but profound:

  • Ignore the stats. They’re based on averages, not individual stories.
  • Start getting healthier today. Lifestyle and environment play a bigger role in cancer than most people realize.
  • Build your village. Healing isn’t something you can do alone.
  • Be your own advocate. Doctors are limited by systems. You are not.

“If you told me in 2016 that my life would be better after cancer, I would’ve called you crazy. But it’s true. My life is richer, more meaningful, and more awake.”

 

🔗 Resources, Books & Links Mentioned:

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