Personal Health

‘But Seriously’

Bert Scholl’s podcast shares the stories of cancer survivors in Ithaca and beyond

By Lyndsey Honor

Ithacan Bert Scholl nds joy in writing music, playing his guitar and performing for anyone who will listen. Outside of these joys, Scholl has been mentoring people through major life-altering struggles, victories and more since 2010.

Despite his e orts to li the spirits of others, Scholl was personally diagnosed with stage two rectal cancer in 2007. A er being declared cancer-free in 2009, Scholl went on to be diagnosed with stage four rectal cancer metastasized to the liver in 2011.

As a two-time cancer survivor, Scholl now dedicates his time to mentoring cancer patients and their families, helping them navigate diagnoses, treatments, recovery, remission and life a er cancer.

“For many cancer survivors, like myself, returning to life a er treatment was di cult,” Scholl said. “When you’re undergoing weekly treatments, you’re constantly surrounded by a phenomenal team, helping you every step of the way. I had never felt more supported. Suddenly, a er treatment ended, they were just gone, and I felt so alone.”

In October 2019, Scholl decided he wanted to host a podcast. As a survivorship mentor, he heard survival stories on a daily basis that he thought others could bene t from. Due to the con dentiality of his practice, he couldn’t simply share the experiences of his clients, but he desired a platform to do so.

By January 2020, Scholl had started recording episodes with local cancer survivors that were interested. Suddenly, “But Seriously: e Cancer Podcast,” Scholl’s passion project, was born. He started locally because that’s where his contacts were, but he wanted his podcast to reach further audiences.

A few months later, the pandemic hit, and Scholl had to convert his podcast to a Zoom format. Around the same time, he began using Instagram to promote his show, learning that he could nd contacts by looking through hashtags. Many politely declined, but he started recruiting future guests straight through the social media platform. Nowadays, people reach out to him directly to be a guest on the show.

In just two years, Scholl has spoken with guests from England, Australia and all over the United States, just because he took the time to network and invest in his vision.

Scholl has found great solace in hosting “But Seriously.” He regularly nds himself moved by conversations with guests, while also learning things about his own journey in the process.

“During an earlier episode, one guest spoke of failing to recognize her body a er her mastectomy and hysterectomy,” Scholl said. “ is was the rst time someone put language to how I was feeling. My rst diagnosis had been stage two rectal cancer, and I eventually needed to have a colostomy. A er the surgery, I didn’t want to be in my body. e shame was real. My guest put into words what, for me, could only be expressed in emotion. Since those early days, I’ve become quite comfortable with it and take o my shirt at the beach without a second thought.”

Bert Scholl is the host of a cancer survivor podcast called “But Seriously.” (Photo: Provided)

continued on page 11

BOGO 20%Off WithThisAd

308E.SenecaSt 845-244-0868

TryFreeSamplesToday!

LargestCBD&THC PlantScience Companyinthe Country C

www.yourcbdstoreithaca.com

NO LONG WAIT FOR DERMATOLOGY APPOINTMENTS

No Long WaitAt Finger Lakes Dermatology, we help fix your skin problem for Dermatologyquickly. Read what some of our happy clients say about us! Appointments“Dr. Yentzer was terrific. It was my first visit to him and he was patient, explained No referral requiredthings well, answered my questions, and respected what was important to me.“

OUR SERVICES Medical

•Acne •Rashes •Excessive sweating •Infections •Itching •Moles •Rosacea •Surgical and Nonsurgical treatment of Skin

Cancer

ééééé •Allergy Testing •Autoimmune disease treatment

Surgical

•Skin biopsies •Skin surgery •Cyst removal •Mole removal •Liquid Nitrogen •Electrodissecation

BRAD YENTZER, MD, FAAD DERMATOLOGIST 607-708-1330 fingerlakesderm.com | 2141 Dryden Road Freeville BRAD YENTZER, MD, FAAD DERMATOLOGIST 607-708-1330 fingerlakesderm.com | 2141 Dryden Road Freeville, NY 13068 Route 13 between Ithaca and Dryden Route 13 between Ithaca and Dryden

Scholl considers himself an open book and encourages his guests to be vulnerable alongside him. He nds pride in the fact that his podcast will exist long a er he’s gone, serving as a resource for survivors, their caretakers and their families.

“‘But Seriously’ also provides listeners with conversations that can be quite di cult, like how guests and I have each told our children about our cancer diagnoses,” Scholl said. e intimate, judgement-free zone that Scholl has created allows for these conversations to emerge naturally.

Scholl would like to point out that the podcast isn’t entirely heavy. e title, “But Seriously,” comes from his honest attempt to redirect his conversations with guests. Scholl says that he spends a lot of time laughing with guests about some of the absurdities that come with having cancer. He went on to say that it felt right, paying homage to this phenomenon in the title of his podcast.

“I’d like to leave the Ithaca community with some advice,” Scholl said. “Some people avoid long-form podcasts because the run-times intimidate them. It’s okay to listen to ‘But Seriously’ like an audiobook. Listen to it in the car as you drive, in the kitchen as you cook, or while taking an a ernoon stroll. Give it a chance because these stories deserve to be heard.”

You can listen to “But Seriously: e Cancer Podcast” on your favorite podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts or Spotify. e links can also be found directly on Scholl’s website.

The podcast can be found across all podcast streaming platforms. (Photo: Provided)

https://www.bertscholl.com/ but-seriously-podcast1. html

You don’t have to settle for high heating bills…

Call Ithaca (607) 273-1009

call today… ANC Heating & Air Conditioning

Upstate New York’s Premier Heating And Air Contractor

Call Ithaca (607) 273-1009

Endicott Showroom

NO MONEY DOWN/NO INTEREST DAIKIN AURORAA Heating System Update or Service Doesn’t Cost -- It Pays!OR PAYMENTS FOR UP TO A YEAR

Check out our money-saving coupons — visit our website at ANCHeating.com MULTI-ZONE - Save up to 70% on your heating bill with a new Daiken or Amana Heat Pump - Reduce your carbon foot print with a new Amana or Daikin Heat Pump - Check out our money saving coupons, on would website - free onsite estimates at your convenience HEAT PUMP

Same Day Service Guaranteed SYSTEMS Same Day Service Guaranteed -- No Overtime Charges! Residential. -- Commercial -- Maintenance

1.5-3 TON, 2-4 ZONE SYSTEMS ANCHeating.com/ithaca • 408 College Ave, Ithaca • (607) 273-1009 • service@ANCHeating.com Residential – Commercial – Maintenance 408 College Ave, Ithaca • (607) 273-1009 • service@ANCHeating.comUp to 21.7 SEER / Up to 12.5 HSPF /

ANCHeating.com/ithaca Up to 12.7 EER VARIABLE-SPEED, INVERTER, COMPRESSOR

Dress Dress Like Like You You Mean Mean It It

Shred Day COMMUNITY

April 23, 2022 9am-12pm East Hill Plaza

www.tompkinstrust.com/shred-day

Perhaps no one knows this better than Todd Saddler, an IAUA member since the organization’s inception. Saddler, now age 57, is still playing the game to the fullest and has won more spirit awards than anyone else in the organization.

“ e fact that attracted me to this sport is that there is this explicit spirit of the game concept,” he said. “It just makes it more fun.”

Perhaps even more impressive than his age is the fact that Saddler is a stage four cancer survivor. In fact, the only summer league Saddler ever missed in his 20 years with the IAUA was when he was receiving treatment for his illness. Ten years later he is fully recovered and still deeply in love with the sport.

“Ultimate makes you want to live,” Saddler said. “It de nitely helped me get my strength back and the ultimate crowd was very supportive. I’m a little bit surprised that I’ve been able to keep playing… but as long as I can, I will. e IAUA consists of people of all ages, from teenagers in high school to people in their 60s.

“It’s nice to have a game to accommodate a wide range of physical abilities and talents,” Sacks said. “What I can say is as long as you can look around and nd somebody you can cover that is kind of like you physically, you’ll be ne and you can catch up.”

“You get to meet a diverse group of people in age and all sorts of other ways,” Saddler added. I’ve always enjoyed being around both old people and young people so it’s a great way to meet new people.”

Currently the IAUA is working to help Ithaca High School set up their own high school team for the fall. ey are also working on a grandmasters division for some of the older players in the group to play against each other in a casual setting.

In the meantime, sign ups for the summer league start in mid-April and anyone who wants to join is welcome. Although IAUA is non-pro t, there is a $ 65 fee to help with the cost of the elds and insurance and team gear. Sacks said there are “pay what you can” accommodations available for those who need it and that summer leagues tend to run for eight weeks between early June to early August.

“Just try it,” Lauren Trondsen encouraged. “If you show up, people are really excited to share the sport with you and to teach you how to play and to welcome you into the game.”