EPISODE · Jul 17, 2026 · 59 MIN
173: Lee - Demise Before the Rise
from Rock Bottom With Ryan · host rockbottomwithryan
Told He Had 6 Months to Live: Lee Crompton on Surviving Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer & Mental Health | Rock BottomIn this episode of Rock Bottom with Ryan, guest Lee Crompton shares how a lump in his neck during the 2020 COVID lockdown led from inconclusive tests to surgery and a shocking diagnosis of rare anaplastic thyroid cancer, with an initial prognosis where “six months would be a positive outcome.” Lee describes the fear, isolation, and practical “admin” of preparing for death while raising a three-year-old and an eight-month-old, undergoing a second operation to remove his thyroid, radioactive iodine treatment, and continued scans and bloodwork. Nearly six years later, he reflects on the mental health impact of both expecting to die and then surviving, how it gave him permission to talk openly about anxiety and depression, and how that led to his Mindcake podcast exploring varied mental health approaches.00:00 Neck Lump Scare04:21 Lockdown Life Stress06:13 Tests And Tough Choices09:02 Diagnosis Changes Everything12:01 Second Surgery And Prognosis14:12 Facing Mortality Admin17:00 Mental Health Aftermath21:18 Pain Story And Stigma25:14 Kids Legacy And Memories29:19 Moving On And Milestones30:09 Separate Timelines31:47 Living in Treatment Mode33:33 Hope After Prognosis37:41 Dodging the Bullet38:47 What Really Matters41:52 Brian and the Play43:24 Mindcake Origins47:17 Trying Weird Therapies49:43 This Too Shall Pass54:43 Advice and Small Steps58:18 Where to Find Mindcake
What this episode covers
Told He Had 6 Months to Live: Lee Crompton on Surviving Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer & Mental Health | Rock BottomIn this episode of Rock Bottom with Ryan, guest Lee Crompton shares how a lump in his neck during the 2020 COVID lockdown led from inconclusive tests to surgery and a shocking diagnosis of rare anaplastic thyroid cancer, with an initial prognosis where “six months would be a positive outcome.” Lee describes the fear, isolation, and practical “admin” of preparing for death while raising a three-year-old and an eight-month-old, undergoing a second operation to remove his thyroid, radioactive iodine treatment, and continued scans and bloodwork. Nearly six years later, he reflects on the mental health impact of both expecting to die and then surviving, how it gave him permission to talk openly about anxiety and depression, and how that led to his Mindcake podcast exploring varied mental health approaches.00:00 Neck Lump Scare04:21 Lockdown Life Stress06:13 Tests And Tough Choices09:02 Diagnosis Changes Everything12:01 Second Surgery And Prognosis14:12 Facing Mortality Admin17:00 Mental Health Aftermath21:18 Pain Story And Stigma25:14 Kids Legacy And Memories29:19 Moving On And Milestones30:09 Separate Timelines31:47 Living in Treatment Mode33:33 Hope After Prognosis37:41 Dodging the Bullet38:47 What Really Matters41:52 Brian and the Play43:24 Mindcake Origins47:17 Trying Weird Therapies49:43 This Too Shall Pass54:43 Advice and Small Steps58:18 Where to Find Mindcake
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173: Lee - Demise Before the Rise
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