Balancing Health and Heartbreak With Risa August

In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, guest Risa August shares her transformative journey of receiving a life-altering diagnosis of a brain tumor while experiencing the dissolution of her 18-year marriage. Through resilience and introspection, she discusses how these major events became a catalyst for reevaluating her life and priorities, leading her to embrace a life filled with new adventures and personal growth.Guest Information: Award-winning author, Speaker, Gestalt Practitioner, and Patient Advocate, Risa August has been living with a pituitary tumor and rare disease for decades. Risa shares her insights and perspectives on stage, offering words of inspiration to audiences. Additionally, Risa works one-on-one with clients, guiding them through the many roadblocks of life and toward living more fully inspired.Main Topics Covered:Risa's background and her love for travel and culture [00:00:15].The challenges of getting a life-altering brain tumor diagnosis and its impact [00:03:38].Navigating the dissolution of her marriage during a health crisis [00:10:00].The process of introspection and choosing to live life fully [00:23:11].Risa's commitment to checking off her bucket list and embracing new experiences [00:24:10].Quote from the Episode: "I choose to live. And that means all of it. I don't expect every day to be rainbows and unicorns." – Risa AugustTimestamps:[00:00:05] Introduction to Risa August[00:00:27] Risa talks about her base in Colorado and love for travel[00:02:13] Discussing Cleveland, Ohio, and fun trivia[00:03:21] Introduction to the life-altering diagnosis topic[00:05:56] Persistent health issues and seeking medical advice[00:06:20] MRI results and learning about the brain tumor[00:09:21] The beginning of the treatment journey[00:10:00] Navigating the end of an 18-year marriage[00:15:03] Risa's emotions during her medical and marital challenges[00:23:05] Risa reflects on life changes due to diagnosis and divorce[00:24:10] Embracing life and starting new adventures[00:26:34] Details about her 1800-mile bike journey[00:29:42] Choosing new paths and activities despite limitationsConnect with Risa through her website: https://www.risaaugust.comNever Miss a Moment of Imperfect AdultingWe invite you to join our email community and let us bring the podcast directly to you! As a subscriber, you'll receive notifications about new episodes, exclusive offers from our amazing guests, and easier access to any of the important links mentioned on the show—no more scrambling to write down websites or remember special codes.Why subscribe?Stay up-to-date without checking your podcast appGet guest offers delivered straight to your inboxAccess all important links in one convenient placeCatch the highlights even when you don't have time to listenAre you ready? Join us at https://www.imperfectadulting.com Here are a few resources that Amy uses to make all this great content. These are affiliate links :-)For livestreaming and recording ECamm https://www.ecamm.com/mac/ecammlive/?fp_ref=amy69Podcast hosting and distribution: Captivate FM https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=ntczmwi Website hosting with Siteground https://www.siteground.com/?referrer_id=9115590Ai Transcription Tool: Castmagic https://get.castmagic.io/ugrmjjrt8ofjFor Email I recently switched to Beehiiv https://www.beehiiv.com?via=Amy-Stonebefore that I used Kit. Books I like and books written by show guests on Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/lists/podcast-guest-authors