Jo Prendergast is a doctor, comedian and author. She is also a breast cancer survivor who used her experiences to inspire her one-woman show Cancer and Cartwheels, which she's performing at the NZ International Comedy Festival. Photo / Chris Hillary
Jo Prendergast is a doctor, comedian and author. She is also a breast cancer survivor who used her experiences to inspire her one-woman show Cancer and Cartwheels, which she's performing at the NZ International Comedy Festival. Photo / Chris Hillary
Breast cancer survivor Dr Jo Prendergast has turned her treatment experiences into a one-woman show, Cancer and Cartwheels.
Experiencing breast cancer taught her to prioritise exercise, mental health and enjoying small moments.
Prendergast emphasises the importance of connecting with others and living according to core values.
Jo Prendergast is a psychiatric doctor-turned comedian, actor, author and film producer. She’s also a breast cancer survivor.
Diagnosed with grade 3, stage 2 hormone-positive breast cancer in May 2021, Prendergast turned to writing as a way of coping as she went through her cancer treatment. This turnedinto a one-woman show called Cancer and Cartwheels, which she is performing at this year’s NZ International Comedy Festival.
Her cancer experiences gave her a new appreciation for what’s truly important in life. She shares the lessons she learned.
Dr Jo Prendergast's comedy festival show Cancer and Cartwheels is inspired by her personal experiences of being treated for, and surviving, breast cancer.
Being diagnosed with cancer has made me realise it is very important to do the things that I recommend to other people.
Exercise and good mental health seem to be two things that seem to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence. So even on days where I don’t feel like going for a walk, the thought that it reduces the chance of my cancer coming back is a huge motivator.
I try to ringfence things like exercise and getting at least seven hours’ sleep as being essential for my health, rather than a luxury. I’ve always thought that getting older was a long way off for me but now I realise I need to be eating more protein and lifting weights to preserve my bones and muscles.
I’m making time for the things that help me to manage stress, like blue space time by the sea and green space time in the forest. It seems the tree-hugging hippies were right when it came to mental well-being.
Enjoying the present moment
One of the biggest challenges for me is being in the moment and not constantly thinking about my to-do list and worrying the future.
Cancer helped me realise many of the best things in life are the small things and if we aren’t present and focused on them, we will miss them. Sometimes we’re striving for the big achievements and forget that sitting in the sun with your morning coffee, cuddling a pet, swimming in the sea, chatting with a friend and looking at sunsets is what life is all about.
It’s a cliché, but a life-threatening illness did make me focus on making the most of each day and doing the things that I want to do now, rather than postponing them.
It made me realise we don’t get a second chance (depending on your belief system) and if something is important to you, make it happen now. Life is the complex tapestry of experiences and opportunities, and I keep trying to bring myself back to savour the small moments. I’ve definitely developed a Yolo attitude: you only live once.
Doing things that fit with my values
Cancer helped me to work out what actually mattered to me.
I did a really useful exercise with a life coach to determine my core values and mine seem to be humour, connection with other people and justice.
Whenever I’m weighing up if something is important to me or not, I ask myself whether it meets those basic values. Generally, things I struggle with are the things that clash with those values.
Jo Prendergast is a doctor, comedian and author. She is also a breast cancer survivor who used her experiences to inspire her one-woman show Cancer and Cartwheels, which she's performing at the NZ International Comedy Festival. Photo / Chris Hillary
Connecting with other people
Cancer reinforced to me that connecting with other people is the most important thing in life.
You certainly find out who is genuinely there for you in sickness and in health. Sometimes people I didn’t expect stepped up to offer support, and other people just evaporated.
It’s made me realise you never know when it’s your last opportunity to reach out and connect with someone. So contact that friend or family member who you haven’t seen for ages. I feel like I’m suddenly at an age where my friends are dying from medical conditions and so those catch-ups become treasured.
Value those who truly support you. My husband and my mother really stepped up when I was diagnosed with cancer and went above and beyond the call of duty.
What footprint will I leave
Facing mortality made me think about what I would be leaving in the world and what I could do that left something worthwhile. Parenting children to adulthood is a hugely important footprint that I will have left.
During my cancer treatment, I coped by being busy with projects such as making short films about hair loss grief, a chemotherapy side-effect management website and putting together my one-woman show about my cancer experience. These projects feel like I am leaving something worthwhile, that may be a help to other people.
Hopefully my book When Life Sucks, a parent’s guide about teenage mental health,is also a useful footprint that I will leave in the world.
Dr Jo Prendergast in a chemotherapy cooling cap, which helps prevent hairloss while undergoing treatment.
Important health messages can be delivered in different ways
I never thought that comedy shows or media interviews could be a public health initiative. I try to spread awareness about early detection of cancer, encouraging people to check lumps and get to know what’s normal for you. See your doctor if there’s any change in how your body looks or feels.
I had another health scare before Christmas when doctors thought a lump in my arm could be skin cancer spreading. I have been so focused on preventing breast cancer recurrence that had forgotten about having skin checks. See your doctor to make sure that you’re up-to-date with all cancer screening.
It feels like a gift to be able to share my experience with the wider public, whether it’s via social media, comedy shows or conference talks. I feel very privileged to have that platform to talk about my experiences and to spread awareness about not only preventing, not only detecting cancer early, but also how to manage side effects of cancer treatment.
Coffee matters
Regardless of what happens in life, if I have my morning latte then the day can be coped with. I gave up alcohol easily (due to it being a significant risk factor for breast cancer) but there’s no way I would stop my coffee.
The thing I look forward to most every day, is waking up and having my coffee sitting in the morning sun. It’s a small thing in life but sometimes the small things in life are the best.
Dr Jo Prendergast is performing her one-woman show Cancer and Cartwheels as part of the NZ International Comedy Festival, on May 10 at Wellington’s Tapere Nui Te Auaha and on May 24 at Auckland’s Q Theatre.
