From the Publisher: Kelley Skoloda was the healthiest person she knew–until the day she became a cancer patient. During her first, routine colonoscopy–without having experienced any symptoms–Kelley received a shocking diagnosis: colon cancer. Based on the true story of her subsequent cancer journey, A Way Back to Health reveals how surprising lessons paved the way for her recovery, shares helpful action steps for those who find themselves in a similar situation, and illuminates how personal stories can powerfully motivate and heal.
More Info
About the Author: Kelley Skoloda is a wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, author, and MBA; the founder and CEO of KS Consulting & Capital; and, now, a cancer survivor. She is a recognized authority on consumer brand marketing whose business book, Too Busy to Shop: Marketing to Multi-Minding Women, was named a “must read” by Publishers Weekly. As co-chair of the investment committee of the Next Act Fund, she invests in female-led startup companies. She has been named one of the “most influential women in business” by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and serves on several boards of directors. She has been quoted in HuffPo, Time.com, TODAY.com, Fortune.com, Forbes, Adweek, BRANDWEEK, C-SPAN, and many other media outlets. Kelley’s family is the center of her life and she loves to golf, cook, travel, and enjoy cat humor with them. She is grateful every day for the love and support she received throughout her health challenges and hopes her story can be helpful to others navigating cancer.Author Site “As the CEO of a biotech company with a focus on oncology and as a cancer survivor, I’m inspired by Kelley Skoloda’s powerful story and actionable insights.” —Teresa Whalen, RPh, CEO of CytoAgents Inc.
“For anyone interested in health advocacy, A Way Back to Health is a must-read. As a professional health communicator, I value Kelley Skoloda’s patient-centered story and focus on speaking up.” —Stephanie Moritz, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, American Dental Association
Before you wrote “A Way Back to Health,” you had shared an article on Medium that touched many readers. Can you tell us about your article, and how this turned into a full length-book?
After a life changing diagnosis, I felt the need to let my friends and business network know what had happened. Through an article on Medium (which can be found in its entirety in the Appendix of the book) and a Facebook post, I shared the story of my situation, diagnosis, and surgery. As a result of sharing my story, I was soon inundated with not only well wishes but also reactions like “I’ve been meaning to schedule my colonoscopy screening and now I’m doing it,” and “Your story has incentivized me to get my [husband/mother/father] scheduled for their next screening.” Dozens and dozens of people responded and were taking action, not because of the new guidelines (which had just been released and in the news that week), but because of a personal story.
There’s a feeling of warmth and community that shines through this book. Why did you decide to highlight the stories of other survivors in this book?
In talking with other survivors, I found that many share similar sentiments. To explore an even wider range of experiences, my editor suggested that I incorporate lessons from other cancer survivors. My “call for survivor stories” on Facebook and LinkedIn received an amazing response. Fellow “warriors” shared moving and powerful stories with me and granted me permission to share them in this book. While reading the stories shared with me, I felt like my immense pain and suffering paled in comparison to what so many others and their families, especially children, have endured. There is such a quiet strength among these survivors. Given the ubiquity of cancer in general, someone you know is likely suffering right now, and there is always someone who is having a worse day than you.
How did your approach to cancer treatment change from distraction to action?
Once you are diagnosed with cancer, cancer can take over your life. The doctors’ appointments are time-consuming and the healthcare system is maddening to navigate. The anxiety and mental anguish infiltrate daily life and impact everyone in the family. When I started to advocate for myself and take action, I felt less distracted and started to gain more mental control of my situation.
What does it mean to advocate for your health? Why is this important and why is it particularly challenging for women?
Medical expertise is critical, but only YOU know you best. One month into my chemo regimen, I was in dire straits due to side effects, and I found it hard to speak up. Self-doubt about my condition, a significant loss of energy, not getting much of a reaction from the medical team, and not wanting to be a pain all contributed to my reticence. Don’t let yourself get to this point. If things don’t seem right to you, then they aren’t. Speak up for yourself.
Speaking up is important, critically important, and, in fact, encouraging patients to speak up about problems that occur during hospitalizations can improve patient experience and safety, research indicates. However, it is a universal challenge. While many people speak out about many things, speaking up for yourself is not nearly as common. It’s particularly difficult for women the world over, given how our society and culture trains both men and women to think and behave, and shapes how we all perceive assertiveness. Having spent decades in the marketing industry working with powerful women and men, I have seen the tendency firsthand for women to advocate strongly for others but neglect to speak up for themselves. Whether it’s a result of politeness or uncertainty, many women tend to not speak up, or not speak up loudly enough.
What are the top 5 actions you would recommend for turning a frightening diagnosis into a manageable journey?
1. Do Your Research, knowledge is power.
2. Get A Second Opinion, your doctor is one expert in a field of many.
3. Watch for Miracles, especially when you are facing cancer, every part of your life can produce miracles, if you look for and recognize them.
4. Prepare to Speak Up, if things don’t seem right to you, then they aren’t
5. Trust Your Instincts and Take Action, only you know you best.
What are some counter-intuitive actions that you took that helped you?
In one chapter in particular, Fake it Til You Make It, I talk about how I got up, got dressed, put on make-up, combed my hair and worked almost every day, despite pain, fatigue and despair. Though my mind and body were not up to the task, I found that “faking it” helped me get through tough times. I refused to let cancer define or lessen me. I even dressed in “work clothes” for doctors appointments and chemo treatments.
How did you manage being an entrepreneur and running a business while having cancer?
Having just launched my consultancy eight months before my cancer diagnosis, dealing with a life-changing health condition in addition to being solely responsible for my business was a lot. So, I got up every day, got dressed and worked. I received good advice from friend Lisa Lurie, also a cancer survivor, to not take on too much work and allow myself some flexibility, which I did. But when you are responsible for helping to support your family, it’s a big incentive to work through the challenges.
Who do you hope will read this book, and what do you ultimately hope they take away from it?
I’ve seen the quote, “Stories help others. Share yours.” While talking recently to a friend who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, she said she had read about my story on social media. She went on to say that she and her family had taken several of the actions that I recommended and that they helped her. It is my hope that by sharing my story, someone will find the help they need on their cancer journey.
For more information about Kelley Skoloda and A Way Back to Health, visit awaybacktohealth.com.
From the Publisher: "In his debut collection of nonfiction, Jim Daniels writes about trees, backyard swing sets, above-ground swimming pools, Read more
From the Publisher: "Imagine that you are a child who was born in a large family, and during your childhood, Read more
"The City of Pittsburgh, with funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), is launching the Support for Artists Grant Read more
Littsburgh's founder Rachel Ekstrom Courage (now a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author!) recently stopped by KDKA to Read more
"Applications are now open for Read Local Eat Local 2025! This is event is on Saturday, September 6, from 11 Read more
PITTSBURGH — Prime Stage Theatre celebrates its 29th season with three world premieres commissioned from three Pittsburgh playwrights: Nov. 7-16, 2025 – Mr. Read more
PITTSBURGH, PA – It’s time to book your spot! Registration for the 2025 Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books is officially Read more
From the Publisher: "The Mackenzies and the Flahertys, two of the founding families of Port Kenneth, TN, have been feuding Read more
"The Northern Appalachia Review welcomes submissions of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction written about, representing, or engaging with the experience of Read more
But this too is true: stories can save us The writer Tim O’Brien calls storytelling an essential human activity. "The Read more
"'Where do you end and I begin?' is the question which haunts Shaheen Dil’s remarkable memoir-in-poems. Dil’s journey is at Read more
"A poignant memoir exploring small town baseball as a lens into what’s right and wrong with modern America—written by an Read more
From the Publisher: "In 1958, a midwestern family was uprooted from Canton, Ohio to Bukavu in the Belgian Congo during Read more
"From New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict and Courtney Sheinmel comes a historical adventure about a young girl plucked Read more
From the Publisher: "It’s Anny’ s first day of middle school and, after years of being homeschooled, her first day Read more
We are so excited to help spread the word about the excellent Woolly Bear Books and Gifts in Carnegie, PA Read more
Loretto, PA. March 10, 2025 — The WCoNA Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia® is pleased to announce Deep and Wild: Read more
ALL SKATE: True Stories from Middle Life is a series of musings from one mid-life woman, wife, and mother on what Read more
What inspired you to write Good in Theory? My inspiration for Good in Theory came from so many different places. Read more
"Thom Palmer’s richly imagined first novel offers a hilarious yet bittersweet examination of food, art, and love..." From the Publisher: "When Read more
