Introduction to Joe Tuimavave
by Steve Holmes

Now and then, you watch a patient and caregiver speak, and something shifts.  Not because the facts are new. Not because the outcome is guaranteed. But because the way they hold and carry it is different.

Joe and Tegan did not present a cancer story.
They presented a constructive response to a truth.
It was real. It was unfiltered. It was precise.

They did not negotiate with the diagnosis.
They did not inflate the danger.
They did not soften the risk.
They stood inside it and began.

When you stand inside a truth without drama or denial, you feel it. That is the moment you see exactly what is in front of you. That is where effective response begins.

Their Facebook Live showed their journey.
But to me, it also showed how they grew through it.

A steadiness became the theme. Not a performance of strength. Not forced optimism. A steadiness built step by step, through shock, through treatment, through surgical crisis, through recovery.

That kind of steadiness does not arrive fully formed.
It is earned.

Joe and Tegan’s story is a story of truth and ownership.
And just as in the video, their response to cholangiocarcinoma strengthened as they moved forward. We all gain strength as we go, but first we have to move. Joe and Tegan illustrated that beautifully.

And if we’re honest, there were moments where Tegan wasn’t just pushing…
she was clearly pulling Joe to the next step.
That too is part of survival.

That is how trajectory shifts.
When you stand inside the truth and move anyway, possibilities begin to surface, opportunities that were invisible before appear.

Joe and Teagan – Absolutely stunning effort
An immense gift to all who watch and listen.
A great team.

And they reinforce something foundational in this community:
We are a patient-led culture, and culture, when built properly, becomes a survival system in itself.

Thank you, Joe.
Thank you, Tegan.

Below is my understanding and summary of their journey, drawn from their Facebook Live and shaped by how it landed with me.

Below is how I saw it.

The Diagnosis

It began quietly.
Extreme thirst. Fatigue that did not quite make sense.
No jaundice. No obvious alarm bells.

A blood test showed elevated calcium. That detail led to imaging. Ultrasound. MRI. PET.

And there it was.
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

A tumour measuring roughly 9 by 9 by 10 centimetres, occupying all eight segments of the liver. There was also a PET-avid focus near the pancreas, raising the possibility of spread.

Surgery was not an option at that point.
The tumour’s position made segmental resection impossible.

This is not a gentle entry into this disease.
But from the way they told it, you could see something important.
They did not collapse at the naming of it.
They absorbed it.

Treatment and the Shift

Joe began combination chemotherapy.
Gemcitabine. Cisplatin. Alongside immunotherapy.

The first scan showed around a 40 percent reduction.
The second scan showed another 20 percent.
Roughly 60 percent total shrinkage.

That is significant in cholangiocarcinoma. and it changed the conversation. A tumour once considered unresectable now re-entered surgical discussion.

But they did not celebrate too early.
They simply moved to the next step and continued treatment.
Then they would reassess.
I think that was an indication of growing maturity and strength.

Preparing for Surgery

Eventually, surgery was scheduled. The plan was bold. Remove approximately 80 percent of the liver. The surgeons were clear about the risk. Intraoperative mortality was discussed openly. Arrangements were to be advised.

Before that attempt, portal vein embolisation was performed.
Blood flow was redirected from the tumour-bearing portion of the liver to the remaining healthy segment, allowing it to grow stronger over several weeks.

A PET scan was required two weeks before surgery to ensure no new lesions had appeared.

Joe prepared physically and personally. His nutrition became very deliberate.
Breathwork and meditation became a daily practice.

There was prayer. Reflection. A retreat that, in his words, brought forgiveness and self-love. Not denial. Just a deliberate preparation.

The Operation

The surgery lasted approximately fourteen and a half hours.
During the operation, Joe arrested twice.
He required full blood replacement.

At a critical point, the surgeons made a decision.
Continuing the resection would likely cost his life.
So they stopped.

He was packed, placed into an induced coma, and transferred to ICU.

That is not a minor complication.
That is life balanced on a knife edge.

And yet, in the way they told it, there was no embellishment. Just a fact. Just a sequence of what must be done.

Recovery

Joe spent around a month in hospital.
Recovery extended for months at home.
It was slow. It was fragile.

The ‘Breathwork’ technique he had learned and adopted moved from exploration to discipline. He described a profound experience during one early session. A release. A feeling of love. Gratitude. A sense of connection. Whether one frames that spiritually or psychologically, the effect was grounding.

Nutrition also became part of the rebuild.
They spoke openly about how supportive practices helped his body tolerate treatment and trauma.

Not as substitutes for oncology.
As support for the human undergoing it.

That distinction was clear.

Recurrence and Building Forward

In August, the idea for Thrive Nation formed.
Then just two weeks later, new imaging revealed a tumour behind Joe’s lung. A recurrence.

Again, they did not deny it.
They placed it where it was in its truth.
This is where we are now.

From there, they built.
Align Breath and Coaching.
Thrive Nation. A structured community for people navigating cancer. Teaching nervous system regulation. Breathwork. Mindset tools.

Not rebellion against medicine.
This was support architecture for it.

They are using lived experience to guide others through terrain they now know intimately.

That is how I saw it.
Not a perfect journey.
Not a guaranteed outcome.
A sequence of hard moments, met steadily, step by step.

And that is what stayed with me.

Thank you, Joe and Tegan
Steve

As always, if you need a starting point, please visit our Foundations Home Page and follow the steps.