Morning Show TV Anchor Has World Rocked: Fighting Aggressive Cancer, Says ‘Laughter With Friends Is The Best Medicine’

Paulsen, who first announced his unspecified diagnosis last month, recently took to Instagram to share a sweet photo of himself sitting alongside his fellow broadcasters David Bernard and Sally-Ann Roberts.

He captioned the post, “Laughter with good friends is the best medicine you can get in my fight against cancer and these are wonderful friends. It was so good catching up.”

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A post shared by Eric Paulsen (@ericpaulsen4)

Days later, Paulsen shared a photo of himself wearing supplemental oxygen on Instagram, alongside an image of an uplifting candle gifted to him by one of his pals.

He captioned the post, “My old buddy Sheba Turk [also a news anchor] knows me so well. She sent me this candle that describes me perfectly. Not sure if you can tell, but behind these eyes is 100% badass fighting this cancer.”

The candle reads, “They say God only gives what you can handle … Apparently God thinks YOU are a BADASS.”

It’s clear that Paulsen, who has been a part of the WWL Louisiana news team for a whopping 47 years, isn’t letting this cancer battle bring down his spirits, and we certainly admire him for powering through hard times with good laughs and supportive friends.

When he first announced his diagnosis, he wrote the following letter to the public, “To my colleagues at Channel 4 and our viewers, I will be on medical leave for the next few months battling cancer.

“It’s fairly aggressive, but my doctors say it is treatable.”

He continued, “And they are as confident as I am that I can and will beat this. I’m not a person who worries about a lot in life, and I’ve always been a fighter.

“This is a fight I don’t welcome, but I’m ready for this battle. My attitude is very positive, and I have a lot of support from family and friends, which means I will see you all soon.”

Meanwhile, WWL News Director Nicole Waivers made the following statement, “Eric means so much to this station and this region. He’s served his community for decades. Now it’s our turn to support him.”

It’s evident that Paulsen has been receiving an immense amount of support since his diagnosis, as many of his fans and loved ones have made the time to leave heartfelt comments on his social media posts.

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Responding to the Instagram post about the candle he received, one person commented, “Eric you have always been a bad ass. Growing up watching u on the news u didn’t take no BS. When they came for you, you always had a quick sarcastic response and I LOVED IT.

“You stay ready, and God knew you were ready for this battle. Your story will encourage others to be bad asses in their battle. Love you Eric.”

Another person wrote, “Continue the fight and never give up ‼️ We the ppl of New Orleans are praying for you.”

“Sending you love and prayers!!!! Been watching you since I was a kid! You are a huge part of Nola, you have an army praying for you,” commented a third.

How to Have That Hard Conversation With Your Workplace

“The analogy of putting on your seat belt before anyone else rings true when deciding how to prioritize your physical health in the workplace,” Dr. Marianna Strongin, a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Strong In Therapy Psychology, tells SurvivorNet.

“We must attend to our physical body in order to have room for our career and work. Since work will not heal us, our time and energy should be focused on ways to heal.”

Strongin’s message is one we often forget; we tend to get wrapped up in the day-to-day operations of our jobs. “It’s OK to skip that routine doctor’s appointment because I have a meeting later,” you might think to yourself, “I’ll just go next week.” But this can turn into a damaging mindset; putting your work before health won’t create a sustainable lifestyle for your future.

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“In order to have a fulfilling and successful career, we must feel healthy and sturdy both physically and mentally,” Strongin says. These two go hand-in-hand.

Therefore, when faced with an illness that impacts your work life or the life of a loved one, Strongin says, it’s absolutely critical to communicate this to your workplace.

“I suggest communicating your worries, and also facts about your illness, so that the proper assistance is created to support you. In order to give your physical health the attention it needs and deserves, one must take the pressures of work off their plate so that they can attend to their health without worrying about the repercussions.”

“Most importantly, I suggest you create space and room to heal,” Strongin adds. “If you find that you have the motivation and energy to incorporate work into your healing journey, it will be important to keep a healthy balance always checking in on your needs and wants.”

For some, working has the power to keep their mind sharp and allows them to have “normalcy” in their life. For instance, two high-powered female executives one at Facebook and the other at Google battled cancer, and they say the fight helped inspire their work. (Nicola Mendelsohn of Facebook and Ruth Porat of Google are two of the most powerful women in the tech field.) But not everyone is like this.

However, Strongin explains further, “it will be up to you to decide on what feels most helpful for you. Just remember, there’s no right way to balance an illness and your career. It feels hard because it is hard.”

Finding Support Through Cancer

Feeling support from a friends or a coworkers who has become like family, can help you express your feelings and maintain a positive attitude during a cancer battle.

Licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin previously wrote for SurvivorNet, that it’s “important that you surround yourself with individuals who care and support you throughout your treatment,” which she said can be an “arduous chapter.”

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That being said, it’s very important to know your limits on what you can handle during treatment.

“Going through treatment is a very vulnerable and emotionally exhausting experience,” she wrote. “Noticing what you have strength for and what is feeling like too much extremely important to pay attention to as you navigate treatment.”

It is important cancer warriors in the midst of their fight to have a strong support system. So how can you support a loved on in your life who is fighting cancer? SurvivorNet suggests multiple ways you can do so.

Dr. Shelly Tworoger, a researcher at Moffitt Cancer Center told SurvivorNet that “there’s a number of common things cancer patients can experience, such as anxiety, depression, financial toxicity, social isolation and sometimes even PTSD.” So helping to ease those feelings is a great way to support your loved one.

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You can help complete household chores or running errands during the day, which your loved one may not have the time or energy to do. Or, you can simply lend an ear so patients can talk through their feelings, which can help them cope with what they are experiencing during this difficult time.

Overcoming Adversity

Overcoming adversity can seem daunting. Many people think reciting upbeat mottos or pretending to be cheerful will help, but these solutions can make someone feel even more dejected than before. Instead, pay attention to the following steps to make meaningful change.

1. Set a goal. No matter what the situation, create a new goal for yourself. If you have just been diagnosed with cancer or a chronic illness, perhaps one goal would be to educate yourself about the disease and the possible treatments as much as possible.

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2. Make a plan. How will you achieve this goal? Your plan will help you focus on that goal. Dr. Siddhartha Ganguly refers to this determined, focused mindset as “the eye of the tiger,” which can help people dealing with health problems, such as lymphoma and other cancers. “You have to have the eye of the tiger to go through this grueling process that is necessary these days to get rid of these virulent and aggressive cancers,” Dr. Ganguly, a cancer specialist at Houston Methodist, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.

3. Rely on others. Spend time with people who show you unconditional support and encouragement. They will alleviate your stress and help you remember that you’re not alone in this! Dr. Samantha Boardman, a psychiatrist and author, previously told SurvivorNet that one “coping strategy that can be productive is reaching out and talking to others. Having support we know is really critical in the healing process.”

4. Use positive self-talk. Leave messages with affirmations in places you frequent. Put notes around your mirror or the computer screen that say “You got this! or “Keep going!” Cut out inspirational quotes from people you admire and surround yourself with their words. Dr. Boardman explained to SurvivorNet that “Positive emotions have unique benefits above and beyond managing negative emotions.”

Facing Cancer: How to Turn Stress into Strength

If you’ve been through a difficult health challenge or any type of adversity throughout your live,  Dr. Boardman told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview that one way to get your mental health back in check after a diagnosis is to try to play up your strengths.

“I sometimes will ask patients, tell me about yourself when you were at your best,” she explained. “Using that story, trying to figure out what strengths come to mind. Is it patience? Is it appreciation of beauty? It is perseverance? [Then we can] use those strengths in constructive ways to navigate their cancer journey.”

Dr. Boardman says another way to approach harnessing the strength you already have is by tapping into your values. This could be family, close friendships, spirituality, or commitment to a healthy lifestyle.

Reminding yourself of what your values are and how you are living accordingly is another way to unleash that inner strength.

Lastly, patients shouldn’t underestimate the value of simply opening up, Dr. Boardman says. This could mean speaking to a close family member or friend, or it could mean seeking support in other ways by finding a therapist that meets your needs or looking into joining a support group.

Having negative feelings throughout your cancer journey is to be expected, however, doctors will tell you that people who find a way to work through the emotions and stay positive tend to have better outcomes.

Stay Positive, It Matters

“A positive attitude is really important,” says Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

“I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patients are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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