After chemotherapy, Post Opinions writer Rachel Manteuffel felt like she was encountering a bald stranger every time she looked in the bathroom mirror. But then came the curls and lots of other surprising phenomena that science hasn’t been quite able to explain. She shares her story and her conversation with YouTuber and science explainer Hank Green, who had similar strange experiences with his post-chemo self.

Reasonably Optimistic

The Washington Post

I got cancer. And met a different me on the other side.

SEP 19, 202513 MIN
Reasonably Optimistic

I got cancer. And met a different me on the other side.

SEP 19, 202513 MIN

Description

<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">After chemotherapy, Post Opinions writer Rachel Manteuffel felt like she was encountering a bald stranger every time she looked in the bathroom mirror. But then came the curls and lots of other surprising phenomena that science hasn’t been quite able to explain. She shares her story and her conversation with YouTuber and science explainer Hank Green, who had similar strange experiences with his post-chemo self.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">See Rachel’s hair transformation here: </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/opinions/my-cool-cancer-story-opinion/2025/08/26/32a564f4-c83a-4c2b-a914-8c8f47b55c28_video.html?utm_source=podcasts&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=impromptu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">My cool cancer story | Opinion</a></p><p><br></p><p>Subscribe to The Washington Post<a href="https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&amp;p=s_v&amp;s_dt=yearly&amp;utm[%E2%80%A6]e-podcast&amp;utm_medium=acq-nat&amp;utm_campaign=podcast-subs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </a><a href="https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&amp;p=s_v&amp;s_dt=yearly&amp;utm[%E2%80%A6]e-podcast&amp;utm_medium=acq-nat&amp;utm_campaign=podcast-subs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>