FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH NATALIE, WHO JOINS US NOW.
GOOD MORNING. >> MORNING, GUYS.
LIKE SO MANY, OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN IS A CHILDHOOD IDOL OF MINE.
I GOT TO SPEND A FEW DAYS AT IN HER HOMETOWN OF MELBOURNE,
AUSTRALIA. OLIVIA IS LOOKING AND FEELING
GREAT. SHE TURNS 69 NEXT WEEK.
HARD TO BELIEVE. SHE'S BACK ON TOUR AND IN THE
RECORDING STUDIO. SHE'S EVEN WORKING ON A NEW BOOK
ABOUT HER LIFE. OLIVIA REFUSES TO LET ANYTHING,
NOT EVEN CANCER, SLOW HER DOWN. HOW PERSONAL IS THIS PLACE TO
YOU? >> OH, EXTREMELY.
>> FOR OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, THE CANCER WELLNESS AND RESEARCH
CENTER THAT BARES HER NAME IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.
THE LAST 15 YEARS, OLIVIA HAS MADE THIS HER LIFE'S WORK.
IT'S TAKING ON NEW MEANING WITH NEWS OF THE REOCCURRENCE OF HER
OWN BREAST CANCER IN MAY. OLIVIA, YOU LOOK AMAZING.
YOU ARE RADIANT. HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
>> I FEEL REALLY GOOD, THANK YOU.
I REALLY DO. I'M DOING WELL.
>> JUST FOUR MONTHS AGO, SHE GOT THE SHOCKING NEWS THAT AFTER 25
YEARS IN REMISSION, HER BREAST CANCER HAD RETURNED.
THIS TIME, METASTASIZING TO HER LOWER BACK.
>> WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST INDICATION?
>> I THOUGHT I HAD SCIATICA. AGAIN, IT WAS PAINFUL TO WALK.
I THOUGHT IT WAS THAT. >> YOU WERE STILL PERFORMING.
>> I WAS STILL PERFORMING, YUP. I WOULD GRIT MY TEETH AND TAKE A
COUPLE OF ASPIRIN AND GO ON. >> WHEN THE DOCTOR SAID THE
CANCER IS BACK AND IT HAD METASTASIZED, I MEAN, WHAT WENT
THROUGH YOUR MIND IN THAT MOMENT?
>> I GUESS IT WAS A LITTLE SURPRISING.
I NEVER WOULD HAVE ASSOCIATED IT.
IN MY MIND, IT WAS OVER. I'D FINISHED WITH IT.
>> WHAT IS THE PROGNOSIS WHEN YOU DO HAVE THIS BREAST CANCER?
>> I DON'T READ INTO PROGNOSIS AND STATISTICS BECAUSE IT CAN BE
DEPRESSING. I'M NOT GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE
STATISTICS. I'M GOING TO BE FINE.
I'LL PROBABLY DEAL WITH THIS IN MY LIFE AS AN ONGOING THING.
I THINK YOU CAN LIVE WITH CANCER LIKE YOU CAN LIVE WITH OTHER
THINGS, IF YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
>> AFTER A COURSE OF PHOTON RADIATION COMBINED WITH NATURAL
REMEDIES,HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS AND MEDITATION, SHE
HAS ANSWERED PRAYERS, ALONG WITH HER HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER, CHLOE.
>> HE'S TOTALLY CONFIDENT THAT I'M FINE AND I'M GOING TO LAST A
LONG TIME. >> WHEN SHE WAS TREATED THE
FIRST TIME, NEWTON-JOHN FELT THE NEED FOR MORE THAN TRADITIONAL
MEDICAL TREATMENT. ON HER OWN, SHE SUPPLEMENTED
CHEMO THERAPY WITH MIND AND BODY WELLNESS.
SHE BELIEVES IT IS A WINNING COMBINATION, AND NOW SHE'S
SHARING IT WITH OTHER PATIENTS HERE AT HER WELLNESS CENTER.
OFFERING MASSAGE, MEDITATION,
YOGA, ART AND MUSIC THERAPY TO PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES ON
THE ROAD TO RECOVERY. >> WITHOUT THE EXPERIENCE, I
WOULDN'T HAVE THE DESIRE OR PASSION TO HELP PEOPLE GOING
THROUGH IT, AND THE COMPASSION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS LIKE
WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH CANCER.
SO IT'S BEEN AN AMAZING JOURNEY. HAVING IT HAPPEN AGAIN, I
THOUGHT TO MYSELF, I'VE DONE IT BEFORE.
I GOT THROUGH THIS BEFORE, AND I CAN DO IT AGAIN.
>> ARE YOU SCARED AT ALL? >> NO.
I'M GOOD AT DENIAL. >> GOOD.
>> IT'S A GOOD THING TO HAVE. NO, I'M NOT REALLY.
I MEAN, OF COURSE, YOU HAVE FEAR.
THAT'S ONLY NATURAL. BUT, YOU KNOW, MY POSITIVE
OUTLOOK IS A DECISION. I'D BE LYING IF I DIDN'T SAY I
HAVE DARK MOMENTS AND NEGATIVE MOMENTS.
I'M HUMAN. BUT ON A GENERAL SCALE, I TEND
TO SEE THE GLASS AS HALF FULL. >> POSITIVITY EVEN IN THE MOST
DIFFICULT MOMENTS. AS REKRENLY AS A MONTH AGO, SHE
WAS IN CRIPPLING PAIN AND HAD DIFFICULTY WALKING.
SHE CREDITS HER USE OF MEDICAL CANNABIS FOR GETTING HER BACK ON
HER FEET. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MEDICINAL MARIJUANA?
>> PEOPLE HAVE VISIONS FROM THE '60s OF PEOPLE SITTING AROUND
AND GETTING STONED. IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT.
THIS PLANT IS A HEALING PLANT. WE NEED TO CHANGE THE VISION OF
WHAT IT IS. BECAUSE IT HELPED ME GREATLY,
AND IT HELPED WITH PAIN AND INFLAMMATION.
>> NOW, SHE'S BACK TO HELPING OTHERS.
RAISING MONEY TO KEEP THE WELLNESS CENTER OPEN, FUNDING
RESEARCH FOR CLINICAL TRIALS AND BREAK THROUGH CANCER TREATMENT
AND SPENDING TIME HERE, CONNECTING WITH PATIENTS ON A
WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
WHAT HAS CANCER TAUGHT YOU ABOUT YOURSELF?
>> I'M STRONGER THAN I THOUGHT I WAS.
EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE A TEAM AROUND YOU AND PEOPLE ARE
HELPING YOU, IT REALLY, IN THE END, IS UP TO YOU.
BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT AND GO THROUGH IT.
SO IT MADE ME STRONGER. >> YOU CALL YOURSELF A CANCER
THRIVER. YOU DON'T LIKE THE WORD
SURVIVOR. >> YES.
>> WHY THRIVER? >> SURVIVOR SOUNDS LIKE SOMEBODY
CLINGING ON TO A LIFEBOAT TO ME. A THRIVER IS SOMEBODY OFF THE
BOAT AND ON LAND. >> CHOOSING TO SEE THE LIGHT,
INSPIRING OTHERS TO DO THE SAME. OLIVIA HAS SOMETHING ELSE TO
CELEBRATE. NEXT YEAR MARKS THE 40th
ANNIVERSARY OF "GREASE." SHE STILL HAS THE FAMOUS LEATHER
PANTS. SHE PLANS TO AUCTION THEM OFF,
BRINGING THINGS FULL CIRCLE. THE MONEY WILL BE DONATED BACK
TO HER CANCER AND WELLNESS CENTER.
>> SO GOOD TO SEE