WEBVTT - Happy Cancer-versary! 0:00:01.480 --> 0:00:04.240 Hey, there are folks in this episode of Amy and TJ. 0:00:04.840 --> 0:00:10.640 On this day, eleven years ago, Amy J. Robock was 0:00:10.680 --> 0:00:14.720 told she had breast cancer. Fast forward about a half 0:00:14.840 --> 0:00:19.759 year and several chemo treatments later, she was declared cancer free, 0:00:20.120 --> 0:00:23.480 and she has been cancer free ever since. But still 0:00:23.560 --> 0:00:27.600 every year now, on this day, October thirtieth, those of 0:00:27.680 --> 0:00:30.319 us who know her and love her take the time 0:00:30.440 --> 0:00:36.560 to remember to reflect and fucking party. And so we're 0:00:36.600 --> 0:00:39.080 glad you can be here now with us for Amy 0:00:39.479 --> 0:00:45.960 ROBO's cancerversary. And with that, welcome to this episode of 0:00:46.120 --> 0:00:49.520 Amy and TJ. Robes. So is the right thing to say? 0:00:49.560 --> 0:00:52.360 Do we say? Happy cancer versary? Is that the right 0:00:52.400 --> 0:00:52.960 thing to say? 0:00:53.120 --> 0:00:54.400 You know, it's funny you asked that. 0:00:54.480 --> 0:00:56.520 First of all, I am surprised because I did not 0:00:56.680 --> 0:01:00.280 know we were doing this episode. I was here, you 0:01:00.360 --> 0:01:02.760 might prepare I was here for another episode, and I 0:01:02.800 --> 0:01:04.760 did not know that this episode was happening. 0:01:04.800 --> 0:01:06.800 So I want to make that clear right now. 0:01:07.400 --> 0:01:10.319 It's funny you ask because my twenty one year old 0:01:10.400 --> 0:01:13.479 daughter Ava asked me the very same thing this morning 0:01:13.480 --> 0:01:16.480 when she wished me a happy cancer versary. She's like, 0:01:16.520 --> 0:01:19.720 oh wait, is that an okay thing to say. I 0:01:19.760 --> 0:01:23.520 guess this isn't something that's happy, and I actually corrected 0:01:23.520 --> 0:01:27.440 her and I said, no, that's perfect, because why wouldn't 0:01:27.440 --> 0:01:28.440 this be a celebration. 0:01:28.680 --> 0:01:30.400 This is a celebration of life. 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:35.760 This is of course an acknowledgment of what I've been through, 0:01:36.280 --> 0:01:40.199 but more importantly than anything else, this is about being 0:01:40.240 --> 0:01:41.520 grateful to be here. 0:01:42.240 --> 0:01:45.720 This is why anyone who has. 0:01:46.720 --> 0:01:50.000 Fought cancer and lived with cancer and is living with 0:01:50.040 --> 0:01:53.440 cancer is here because we want to live. 0:01:54.000 --> 0:01:56.400 And so, yes, this is a celebration of life. 0:01:56.560 --> 0:02:00.480 So explain to people, because people it's different for everybody, 0:02:00.920 --> 0:02:03.480 but a cancer versary people hear that often I am 0:02:03.520 --> 0:02:05.320 more familiar with than now because of you. But it 0:02:05.320 --> 0:02:06.880 can mean different things to different people. 0:02:06.920 --> 0:02:07.360 Sure so. 0:02:07.600 --> 0:02:12.400 Actually, funny enough, when I was diagnosed, I certainly met 0:02:12.919 --> 0:02:15.840 so many women and men who were going through the 0:02:15.880 --> 0:02:18.920 process or had already been down the road. And everyone 0:02:19.000 --> 0:02:21.680 talks about their cancroversary or the day in which they 0:02:21.720 --> 0:02:25.560 celebrate or at least honor what they'd been through. And 0:02:25.639 --> 0:02:28.800 I was curious different people choose different dates. You can 0:02:28.840 --> 0:02:31.760 either choose from what I gathered, the day you were 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:36.960 diagnosed or the day you finished treatment. So for me, 0:02:37.880 --> 0:02:42.799 I was diagnosed on October thirtieth, twenty thirteen. I finished 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:46.160 my last chemo treatment, my eighth round of chemo, on 0:02:46.200 --> 0:02:49.560 April twenty fourth, twenty fourteen. You'll never forget those dates. 0:02:49.919 --> 0:02:52.160 But I kind of talked to a couple of several 0:02:52.200 --> 0:02:54.360 different women who had walked down that road, and I 0:02:54.480 --> 0:02:57.320 just decided for myself that I wanted to choose the 0:02:57.400 --> 0:02:59.639 day I was diagnosed because that was the day I 0:02:59.680 --> 0:03:03.160 start arted surviving. That was the day where I made 0:03:03.160 --> 0:03:07.400 a decision that I was going to fight this fight, 0:03:07.720 --> 0:03:11.000 and I knew what I was I didn't totally know, 0:03:11.200 --> 0:03:15.760 but I was preparing for walking down this path for 0:03:15.800 --> 0:03:17.440 the rest of my life. And so for me, that 0:03:17.560 --> 0:03:19.720 was the day my life changed, and it was. 0:03:19.720 --> 0:03:22.679 A sad day. Obviously, it was a horrific day. 0:03:22.840 --> 0:03:26.240 I think back to that day and I have horrible feelings. 0:03:26.240 --> 0:03:29.440 And I think anyone who's got an anniversary where something 0:03:29.480 --> 0:03:32.840 bad happened, something tragic happened, a day where your life changed, 0:03:33.400 --> 0:03:36.840 initially for the worst. But I wanted to reclaim that 0:03:36.960 --> 0:03:39.960 day because otherwise October thirtieth was always going to live 0:03:40.000 --> 0:03:42.320 in infamy for me, So why not for me. 0:03:42.520 --> 0:03:43.320 This was my choice. 0:03:43.360 --> 0:03:46.280 I decided to twist the day instead of being sad 0:03:46.320 --> 0:03:48.560 about that day and remembering how hard it was and 0:03:48.560 --> 0:03:51.560 how scary it was and how devastating it was. And 0:03:51.680 --> 0:03:55.040 remember that was the day where I said I'm going 0:03:55.120 --> 0:03:55.560 to do this. 0:03:55.640 --> 0:03:56.760 I'm going to walk down this road. 0:03:56.800 --> 0:03:58.560 I don't know the outcome, and I still don't know 0:03:58.600 --> 0:04:01.560 the outcome, but I am making a choice right now 0:04:01.640 --> 0:04:04.520 to fight to live and to remember to fight to live. 0:04:04.760 --> 0:04:06.360 What you said, that was such a sad day, and 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:08.400 that obviously it was an awful day for a lot 0:04:08.440 --> 0:04:10.600 of reasons. So why is it on a day like 0:04:10.640 --> 0:04:12.800 today where we say happy cancer? First three? 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:12.920 Right? 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:14.880 I get the point you're making, But it seems like 0:04:15.320 --> 0:04:16.920 a day and waking up on a day like this 0:04:17.000 --> 0:04:20.000 could still come. You can't help, but some negative and 0:04:20.040 --> 0:04:22.360 sad things creep in. Does that happen? 0:04:22.520 --> 0:04:24.760 You saw me cry this morning, But I actually will 0:04:24.760 --> 0:04:26.200 tell you they were tears of joy. 0:04:26.440 --> 0:04:27.960 There were tears and feel that way. 0:04:28.120 --> 0:04:31.280 I know, I know, but there were tears of gratitude 0:04:31.720 --> 0:04:35.320 because I see how far I've come. And I also 0:04:35.680 --> 0:04:37.560 don't know what next year brings. I don't know what 0:04:37.600 --> 0:04:40.120 tomorrow brings. I don't know what ten years from now brings, 0:04:40.560 --> 0:04:44.479 but I know right now I'm okay, and no matter 0:04:44.480 --> 0:04:46.760 what happens, I can choose to be okay. 0:04:47.320 --> 0:04:49.520 And it's just the perspective of it all. 0:04:50.240 --> 0:04:52.880 I wanted to honor how far I've come. I want 0:04:52.920 --> 0:04:56.960 to honor the unknown, and I just felt grateful to 0:04:57.000 --> 0:04:58.280 be here right now, in this moment. 0:04:58.320 --> 0:04:58.880 It's for me. 0:04:59.000 --> 0:05:01.920 These are the days, these are the anniversaries where I 0:05:02.000 --> 0:05:06.320 remember to be grateful. I know that sounds cheesy. It 0:05:07.279 --> 0:05:08.599 that's why there are tears of joy. 0:05:08.720 --> 0:05:11.440 Oh no, but this morning, I mean we were laughing 0:05:11.480 --> 0:05:14.080 about it as you were crying this morning, but I 0:05:14.120 --> 0:05:17.040 simply said, today is Today is a day of nothing 0:05:17.040 --> 0:05:19.200 but joy. Like I just we set the tone very 0:05:19.200 --> 0:05:21.160 early on and me saying today is going to be 0:05:21.160 --> 0:05:25.800 nothing but joy my verse, I didn't. 0:05:25.880 --> 0:05:27.880 I actually quickly laughed because I didn't want to cry 0:05:27.920 --> 0:05:30.400 in front of you, because I was embarrassed because I 0:05:30.440 --> 0:05:32.159 don't like to cry. But I ran and then I 0:05:32.200 --> 0:05:33.760 was like, I get it out, get it out. But 0:05:33.839 --> 0:05:39.800 it really was a release of emotion, agreeing with you 0:05:40.040 --> 0:05:42.760 that this is and I think sometimes like, yeah, there 0:05:42.760 --> 0:05:45.640 are happy tears, there are joyful tears. There are tears 0:05:45.640 --> 0:05:49.680 of gratitude, and those are beautiful tears. And yeah, that's 0:05:49.720 --> 0:05:54.080 where I am today because it is a big deal. 0:05:54.120 --> 0:05:58.560 I've always believed that it's important to this is just 0:05:58.600 --> 0:06:03.000 for me to honor milestones in your life because it 0:06:03.000 --> 0:06:09.200 it requires reflection, but it also hopefully brings about this 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:12.880 sense of just perspective, which I think gives you the joy. 0:06:12.960 --> 0:06:15.080 Say, I was worried this morning when you started crying. 0:06:15.120 --> 0:06:17.080 I know again you said, I use the tears of 0:06:17.120 --> 0:06:20.159 Joy and d da da, But I started blasting what 0:06:20.320 --> 0:06:22.599 song throughout the house when you ran away to start crying. 0:06:22.640 --> 0:06:25.160 You remember, no, but it was it was Parrell? 0:06:25.520 --> 0:06:26.520 Yeah. Oh yeah. 0:06:28.040 --> 0:06:29.360 It didn't work. No, it did. 0:06:29.520 --> 0:06:32.680 No, it made me happy, like it actually enhanced my joy. 0:06:32.640 --> 0:06:33.839 Yeah, you got the joke. Yes. 0:06:33.920 --> 0:06:34.800 And then I. 0:06:34.760 --> 0:06:36.520 Said what playlist is that from? And you said it 0:06:36.560 --> 0:06:38.160 was a hope playlist? I say, can you send it 0:06:38.240 --> 0:06:38.520 to me? 0:06:38.800 --> 0:06:41.000 It was you sent me your hope playlist? 0:06:41.080 --> 0:06:43.360 And I ran to it this morning with you over 0:06:43.360 --> 0:06:46.400 the Brooklyn Bridge at sunrise, and that started the day 0:06:46.680 --> 0:06:49.760 with just so much joy and so much hope and 0:06:49.839 --> 0:06:51.839 so much promise and so much. 0:06:51.920 --> 0:06:55.720 Gratitude and all of those things. I really deeply, I don't. 0:06:55.800 --> 0:06:58.200 I'm always taking aback at how much I feel on 0:06:58.240 --> 0:06:58.640 this day. 0:06:58.760 --> 0:07:02.840 Okay, but explain why is it it almost slipped your 0:07:02.880 --> 0:07:04.240 mind that the day was approaching. 0:07:05.920 --> 0:07:08.840 We've been so busy, and that's a good thing. I mean, 0:07:08.880 --> 0:07:11.560 we've been really busy. We've been working really hard. We're 0:07:12.040 --> 0:07:15.720 building a small business, we're rebuilding our careers. And that 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:20.120 doesn't happen in a flash or overnight or by snapping 0:07:20.120 --> 0:07:22.160 your fingers. It requires a lot of hard work. And 0:07:22.200 --> 0:07:24.200 so we have been working. We've been churning out about 0:07:24.240 --> 0:07:28.320 eight podcasts a week, and we've been traveling NonStop. 0:07:28.040 --> 0:07:32.240 For partying, friends and. 0:07:29.840 --> 0:07:33.080 One fun reasons and all of those things, and football 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:38.200 games and children studying overseas and all of those things. 0:07:38.240 --> 0:07:41.720 But it has been a whirlwind, and I actually was 0:07:41.800 --> 0:07:45.520 so so my you guys, hopefully if you're friends of 0:07:45.520 --> 0:07:47.920 the podcast, you listened. And you know, my best friend 0:07:48.000 --> 0:07:51.640 Nikki Espina, she just got back from actually running the 0:07:51.760 --> 0:07:55.040 Venice Marathon with her boyfriend Chris, which is pretty cool. 0:07:55.080 --> 0:07:57.720 But she was landing last night and she said, what 0:07:57.760 --> 0:08:01.600 are you doing tomorrow to celebrate? And she sent me 0:08:01.640 --> 0:08:03.920 this text about I don't know, eight o'clock, nine o'clock 0:08:03.960 --> 0:08:07.640 last night, and I realized in that moment that I 0:08:07.680 --> 0:08:11.480 had forgotten for the first time since I was diagnosed 0:08:11.480 --> 0:08:14.080 on October thirtieth, that it was October thirtieth. 0:08:14.160 --> 0:08:16.080 What do you make of that, that you actually forgot. 0:08:16.720 --> 0:08:21.080 I think that's probably the most amazing thing, because I've 0:08:21.160 --> 0:08:26.520 never ever forgotten, and it's always weighed on me. In fact, 0:08:26.600 --> 0:08:32.040 I have anticipated it with some dread in years past, 0:08:32.160 --> 0:08:35.360 like afraid of how I'd feel, afraid of where I was, 0:08:35.480 --> 0:08:39.120 afraid of what I was thinking or where my mind was. 0:08:39.679 --> 0:08:44.079 And this year, for the first time ever, I forgot 0:08:44.480 --> 0:08:48.080 that it was my canceroversary. And I think that is 0:08:48.200 --> 0:08:49.240 kind of awesome. 0:08:51.240 --> 0:08:54.559 That makes sense, It makes something. I was guessing that 0:08:54.640 --> 0:08:57.240 and assuming that and wondering that, but you confirmed. I 0:08:57.280 --> 0:09:00.800 didn't want to assign that feeling to you. But I 0:09:00.960 --> 0:09:04.360 was amazed because obviously it's over the past couple of 0:09:04.400 --> 0:09:06.560 years to keep up with these things with you, and 0:09:06.640 --> 0:09:09.360 sometimes people do forget. And you had a big one 0:09:09.400 --> 0:09:12.000 last year ten year, and a round number ten year 0:09:12.040 --> 0:09:15.040 and a cancer versary was last year. That's a big milestone. 0:09:15.360 --> 0:09:16.360 But it was a tough year. 0:09:16.440 --> 0:09:18.760 It was a tough year where we weren't we weren't 0:09:18.840 --> 0:09:20.920 free to be us, or we didn't feel like we 0:09:20.960 --> 0:09:24.679 could be. And I was still living in a lot 0:09:24.720 --> 0:09:30.560 of ways behind closed doors. I didn't feel celebratory, and 0:09:31.280 --> 0:09:34.240 it was It's funny because you build it up when 0:09:34.280 --> 0:09:37.520 you get diagnosed. You don't even want to be so 0:09:37.640 --> 0:09:40.040 bold as to hope you're going to be able to 0:09:40.080 --> 0:09:43.640 celebrate your five year, your tenure, but those are big milestones, 0:09:44.440 --> 0:09:46.160 especially when it comes to breast cancer. And so I 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:48.800 had always imagined if I could get to ten years. 0:09:48.840 --> 0:09:51.520 I remember thinking that when I was diagnosed, if I 0:09:51.520 --> 0:09:53.120 could get to ten years, I'm going to throw the 0:09:53.120 --> 0:09:55.640 biggest party. I'm going to do the most amazing things 0:09:55.679 --> 0:09:59.080 to celebrate life and the people around me. And all 0:09:59.120 --> 0:10:01.960 of a sudden, the ten years came and I was 0:10:02.000 --> 0:10:04.800 in a completely different place than I could have ever anticipated, 0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:07.920 and the day was not what I had imagined. 0:10:08.360 --> 0:10:10.400 And so it's kind of funny that you had I 0:10:10.400 --> 0:10:11.240 think so much. 0:10:11.040 --> 0:10:14.840 Of life is about expectations, and we put too much 0:10:14.880 --> 0:10:17.600 on ourselves around other people, and that causes a lot 0:10:17.640 --> 0:10:22.960 of unnecessary suffering. So funny enough, I didn't even anticipate today, 0:10:23.240 --> 0:10:25.520 and so far today has been one of the most magical, 0:10:25.559 --> 0:10:38.000 beautiful days I have had this entire year. And you've 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:38.559 been amazing. 0:10:39.600 --> 0:10:43.000 Oh no, I wasn't saying no, but I know you weren't. 0:10:43.040 --> 0:10:44.480 I know you weren't pushing, you did not have a 0:10:44.480 --> 0:10:46.920 hook in the water. No, but a lot of it 0:10:47.000 --> 0:10:50.960 has to do with you, and you have been wonderful 0:10:51.200 --> 0:10:55.600 from the moment you woke me up at four ten 0:10:55.720 --> 0:10:59.760 this morning, and you know, just hearing from my girls 0:10:59.760 --> 0:11:02.520 and here from my friends, and you know, it's just 0:11:02.600 --> 0:11:04.559 the little This is one of those moments where I 0:11:04.600 --> 0:11:07.760 will remind anyone who's listening. I know people get weird. 0:11:08.080 --> 0:11:11.120 I ala shouldn't say weird. They get uncomfortable about how 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:17.760 to handle tough dates, tough anniversaries, tough moments, tough diagnoses, 0:11:18.000 --> 0:11:20.280 tough news. People don't know what to say to the 0:11:20.320 --> 0:11:24.160 person who is receiving it or who you're hearing it from. 0:11:24.559 --> 0:11:27.200 And I would just always urge people to reach out. 0:11:27.480 --> 0:11:29.080 Even if you say the wrong thing. It is better 0:11:29.120 --> 0:11:31.680 to say the wrong thing than nothing, and so it's 0:11:31.720 --> 0:11:36.440 better to have with the best intention to say happy Cancroversary. 0:11:36.520 --> 0:11:39.280 Even if you aren't sure that's the right tone. 0:11:38.920 --> 0:11:41.400 But at least I know today's important to you, and 0:11:41.440 --> 0:11:44.240 I'm thinking of you, and thank God you're here. Like 0:11:44.440 --> 0:11:48.800 just the smallest I'm always amazed despite what you've been 0:11:48.840 --> 0:11:53.160 through and how much life you've lived, one line, one message, 0:11:53.520 --> 0:11:56.640 one text can make the biggest difference in someone's life. 0:11:56.640 --> 0:11:58.760 So always send the text, even if you don't know 0:11:58.760 --> 0:12:01.120 if it's the right words or if it's the perfect 0:12:01.160 --> 0:12:04.920 way to say it. Saying something is always the right 0:12:04.960 --> 0:12:05.360 way to go. 0:12:05.679 --> 0:12:08.000 So well, we've talked about this obviously, with the number 0:12:08.040 --> 0:12:11.040 of people that in the past two years have gotten 0:12:11.040 --> 0:12:13.520 that message from me, Hey didn't want anything, you just 0:12:13.559 --> 0:12:15.719 crossed my mind. I've learned in the past couple of 0:12:15.760 --> 0:12:18.079 years that when somebody's on my mind, I shouldn't hesitate 0:12:18.080 --> 0:12:20.040 to reach out. People have gotten that random text for 0:12:20.120 --> 0:12:21.440 me plenty over the past couple. 0:12:21.360 --> 0:12:23.960 Years, because until you've gone through something tough, you can't 0:12:24.000 --> 0:12:27.480 imagine the impact of the text. You don't even have 0:12:27.520 --> 0:12:28.960 to make a phone call, you don't have to send 0:12:28.960 --> 0:12:32.960 a gift. It's just the thought that actually has so 0:12:33.080 --> 0:12:34.040 much weight, does it not. 0:12:34.960 --> 0:12:38.560 I have learned that lesson of plenty, but I on 0:12:38.600 --> 0:12:41.920 this ANNIVERSI I actually I gave you an option today. 0:12:41.920 --> 0:12:43.080 I was going to take you out and we were 0:12:43.080 --> 0:12:44.760 going to and we had we've been partying before we 0:12:44.800 --> 0:12:47.560 came into the studio today. And hell yeah, I don't 0:12:47.600 --> 0:12:50.000 mind saying that. Hell we popped a bottle of oove 0:12:50.240 --> 0:12:53.760 at five this morning before we recorded the morning run. 0:12:54.000 --> 0:12:55.959 I will admit that, Suis. I mean, what do you 0:12:56.040 --> 0:12:58.280 want to do? Today is a very big day. And 0:12:58.360 --> 0:12:59.199 we didn't finish the. 0:12:59.120 --> 0:13:02.480 Bottle half a glass, and then we ran several miles, 0:13:03.480 --> 0:13:04.120 so it wasn't like. 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:06.800 My point being. I got up and we got up 0:13:06.960 --> 0:13:09.040 in a mood and to make this a special day. 0:13:09.080 --> 0:13:11.880 But when I think of your cancer versary, the first thing, 0:13:12.000 --> 0:13:15.360 the first place I think I've always is Oldna Hughes. 0:13:15.640 --> 0:13:18.800 Old Donna Hughes is an Irish pub that's next to 0:13:19.160 --> 0:13:21.960 the GMA studio on forty fourth Street, and we spent 0:13:22.080 --> 0:13:24.079 so much time there. They've been good to us over 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:29.840 the years. But I started at ABC September the twenty 0:13:29.840 --> 0:13:34.560 fourth of twenty fourteen, a month after that was your 0:13:35.320 --> 0:13:39.000 one year cancer versary, and I always remember the first 0:13:39.040 --> 0:13:41.960 time you and I really spent some one on one 0:13:42.040 --> 0:13:46.880 good quality time. Everybody was around. Was was at o'dona 0:13:46.920 --> 0:13:49.080 Hughes for your one year cancer versary? 0:13:49.280 --> 0:13:53.640 Yes, So over the years it seemed that anniversary always 0:13:53.720 --> 0:13:56.480 happened during the weekday and it was. It became a 0:13:56.520 --> 0:14:00.000 tradition that after Good Morning America we would head over 0:14:00.200 --> 0:14:02.360 and the bartender at the time, her name was Orla 0:14:02.559 --> 0:14:07.960 from Ireland, and she knew us obviously we were next 0:14:07.960 --> 0:14:11.040 door and would let us in two hours before the 0:14:11.120 --> 0:14:13.560 restaurant actually opened up or the pub actually opened up, 0:14:13.920 --> 0:14:17.920 So from nine am till eleven am when it actually opened, 0:14:17.920 --> 0:14:18.400 it would. 0:14:18.280 --> 0:14:20.200 Just be Good Morning America had plays to ourself. 0:14:20.280 --> 0:14:22.760 Yeah, we did it on Fridays usually except for we 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:26.560 also did it on my cancer Firs three and Yes, 0:14:26.720 --> 0:14:29.880 over the years, I have so many pictures of just 0:14:30.120 --> 0:14:34.400 the gang of us, like holding up whatever number it was, three, four, five, 0:14:34.440 --> 0:14:36.040 and you were there for all of them. 0:14:36.120 --> 0:14:37.800 But I just always remember that first one. And so 0:14:37.920 --> 0:14:39.760 today we got up. I said, hey, we're going to 0:14:39.800 --> 0:14:41.040 go out, We're going to start a party, and I 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:42.960 gave you options. I said, do you want to do 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:44.400 this spot? Do you want to do this spot? In 0:14:44.400 --> 0:14:47.720 one of those spots was Dona Hues now. I don't 0:14:47.720 --> 0:14:50.680 know if there is a perimeter around the GMA studio 0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:55.720 and we're not allowed to cross, but it was we 0:14:56.080 --> 0:14:58.280 haven't dared go anywhere closed and no reason to go 0:14:58.320 --> 0:14:59.640 hang out in Times Square is kind of a thing, 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:02.560 but it was that important and that significant of a 0:15:02.600 --> 0:15:04.760 time in your life and my life and our relationship 0:15:04.760 --> 0:15:07.480 and our friendship starting off that I said, you know what, 0:15:07.640 --> 0:15:10.880 let's go dip our heads back into this place for us. 0:15:10.920 --> 0:15:12.560 I don't give a damn about anybody else, but we 0:15:12.600 --> 0:15:13.240 almost did that to. 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:16.720 Way I thought about it, and I actually really appreciated 0:15:17.760 --> 0:15:21.520 the moment to give that real consideration. But funny enough, 0:15:21.520 --> 0:15:25.680 for me, I it's when you go through these big 0:15:25.720 --> 0:15:28.560 transitions in your life. Anyone who's gone through one knows. 0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:31.320 I think it's important to honor where you were, but 0:15:31.400 --> 0:15:33.640 it's also important to honor where you are now. 0:15:34.040 --> 0:15:37.040 And for me, I wanted to do. 0:15:36.920 --> 0:15:39.960 Something that was just us, and I didn't want to 0:15:40.000 --> 0:15:42.520 go back in time. I wanted to continue to go forward. 0:15:43.080 --> 0:15:46.240 And I thought about it, and that place holds a 0:15:46.240 --> 0:15:48.640 special place in my heart, but it's not where I 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:51.800 am now, and so that's why I chose to go 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:55.280 to a place just you and me close to iHeart Studios, 0:15:55.440 --> 0:15:57.840 so it was maybe going to be our It could 0:15:57.840 --> 0:15:59.160 be our new local watering hole. 0:15:59.360 --> 0:16:02.560 And again and still Dona Hughes, but they don't have 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:04.840 a petite filet like this place we went to. 0:16:04.640 --> 0:16:06.720 Today that was really good, really good food. 0:16:07.080 --> 0:16:09.200 I mean, I do love their French fries over at 0:16:09.320 --> 0:16:13.440 Donna Hughes. They have a mean curry dip with it. 0:16:13.480 --> 0:16:15.640 But no, I mean that was then and this is now. 0:16:15.760 --> 0:16:17.960 But cancer verse the first thing I always think about 0:16:18.040 --> 0:16:20.040 is O'donna Hughes when I think about your cancer version 0:16:20.120 --> 0:16:22.600 and you know it now, it's maybe the last year. 0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:27.320 Last year was very, very difficult of a time for cancerversary. 0:16:27.400 --> 0:16:30.320 And but to your point, it's it's weird to me 0:16:30.400 --> 0:16:32.880 still before you and I didn't even know each other 0:16:33.440 --> 0:16:37.280 when you were diagnosed, never met, right, had no idea 0:16:37.320 --> 0:16:39.600 we'd ever meet. But to think that's something that took 0:16:39.640 --> 0:16:41.320 place in your life at that time and it was 0:16:41.320 --> 0:16:44.400 that significant is playing such a role now in our 0:16:44.720 --> 0:16:47.920 entire relationship and us sitting here now and we'll continue 0:16:47.960 --> 0:16:48.520 to going forward. 0:16:48.880 --> 0:16:50.160 I was just trying to do the math. 0:16:50.280 --> 0:16:54.480 So I finished my surgeries and all of I started 0:16:54.680 --> 0:16:55.840 I guess that was the end. 0:16:55.760 --> 0:16:58.400 Of June July. So I met you July August. 0:16:58.520 --> 0:17:02.240 I met you three months after I finished my last 0:17:02.240 --> 0:17:05.760 surgery and had just started on my drug regimen, which 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:08.640 is nothing to sneeze at, to moxifin, which anyone who's 0:17:08.680 --> 0:17:11.040 been on it or who is on it knows that 0:17:11.119 --> 0:17:12.960 has a whole other set of side effects. So I 0:17:13.000 --> 0:17:14.359 was on that for the next eight years. So you 0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:17.560 did still meet me on my journey, and I had 0:17:17.600 --> 0:17:21.159 short hair. I was still growing it back out. I 0:17:21.200 --> 0:17:23.840 know the first time you met me, I had my 0:17:24.000 --> 0:17:29.320 very very short cancer haircut that was still because it 0:17:29.480 --> 0:17:31.360 was and you know, it's one of those things where 0:17:31.400 --> 0:17:34.280 chemo actually doesn't leave your body for many people say, 0:17:34.359 --> 0:17:36.800 like I think it takes a full year. It took 0:17:36.840 --> 0:17:39.080 me two years mentally to kind of get back in 0:17:39.119 --> 0:17:42.879 the rhythm of life and trust, trusting myself and trusting 0:17:42.880 --> 0:17:45.880 my body. And truly it's kind of cool. I do 0:17:45.920 --> 0:17:47.520 recall this. I want to mention this. This is a 0:17:47.520 --> 0:17:51.800 big deal to me. I ran my first marathon because 0:17:52.280 --> 0:17:55.000 of this anniversary. I was convinced by the New York 0:17:55.040 --> 0:18:00.439 bread Runners to run my very first marathon in part 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:04.320 and connected to my sixth year cancer versary because I 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:07.399 was diagnosed October thirtieth, and the New York City Marathon 0:18:07.440 --> 0:18:10.720 is always the first Sunday in November, so they're within 0:18:10.760 --> 0:18:12.359 a few days of each other, and it seemed like 0:18:12.400 --> 0:18:15.800 the right thing to do. So I decided to run 0:18:15.800 --> 0:18:18.679 my very first marathon, the New York City Marathon, because 0:18:18.720 --> 0:18:21.520 it was my sixth year cancer versary. And so now 0:18:21.600 --> 0:18:25.440 on my eleven year cancer versary, five years later, I'm 0:18:25.480 --> 0:18:28.800 about to run my fourth New York City Marathon right 0:18:28.880 --> 0:18:31.200 alongside you, which it'll be your third, and that's a 0:18:31.240 --> 0:18:35.680 pretty cool way to commemorate and to honor just how 0:18:35.720 --> 0:18:42.359 far you can come through cancer, living with cancer, fighting cancer. 0:18:42.480 --> 0:18:46.360 I think there's a huge part of the physical aspect 0:18:46.359 --> 0:18:49.560 of this where you're just like, I can trust my body, 0:18:49.600 --> 0:18:52.680 but also when you go through something like that, mentally, 0:18:53.400 --> 0:18:56.640 it never leaves me. When I'm running any long race, 0:18:56.680 --> 0:18:59.960 i'm running, I'm thinking about the battle and the struggle 0:19:00.080 --> 0:19:03.480 and those who are still fighting, and it's a big 0:19:03.520 --> 0:19:04.440 part of why I run. 0:19:04.520 --> 0:19:08.360 All right, October thirty that we're sitting here on October thirtieth, 0:19:08.400 --> 0:19:12.560 twenty twenty four, but October thirty twenty thirteen. How did 0:19:12.600 --> 0:19:14.840 you get the news? 0:19:15.080 --> 0:19:20.359 I was at NYU Lang Gone right there on thirty 0:19:20.359 --> 0:19:23.280 fourth Street, and I was alone. I went in for 0:19:23.320 --> 0:19:25.760 a follow up mammogram. I thought I was going to 0:19:25.760 --> 0:19:31.359 be in and out, and I got a cancer diagnosis 0:19:31.840 --> 0:19:33.960 from a technician who was reading my. 0:19:35.800 --> 0:19:40.280 Sonogram. And she said, not that one, this is the one. Yeah, 0:19:40.359 --> 0:19:42.160 she said, yeah, yeah. 0:19:42.240 --> 0:19:45.679 She told me the mass we found in your right 0:19:45.760 --> 0:19:48.280 breast is malignant. That is what she said to me. 0:19:48.400 --> 0:19:51.119 And I know everyone has a different reaction, but for me, 0:19:51.320 --> 0:19:53.959 I heard it in slow motion and some people might 0:19:53.960 --> 0:19:58.720 take it stoically and process it. I actually am not 0:19:58.840 --> 0:20:03.080 proud to say that I fell apart. I started, I 0:20:03.119 --> 0:20:06.359 started sobbing. The nurse next to me was rubbing my back. 0:20:07.000 --> 0:20:09.280 She said, I hate this part of my job. But 0:20:09.320 --> 0:20:11.760 I remember being so grateful that she was there and 0:20:11.880 --> 0:20:14.600 fairly quickly. Because I was not taking the news very well, 0:20:15.560 --> 0:20:18.000