1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:05,880 Speaker 1: Hi everyone, I'm Katie Current and this is next Question. Today. 2 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: I'm going to tell you a very personal story. The 3 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: first thing you should know, though, is that I am vigilant, 4 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 1: even neurotic about taking care of my health and encouraging 5 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,279 Speaker 1: others to do the same. I think it's because I 6 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: lost my husband Jay to metastatic colon cancer back in 7 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: n when he was just forty two years old. At 8 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 1: the time, I was an anchor on The Today Show. 9 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: Many of you know that I lost my husband, Jay Monahan, 10 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: my loving and beloved husband, last month after createst battle 11 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: with colon cancer. Words, of course, will never describe how 12 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 1: devastating this loss has been for me and my daughters 13 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: and all of Jay's family as well. But the heartfelt 14 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: and compassionate letters and cards that so many of you 15 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: sent to me were enormously comforting, and I'm so grateful. 16 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: After Jay died, I wanted to share everything I had 17 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: learned about this terrible disease. I also wanted to help 18 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: people understand there are ways to prevent it, to detect 19 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: it early, and that's by getting a colonoscopy, which I 20 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: did on National TV. Put the scope and yet did okay, 21 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,319 Speaker 1: good that's a good guy. A few years later, I 22 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 1: even got Jimmy Kimmel to get screened. Katie asked me 23 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: if she could accompany me for my first colonoscopy. You 24 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:27,760 Speaker 1: know you have to have that when you turned fifty, 25 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,320 Speaker 1: and it seemed to be an unusual request, but I 26 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,759 Speaker 1: know this is something piteous passionate about, and um, it's 27 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 1: an important thing to do. So with that said, we're 28 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: about to watch a camera go where no camera has 29 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: ever gone before. All of this is to say that 30 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: even I, the cancer screening Queen, missed a cancer screening 31 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 1: appointment because of the pandemic, I was six months overdue 32 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: for a mammogram. I'm sure I'm not the only one 33 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: who fell into the COVID time warp. So I decided 34 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: to turn my own misstep into an upclose and personal opportunity. Okay, 35 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 1: here is the machine as well as a teachable moment, 36 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: and this is where my breast will be placed. Since 37 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: I started getting screened, my annual breast exam has been 38 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: a two step process because I, like women over the 39 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: age of forty, have dense breasts. So in addition to 40 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 1: getting a mammogram and now a three D mammogram, which 41 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 1: is superior to the standard kind. I also get a 42 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: breast ultrasound. My longtime breast radiologist, Dr Susan Drossman has 43 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: been the one doing those exams and analyzing the results 44 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: for years. So momography, wall it is the gold standard, 45 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: does not do the whole job in terms of saying 46 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:57,639 Speaker 1: that your breasts are normal. Momography is excellent at looking 47 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: at calcifications and what we call architectural distortion. Those are 48 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: both the ways that certain breast cancers can manifest themselves. 49 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: But when the breast tissue is dense, mammography does a 50 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: very poor job of looking at masses. I think the 51 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: best analogy I can give you is if you're looking 52 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: for a snowball in a field of snow. The conspicuity 53 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: of finding a snowball in a background of snow is 54 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: going to be very difficult. So if you're looking for 55 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: a mass, which by definition is dense because the cells 56 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: are rapidly multiplying, and you're looking for that in a 57 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: background a very dense tissue, it's almost going to be 58 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: impossible to find on a mammogram. So breast ultrasound uses 59 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: sound waves, so the way that you look at the 60 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: tissue is very different, so ultrasound is really an excellent 61 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: tool for looking at masses and cysts. It was June 62 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: twenty the day of my appointment. I handed my phone 63 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:58,119 Speaker 1: to a technician and asked her to film me better 64 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: than Spain. Okay, so you had your mammogram and really 65 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 1: all looked pretty stable. On the mammogram, there was one 66 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: area where the tissue looked a little bit more distorted 67 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: than in the past. Go back to ultrasound. And we 68 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 1: went into ultrasound and I and I had in my 69 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: head this particular area that I really wanted to look at, 70 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 1: and you and I were chit chatting. Breast get bigger 71 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: after menopause, so there's definitely a redistribution of body weight 72 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: after menopause. And when I got to that area, I 73 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: knew that there was something here that bothered me because 74 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:45,280 Speaker 1: on ultrasound what I saw was a mass. So we 75 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 1: were chit chatting, and I think I remember saying to you, Katie, 76 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 1: there's something here that worries me, you know, And you 77 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: asked us to turn off the camera because we were 78 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:58,479 Speaker 1: recording this to use to remind women to get screened. 79 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: That is true, and I looked at you, and I 80 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: looked at the person who is imaging us, and I said, 81 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 1: I could stop for a second. I think we really 82 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 1: need to turn the camera off. I want to speak frankly. 83 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 1: And you said, no, no, we can keep going. And 84 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:16,359 Speaker 1: I said, no, turn that camera off. And you know, 85 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: I've been doing this for a long time, so I 86 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 1: do know what my thresholds are, and I was concerned 87 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: about it. Obviously. Until we get tissue from it, you 88 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: never know for sure. And the only way to get 89 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: tissue from the breast is with a biopsy, which Dr 90 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: Drossman did the very same day. And you said to me, oh, 91 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: I have a bit. I have this I have to 92 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:39,360 Speaker 1: go to, and I have this I have to go to, 93 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, I'm very busy, and of course 94 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: I know you're very busy, but I knew what this 95 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: was going to be, and I said, I want to 96 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: do this today, stay till the end of the day, 97 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: and we'll make it happen. And we did. In order 98 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: to perform a breast biopsy, a very small incision is 99 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:01,919 Speaker 1: made into a numbed breast using a tiny instrument. The 100 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:06,039 Speaker 1: doctor reaches into the area of concern and pulls out 101 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:10,679 Speaker 1: several pieces of breast tissue. Dr Drossman assured me each 102 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:15,119 Speaker 1: one was minuscule. It's probably about twenty three millimeters long 103 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: and about three millimeters wide. So like, compare that to something, 104 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: because I'm bad at that. So it's like like a 105 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 1: little worm, like a like a little baby worm, a 106 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: little baby worm. Um. And I take multiple samples. We 107 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 1: usually take about five samples, because when you are doing 108 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: these biopsies, it's all about sampling. So you want to 109 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 1: show the pathologists what's happening here. So I take some 110 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: tissue from the top, from the middle, from the bottom, 111 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: and that gets put in a little jar of formula 112 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:48,479 Speaker 1: in and gets sent to the pathology lab. Just twenty 113 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: four hours later, Dr Drossman called my cell the mailbox 114 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 1: is full and cannot accept any messages at this time. Goodbye. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 115 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: my mailbox is always full. So she resorted to text, 116 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: please call me in the office to discuss biopsy results. 117 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: So I called you back, and do you remember what 118 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: you said? I probably said, do you have a few 119 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: minutes to talk. I'll share those results right after the 120 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: break when you got the pathology report back for me. 121 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 1: I'm just curious because we've known each other for a 122 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 1: long time, and you know what I've had to deal 123 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: with with my husband and my sister. Yes, yes, so 124 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: I have to say, you know, I've been doing this 125 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: for a long time, and I kind of knew what 126 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 1: it was going to be, So it didn't surprise me 127 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: in terms of what the pathology was. But I knew 128 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: it was going to be hard for me to tell you, 129 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 1: and hard for me to tell you because I know 130 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: what you've gone through in your life. So when I 131 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: got that pathology, I said to myself, oh my goodness, 132 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 1: how am I going to say this, which is really 133 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: always what I say to myself when I have to 134 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 1: confront somebody with this news. But you know, we have 135 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 1: known each other for a long time, and it's always hard. 136 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: It's hard for me every single time I do it. 137 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 1: So I called you back and do you remember what 138 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: you said? I probably said, do you have a few 139 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 1: minutes to talk? You know, I try to when I 140 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: am worried about something, give people at least a a 141 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: premonition that I am going to call and it may 142 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: not be great news. And I try to not spring 143 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 1: things on people because I'm the one who calls, you know, 144 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:52,800 Speaker 1: and I think probably what I said it is it's 145 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:55,959 Speaker 1: a small breast cancer. It's totally treatable, but we need 146 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,439 Speaker 1: to make a plan. And do you remember what I said? 147 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: You probably said, am I going to be okay? Or 148 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: or ship ship? Or I gotta go to the handles 149 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: that I'm going to Aspen tomorrow. And I have a 150 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: lot of things I need to do and can I 151 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: still do them? And the answer is yes, but we 152 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 1: need to address this. I was going to visit John's 153 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:18,439 Speaker 1: parents and I was going to a wedding in Aspen, 154 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: and I was both shocked and yet not shocked because 155 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:30,440 Speaker 1: I've had so much cancer in my life. I think 156 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 1: a lot of people think, well, if one out of 157 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:36,080 Speaker 1: two men and one out of three women are diagnosed 158 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: in their lifetimes, you know there's a good chance that 159 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 1: many of us will be in this position. Well, the 160 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:46,080 Speaker 1: numbers are high, the numbers for breast cancer. A one 161 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: in eight women will be diagnosed with a breast cancer 162 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 1: in their lifetime. Those are significant numbers, and that's why 163 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: screening is so important. Cancer it's a pretty scary six 164 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:02,319 Speaker 1: letter word. Despite all the strides that have been made, 165 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:05,560 Speaker 1: It's a word that's been part of my world for 166 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 1: much of my adult life, but breast cancer. Breast cancer 167 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 1: was new. No one in my family had even had 168 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 1: breast cancer, and I always thought family history was such 169 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 1: an important factor. So I will tell you the thing 170 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 1: that bothers me the most when patients come in and 171 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: they say, oh, I have no family history, I don't 172 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 1: even know quite why I'm here, or I think I 173 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 1: could come every other year because I have no family history. 174 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: I think what people need to know is that percent 175 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: of breast cancers are sporadic events, things that are unplanned. 176 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 1: I don't know, bad luck. I really can't answer why. 177 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:43,560 Speaker 1: But you know, there is no family history with of 178 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:48,079 Speaker 1: breast cancer. So the small percentage are the ones with 179 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: a family history or genetic predisposition. So the majority of 180 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 1: things that we find are in patients that you know 181 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 1: are walk in thinking, you know their day is going 182 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:00,720 Speaker 1: to continue as it always does, and you know, unfortunately, 183 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:03,840 Speaker 1: I think that as we get older, as we talk 184 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 1: to more women, we realize how our lives can change 185 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: in a second. Less than twenty four hours later, I 186 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: was sitting across from a new and critically important member 187 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: of my medical team. My name is doctor Lisa Newman. 188 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 1: I am a surgical breast oncologist and chief of breast 189 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 1: surgery for Wild Cornell Medicine and the New York Presbyterian 190 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: Hospital Network. And what did you say to me? And 191 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 1: what do you say to most patients? Do you remember 192 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 1: that day? Well, the first thing that I had to 193 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:39,440 Speaker 1: do was to um take a deep breath and bring 194 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: myself down to earth, because to me, you are just 195 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:46,320 Speaker 1: a superstar, magnificent individual. All that you've done in your 196 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 1: career and all that you've done for cancer research. I 197 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: was obviously star struck, But the first thing that I 198 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 1: had to do after bringing myself back down to earth 199 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 1: was to understand that meeting you as an individual meant 200 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: that I did have to fulfill my responsibility to you 201 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: as a physician and make sure that I addressed all 202 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 1: of the same concerns that you were going to have 203 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:12,319 Speaker 1: as a newly diagnosed woman with breast cancer that every 204 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 1: other woman with breast cancer has to deal with, the fear, 205 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:22,080 Speaker 1: the unknown, the uncertainty about the future. A cancer diagnosis 206 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: of any type is horrific in life changing, and a 207 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: breast cancer diagnosis in particular for a woman, is a 208 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: very personal very difficult diagnosis to here. I remember telling you, 209 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:40,439 Speaker 1: Katie number one, you were facing an excellent prognosis and 210 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 1: excellent outcome as long as you complied with appropriate treatment, 211 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:47,680 Speaker 1: you had every reason to be expecting that this cancer 212 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,560 Speaker 1: was going to be treated successfully. And this is the 213 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:54,840 Speaker 1: case for most women with breast cancer. Fortunately, number two, 214 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 1: I wanted to make sure you understood that you are 215 00:12:56,960 --> 00:12:59,800 Speaker 1: not racing the clock. We know a lot about the 216 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:03,880 Speaker 1: biology of breast cancer, and most women should be confident 217 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 1: in the fact that the cancer is not spreading through 218 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 1: their breast by the day, nor is the cancer spreading 219 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 1: through their body by the day, and so it is 220 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 1: very important that women take the time to understand their 221 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:18,560 Speaker 1: treatment options and their diagnosis before they jump into any 222 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 1: treatment plan prematurely. Now, this doesn't mean that we want 223 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:24,960 Speaker 1: women to delay getting their breast cancer taken care of, 224 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: but it does mean that they have a few weeks, 225 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:30,599 Speaker 1: you know, four weeks, six weeks to make sure that 226 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 1: they understand what their options are. After we discussed those 227 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 1: two important messages, it wasn't very important for you to 228 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 1: understand that you had treatment options because your cancer was 229 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:46,959 Speaker 1: detected at an early stage. The first step in your 230 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 1: treatment was going to be surgery, and the goals of 231 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:52,320 Speaker 1: the surgery were to take care of the disease in 232 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: your breast as well as to get more information regarding 233 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:58,559 Speaker 1: the stage or the aggressiveness of the cancer. And then 234 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: those surgical findings would drive the other types of treatments 235 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 1: that you were going to require, such as radiation needs, 236 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 1: such as possible chemotherapy, taking special cancer fighting pills. The 237 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:15,320 Speaker 1: surgical information would inform all of those decisions. The initial 238 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 1: surgical options that you had included having breast saving surgery, 239 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 1: which involves doing a lumpect to me to focus on 240 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: removing just the cancerous area that led to the biopsy 241 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 1: on the diagnosis, and then following a lumpectomy, radiation would 242 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 1: be delivered to the breast, and radiation treatments after a 243 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 1: lumpectomy are very targeted X ray beams going right at 244 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 1: the breast itself, and these radiation beams are designed to 245 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 1: kill the microscopic cancer cells that are hiding in the 246 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: normal appearing breast tissue. The alternative surgical plan is mistectomy surgery, 247 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 1: where we completely removed the breast, and when we completely 248 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: remove the breast, we're taking care of removing the cancer 249 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: identified lump as well as the mic roscopic cancer cells 250 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: hiding in the normal appearing breast tissue simply in one 251 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 1: fell swoop with that mstectomy surgery. I remember you telling 252 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 1: me Dr Newman that the outcomes were the same formystectomy 253 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: and lump ectomy with radiation and medication. And I thought, well, 254 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: if that's the case, I would prefer to have a 255 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 1: lump ectomy. But I also didn't have some of these other, 256 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 1: you know, extenuating circumstances with b R c A or 257 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 1: any of these things, so I felt very comfortable getting 258 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: a lumpectomy. And a lumpectomy was extremely appropriate for you 259 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:43,280 Speaker 1: because you did catch your cancer at an early stage. 260 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 1: In fact, it was stage one A. What does that mean? 261 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 1: So stage one A clinically based upon what you're seeing 262 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 1: on examining the patient and what you're seeing on looking 263 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: at the mamogram ultrasound pictures, and based upon those characteristics, 264 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: those microscopic markers as drigen receptor, progesterone receptor, her too 265 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 1: new and the appearance of the individual cancer cells of 266 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 1: the great what we call the great of the cancer. 267 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: All of those things were favorable in your situation, and 268 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 1: that goes along with the stage one breast cancer. Stage 269 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:18,560 Speaker 1: one A is the better category of stage one as 270 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 1: compared to Stage one B, and this is another example 271 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: of where we've made advances and understanding breast cancer and 272 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 1: characterizing it much more precisely. In the past, we only 273 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: characterize breast cancers by their size and by the limph 274 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 1: note status and by whether or not you saw any 275 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 1: evidence of cancer hiding in other organs of the body 276 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 1: metastatic disease, for example, in the liver, lungs, bones. Today 277 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 1: we are much more precise about the staging because we 278 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 1: understand that these markers that we evaluate are so critically 279 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 1: important in understanding the aggressiveness or the likelihood that the 280 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 1: cancer will ever be a life threatening one, and so 281 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 1: in addition to looking at the size and lymph notes, 282 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 1: we also look at the presence or absence of those 283 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 1: different markers and that will also impact upon the stage 284 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 1: of the cancer. All things considered, I was I am lucky. 285 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 1: My cancer is highly treatable and thanks to Dr Newman, 286 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,919 Speaker 1: I had a better understanding of my prognosis and a 287 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:26,879 Speaker 1: treatment plan in place. Surgery was scheduled for July, a 288 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 1: little more than three weeks away. Now, I just had 289 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:33,639 Speaker 1: to share the news. Ellie, why don't you say my 290 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,480 Speaker 1: name is Ellie Monahan and I'm Katie's daughter, and then 291 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 1: carry you stay at the same okay, with two very 292 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: important people. My name is Ellie Monahan and I'm Katie's daughter, 293 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: And my name is Carrie Monahan and I'm Katie's other daughter. 294 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 1: It's not unusual for her to call and text me 295 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 1: a lot. Um, I've gotten better, but I used to 296 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: be really uh, sort of unrespond in site to her, 297 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,439 Speaker 1: especially when I was in college. But no, it's not 298 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:07,560 Speaker 1: unusual for her to call or FaceTime out of the blue. 299 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 1: We talk all the time throughout the day. But I 300 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 1: noticed when I woke up in the morning I had 301 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 1: a miscall and that she was saying, please call me. 302 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: And she does that all the time. Um, it could 303 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 1: be for something totally random and unimportant, but that she 304 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:30,159 Speaker 1: wants to ask me about or something. UM. I remember 305 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:33,840 Speaker 1: I had just woken up and we faced time, and 306 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:39,919 Speaker 1: you know, she told me and it was scary. Um, 307 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:42,000 Speaker 1: she told me that everything was going to be fine. 308 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 1: I think she prefaced it that way, and I felt worried, 309 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 1: but also I think she understood from the get go 310 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:55,480 Speaker 1: that she had access to amazing doctors, that it was 311 00:18:55,520 --> 00:19:01,200 Speaker 1: super early, and that she in all likelihood was gonna 312 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 1: be okay. Um. She told me we weren't going to 313 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 1: be able to go on this trip that um, she 314 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:13,800 Speaker 1: and I had planned UM understandably because that was going 315 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: to be when the surgery was. And she said, don't 316 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: tell Ellie because I'm going to tell her. UM. And 317 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:25,199 Speaker 1: then I guess she then told Ellie. Yeah, so I 318 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:28,439 Speaker 1: found out. I guess she was diagnosed on June one, 319 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:33,119 Speaker 1: which it feels like I think was a Tuesday. And 320 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:37,640 Speaker 1: I'm sort of I'm sort of different than Carrie. I 321 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:43,159 Speaker 1: historically have been very anxious and always in constant communication 322 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:45,879 Speaker 1: with my mom, and I've only learned in the past 323 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 1: few years to like give it arrest a little bit. Um. 324 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 1: You know, I always had her on speed dial, and 325 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: I still talked to her all the time, but um, 326 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: it used to be every day and now it's, you know, 327 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 1: a couple of times a week, and that's healthy because 328 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 1: I'm thirty one years old and I'm married. Um. And anyway, 329 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 1: so you know, we hadn't been talking that much, especially 330 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: because in June I had three weddings and was traveling 331 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:21,199 Speaker 1: back and forth from l A, where I lived, to 332 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 1: the East Coast where these weddings were. I did not 333 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:28,760 Speaker 1: plan my travel well and I remember, UM, I took 334 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:30,920 Speaker 1: a red eye to New Jersey to go to my 335 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 1: my husband's cousin's wedding, and it was the day Roe V. 336 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: Wade was overturned. So that Friday, I think the four 337 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:45,719 Speaker 1: of June. I want to say, so, UM already was 338 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:49,159 Speaker 1: very emotionally drained. And that was the same day I 339 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,920 Speaker 1: finally got in touch with Mom and she told me, 340 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:56,840 Speaker 1: you know, that she she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, 341 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 1: but it was very early stages, and she, you know, 342 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: like Harry, she prefaced it and said, I don't want 343 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:07,639 Speaker 1: you to worry. UM, it's very early stages. It's it's small. 344 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 1: So I think I was. I was really drained and 345 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:17,160 Speaker 1: almost numb when I heard the news, and I obviously 346 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,439 Speaker 1: was very upset. UM. So I wasn't numb. I just 347 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:26,640 Speaker 1: mean I felt not myself already to begin with, UM, 348 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:28,879 Speaker 1: So I was really upset. I would say. There were 349 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:34,719 Speaker 1: certain trigger words used like obviously cancer, UM and radiation 350 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:39,399 Speaker 1: was hard to hear. Even the mention of chemotherapy. You know, uh, 351 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 1: imagining mom losing her hair or you know, or going 352 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 1: through chemo, which I think can be really harsh on 353 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 1: your system. Um. That was really scary to me, sadly though, 354 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 1: because when our father was diagnosed with cancer, he had 355 00:21:56,359 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 1: stage four you know, hearing it's you know, stage point 356 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:07,680 Speaker 1: five or one was very reassuring. UM. But I knew 357 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: we were gonna, you know, get more information as it came, 358 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:14,399 Speaker 1: and that she has amazing doctors, and she was so 359 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 1: calm about it. So I was really comforted by that 360 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: after the initial shock of you know, hearing the C word, 361 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: and I think she was you know, protecting us, which 362 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: was really nice in her time of need to. You know, 363 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:31,720 Speaker 1: that's a real mom move. And I think my brain 364 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 1: just could not go to a place where she wasn't 365 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:39,119 Speaker 1: going to be okay, having lost our other our father, 366 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 1: another parent, so I just couldn't really go there. I'm 367 00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 1: not really being clear. I was going. I was all 368 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:50,120 Speaker 1: over the place, But yeah, I think you called me 369 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 1: and I was just like, it's gonna be okay, It's 370 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:55,919 Speaker 1: gonna be okay, because I really I don't want to 371 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:59,439 Speaker 1: minimize the experience or that it was scary, because it was, 372 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,440 Speaker 1: but I think because of the way our mom set 373 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 1: the tone, and she's not somebody who would say it's 374 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:10,959 Speaker 1: going to be okay if it's not, so I don't know. 375 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 1: I think Ellie was very, very overwhelmed. I think the 376 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:24,920 Speaker 1: reason for Ellie and my desperate reactions to the news 377 00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:28,000 Speaker 1: also has to do with the fact that I was 378 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:33,400 Speaker 1: basically an infant and Ellie was six years old at 379 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:35,840 Speaker 1: the time our dad was sick, so I have no 380 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:41,240 Speaker 1: memory of it, and I think being that close to 381 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:46,879 Speaker 1: cancer UM that ultimately resulted in death when she was 382 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:54,119 Speaker 1: that young UM made the experience much more visceral for her. UM. 383 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: I think Ellie, you're recently sharing with me kind of 384 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:01,720 Speaker 1: your memory of being very freaked out by a mannequin 385 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:06,240 Speaker 1: head that had one of our dad's wigs on it, UM, 386 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:10,320 Speaker 1: and just lots of other memories like that that I 387 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 1: don't have. So I think that is part of it 388 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 1: for Ellie and why it's different for me. Yeah, you know, 389 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:22,920 Speaker 1: I have been learning a lot about myself through therapy 390 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:29,480 Speaker 1: over gosh the past four years, and UM, like the 391 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:33,479 Speaker 1: planet these days, I have anxiety and I think a 392 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:37,080 Speaker 1: lot of it is rooted to the fact that, you know, 393 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:42,600 Speaker 1: we were living this wonderful life and everything was great 394 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:47,639 Speaker 1: and until it wasn't. And I'm constantly, you know, trying 395 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 1: to anticipate or look out for the next you know, 396 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 1: the next catastrophe, the next catastrophy. Um. And you know, 397 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 1: I think that I've done so much work understanding that 398 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:07,840 Speaker 1: that I wasn't. You know, It's like I was definitely triggered, 399 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:10,679 Speaker 1: but I was aware and understood. I was aware of 400 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:15,040 Speaker 1: and understood that trigger, so I could kind of deal 401 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 1: with it more and not let it consume me so 402 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:24,639 Speaker 1: much emotionally. Um. It's funny to me that, you know, 403 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 1: the old me would say, I can't believe that, you know, 404 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 1: that month in June that you weren't calling your mom 405 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:34,159 Speaker 1: every day. Look what happened as a result. You know. 406 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 1: But I think I know now that life is going 407 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:41,800 Speaker 1: to throw you obstacles and you just have to do 408 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:44,119 Speaker 1: the best you can and you can't anticipate them. And 409 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:47,160 Speaker 1: calling your mom every day, moving back to the same 410 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 1: city where she lives, you know, that's not going to 411 00:25:50,119 --> 00:26:01,960 Speaker 1: change anything. My Dad's assured me that if I followed 412 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: the appropriate protocol, I had every reason to expect the 413 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:11,359 Speaker 1: cancer would be treated successfully. So the first step was surgery. 414 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:14,520 Speaker 1: So my job on the morning of your surgery is 415 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:16,919 Speaker 1: to make a path um Usually I call it a 416 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: GPS for the surgeons. It was scheduled for July four tea, 417 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:24,160 Speaker 1: and I began the day with a stop at Dr 418 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:28,440 Speaker 1: Drossman's office. It's not just taking out the tumor. It's 419 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,280 Speaker 1: getting a good margin around the tumor and also making 420 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:35,159 Speaker 1: it cosmetically pleasing, because if you're doing a lumpectomy, the 421 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: whole purpose is to remove that tumor preserve the rest 422 00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 1: of the breast with a good cosmetic appearance. So we 423 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:42,760 Speaker 1: did that on the morning of the surgery. You came 424 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,960 Speaker 1: in early in the morning. Again, I used ultrasound to 425 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:49,160 Speaker 1: guide us. I cleaned the skin um with Beta dign 426 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:51,720 Speaker 1: same as before, gave you local and then put a 427 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:54,880 Speaker 1: very skinny little wire almost it's like a little horsetail hair. 428 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: It's very very thin and flexible. It goes right into 429 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: the tumor and marks the site. And then we taped 430 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:03,720 Speaker 1: it to your skin and you went to go see 431 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:09,320 Speaker 1: Dr Newman. First. I was prepped for surgery Hieron. This 432 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:11,959 Speaker 1: is Aaron, she is helping me. Aaron, what is your 433 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 1: job here at your hospital? I am here in the 434 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:19,400 Speaker 1: breast surgery service. Here's the sitch, had a wire put 435 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:22,919 Speaker 1: in my boob, which is basically providing guidance for the 436 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 1: surgeon because I have a little lump situation. And then 437 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:30,960 Speaker 1: I was wheeled into the surgical suite where I was 438 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: given a nice dose of profo fall and drifted off. 439 00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 1: I remember very distinctly you going to sleep and going 440 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:42,720 Speaker 1: to sleep in you with your type of surgery, simply mensedation. 441 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:45,600 Speaker 1: You did not need to be under general anesthesia for 442 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:47,840 Speaker 1: this type of operation, for this type of surgery. But 443 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:50,520 Speaker 1: I'm happy to report I didn't feel anything, which is 444 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:52,440 Speaker 1: the way it's supposed to be. Thank Goodness for that, 445 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 1: so we can do these operations under local anesthesia and sedation. 446 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:59,159 Speaker 1: But as you were falling asleep, I remember just being 447 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:02,879 Speaker 1: even more amazed by you and even more star struck, 448 00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:05,080 Speaker 1: because you were talking about how you wanted to help 449 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 1: other women, and you went to sleep talking about how 450 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 1: you wanted to make sure that other women could take 451 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,320 Speaker 1: advantage of all the advances that exist out there for 452 00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:17,439 Speaker 1: breast cancer, and you were talking about how privileged you felt. 453 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:23,440 Speaker 1: It's it. It was so hard warming to see somebody 454 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 1: as amazing as you still thinking about others as you 455 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:29,439 Speaker 1: were going under anesthesia. Will make sure this isn't edited 456 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 1: out of the podcast. But kidding, but so amazing. But 457 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 1: how did you go in? And actually I mean you 458 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 1: cut around? Well you tell me so it. While we 459 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 1: want to prioritize taking care of the cancer, it is 460 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 1: also important to make sure that you project into the 461 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 1: future and try to keep the patients looking as whole 462 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:57,240 Speaker 1: and as herself as possible. So for breast cancer, that's 463 00:28:57,320 --> 00:28:59,320 Speaker 1: quite important, and it doesn't mean that we need to 464 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 1: be respect full and thoughtful about where we plan our 465 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:06,040 Speaker 1: incision sites. For many women, it can be helpful to 466 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 1: bring in um their favorite brazier or bathing suit top 467 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 1: so that we can make sure that we get an 468 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:14,440 Speaker 1: idea of where their tan line is located, so that that 469 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: we can keep the incision out of the way if 470 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: they were wearing a sif they were showing off some cleavage. 471 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 1: So in your case, we had the very nice option 472 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,120 Speaker 1: of making the incision at what we call the peri 473 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:30,400 Speaker 1: aiolar edge, so that I made the incision at the 474 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:33,480 Speaker 1: site where the skin color changes at the areolar edge 475 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:36,800 Speaker 1: so that the incision could be camouflaged by that normal 476 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:38,800 Speaker 1: change in skin coll And you made sort of a 477 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:43,600 Speaker 1: half moon incision, didn't you? Around my areola. We're getting 478 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:46,880 Speaker 1: very up close and personally are people And then okay, 479 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna use earm ups. But then what did you do? 480 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:54,680 Speaker 1: Because I'm a little squeamish, but go ahead. So through 481 00:29:54,760 --> 00:29:58,560 Speaker 1: that half moon incision at your areolar edge, I was 482 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 1: then able to dissect down following that guide wire to 483 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:07,000 Speaker 1: get to the location of the tumor and basically carve 484 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 1: out a wedge of breast tissue surrounding that wire. And 485 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 1: in the middle of that wedge of breast tissue your 486 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 1: tumor was located. And that's the piece of tissue that 487 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 1: gets sent to the pathology laboratory for analysis. So do 488 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:23,200 Speaker 1: you send the whole the whole thing, or does somebody 489 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:26,200 Speaker 1: there who kind of cut sitters at the pathologist who's 490 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 1: sort of slicing pieces of my tumor. The pathologist does 491 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:35,200 Speaker 1: that actual processing, and you're pretty busy operating table. You 492 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:37,959 Speaker 1: can't be like, stand by, I'm going to slice her 493 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 1: tumor now. So you send that off, and then you 494 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:46,520 Speaker 1: are able to determine I had clear margins or you 495 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:49,440 Speaker 1: told me something when I when I came to yea. 496 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:53,600 Speaker 1: So we can get some preliminary clues regarding the margins 497 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 1: from the information that we get in the operating room. 498 00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:59,600 Speaker 1: We get a mammogram of the piece of tissue that 499 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:01,600 Speaker 1: was from moved itself, so that we can get an 500 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,160 Speaker 1: assessment of whether or not there appears to be any 501 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:08,200 Speaker 1: abnormalities approaching the margins. And we also do something called 502 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 1: a section of cavity shave margins where we basically sample 503 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:17,040 Speaker 1: little slivers of breast tissue surrounding the lumpectomy that was removed. 504 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:20,280 Speaker 1: And those strategies give us a pretty good chance of 505 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:24,160 Speaker 1: getting those negative margins. At the same time that you 506 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:28,480 Speaker 1: underwent the lampectomy surgery, you also needed to undergo the 507 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 1: sentinel lymphno biopsy, which is the operation to evaluate the 508 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:35,240 Speaker 1: glands and the underwarm and give us more information regarding 509 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:38,360 Speaker 1: the aggressiveness of your cancer. So you cut under my 510 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:43,160 Speaker 1: arm just a sliver yes? Or how big? Yeah? So 511 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:46,000 Speaker 1: we make an incision about that long in the underwarm 512 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:51,040 Speaker 1: areas like yeah, probably, it basically needs to be wide 513 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:54,120 Speaker 1: enough so that we can insert a little probe into 514 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:57,480 Speaker 1: the underwarm area, which is a Geiger counter probe, and 515 00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:02,200 Speaker 1: the Geiger counter detects the ray EEO activity that was 516 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 1: injected into the breast from the radioactive isotope. It was 517 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:10,080 Speaker 1: like a heat seeking missile to my lymph nodes. That's 518 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 1: pulled out lymph nodes, and they are what is used 519 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:19,160 Speaker 1: to determine how if the cancer is potentially spread, right, 520 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:23,480 Speaker 1: it gives us clues about the ability of that cancer 521 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:27,480 Speaker 1: to spread. And so a cancer from the breast that's 522 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:30,720 Speaker 1: capable of getting into those lymph nodes is a cancer 523 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:34,800 Speaker 1: that in general will will require more aggressive medical treatments 524 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:38,040 Speaker 1: for us to eradicate the microscopic cancer that might be 525 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:41,800 Speaker 1: hiding in other organs. So it's the lymph node information 526 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 1: is a very important clue enabling us to decide whether 527 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:48,880 Speaker 1: or not chemotherapy will be important in managing that patient's cancer. 528 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:53,400 Speaker 1: You stitched me up. Actually you use surgical glue, didn't you. Yes, 529 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:56,960 Speaker 1: All of the stitches for the that that that I 530 00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:59,560 Speaker 1: used in your case were buried underneath the skin, and 531 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:01,760 Speaker 1: then I sealed the skin up with a special skin 532 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:07,640 Speaker 1: adhesive asterial adhesive that's designed specifically for bringing the skin 533 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:09,560 Speaker 1: edges together so that you didn't need to have any 534 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:13,080 Speaker 1: stitches from overed afterwards. So it went pretty smoothly all 535 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:15,960 Speaker 1: things considered, right, and it was I mean not to 536 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:19,320 Speaker 1: make myself feel common, but it was kind of a 537 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:23,000 Speaker 1: run of the mill breast cancer situation for this kind 538 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 1: of tumor, wasn't it. We do see a lot of that. Unfortunately, 539 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:31,360 Speaker 1: with the advances of mammography screening, we do identify most 540 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:34,160 Speaker 1: breast cancers at an early stage, and so most women 541 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:37,800 Speaker 1: can take advantage of breast saving surgery and that's a 542 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:41,720 Speaker 1: wonderful thing. That certainly wasn't always the case. But happily 543 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:45,600 Speaker 1: this was the situation for you, Katie. It took a 544 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:48,640 Speaker 1: few weeks to get my pathology report, and to be 545 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:52,760 Speaker 1: honest with you, that was slightly nerve racking. I had 546 00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:56,760 Speaker 1: mixed feelings when the results did come in because while 547 00:33:56,920 --> 00:34:00,200 Speaker 1: my lymph noes were clear, the tumor was bigger than 548 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:04,920 Speaker 1: expected two point five centimeters, about the size of an olive. 549 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:09,240 Speaker 1: But luckily that didn't change my staging, which was still 550 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:12,600 Speaker 1: one A. But there was still one more piece of 551 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:17,239 Speaker 1: information I was waiting for the onche type is a 552 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:21,200 Speaker 1: gene expression profile that basically lets us do a deeper 553 00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:24,520 Speaker 1: dive into the genetic machinery. It gives us a snapshot 554 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:27,960 Speaker 1: of the genetic machinery of these cancers to figure out 555 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:31,400 Speaker 1: whether it's an aggressive one or a less aggressive one, 556 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:34,879 Speaker 1: and then that information will determine whether or not chem 557 00:34:34,920 --> 00:34:38,239 Speaker 1: a therapy should come into the picture, in addition to 558 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:42,319 Speaker 1: the targeted hormonally active medications that we use for the 559 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:45,040 Speaker 1: cancers that are estrogen receptor positive. So there was a 560 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:50,719 Speaker 1: chance I would have to do chemotherapy and these aromatase inhibitors. 561 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:53,719 Speaker 1: So you called me or someone called me, I can't 562 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:56,799 Speaker 1: remember at this point and said my score was nineteens. 563 00:34:57,400 --> 00:35:03,040 Speaker 1: That was you Dr Newman and anything below. It's interesting 564 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:10,319 Speaker 1: the ranges are shifting, but the let's see simplify it 565 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:13,279 Speaker 1: by saying that some the scores go from zero to 566 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: a hundred, and some categories of the score are considered 567 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:20,800 Speaker 1: low risk, others are intermediate risk, and the third category 568 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 1: is high risk. But as data evolve, the cut points 569 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:30,040 Speaker 1: do change over time, and therefore our recommendations will change 570 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:35,799 Speaker 1: over time. For you, that score of nineteen was low 571 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:40,360 Speaker 1: enough that it was clear that chemotherapy would not be necessary. 572 00:35:42,600 --> 00:36:00,319 Speaker 1: We'll be right back. It's September seven, and it is 573 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:04,400 Speaker 1: my first day of radiation. They'll be radiating my left 574 00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 1: breast to get rid of any kind of microscopic cancerous tissue. 575 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:13,440 Speaker 1: It sounds pretty easy, but um, I'll let you know 576 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:17,920 Speaker 1: how it goes. Every morning I was greeted by this 577 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:23,960 Speaker 1: fantastic team from the New York Presbyterian Wild Cornell Radiation Department. 578 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:26,120 Speaker 1: So do you need to go to the bath before 579 00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:28,799 Speaker 1: we start? No, I'm good. If you ever do, just 580 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:31,200 Speaker 1: mention my name and get a good seat. Okay, Oh, 581 00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 1: this is apparently the checky of the radiology department. Okay, 582 00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:41,080 Speaker 1: here we go. I love them so much. They actually 583 00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 1: made radiation weirdly fun. By the way. That's Caesar Carter. Caesar, 584 00:36:46,719 --> 00:36:50,279 Speaker 1: what do you do my I'm his senior radiation therapist. Here. 585 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:58,120 Speaker 1: Oh great, and this is Tina, also a therapist. Hi everyone, good, Hi, 586 00:36:58,239 --> 00:37:01,960 Speaker 1: nice to see you, sucker. And of course the grand 587 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 1: fromage of the operation. I'll be set up and make 588 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:08,640 Speaker 1: sure everything is as we expect today. Will take That 589 00:37:08,719 --> 00:37:13,120 Speaker 1: voice you're hearing is Dr John Ng, my radiation oncologist. 590 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:17,359 Speaker 1: I'm just curious before I go in. Has radiation advanced 591 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:21,160 Speaker 1: a lot in recent years? Because I've been amazed by 592 00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:25,600 Speaker 1: the technology involved in cancer treatment. Have you seen the 593 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:29,040 Speaker 1: same amount of progress in this field, doctor Ring? Oh? Dramatic? 594 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:33,320 Speaker 1: So you know, I had a colleague, Coup, recently retired 595 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:36,319 Speaker 1: and he tells stories about when he started training, they 596 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:39,160 Speaker 1: actually had a parakey in the room to tell you 597 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:45,360 Speaker 1: when there was enough radiation delivered. Really this is this 598 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:48,120 Speaker 1: sounds crazy, right, but this actually occurred. I think in 599 00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:52,120 Speaker 1: the nineteen seventies. This was how you measured radiation treatment. 600 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:55,319 Speaker 1: What did the pair keep heal over? Yeah, it would 601 00:37:55,360 --> 00:37:57,719 Speaker 1: make a sound exactly really like the canary in the 602 00:37:57,719 --> 00:38:02,200 Speaker 1: coal mine sound when enough radiation that's been delivered. I 603 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:04,560 Speaker 1: think it was around the sixties and seventies that the 604 00:38:04,600 --> 00:38:09,120 Speaker 1: doctors would usually prescribe treat until the skin peel. That 605 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:13,040 Speaker 1: was how you prescribe your radiation dose. So we actually 606 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:16,160 Speaker 1: still live with that legacy today. I think patients still 607 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:21,160 Speaker 1: have that perception. But really, radiation technologies have improved to 608 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:24,520 Speaker 1: a point where we can't take a CT scan and 609 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:27,719 Speaker 1: just delineate the target where we're trying to deliver the 610 00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:31,560 Speaker 1: radiation treatment. For and so the radiation is much more 611 00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:35,319 Speaker 1: precisely delivered. Now that's exciting. All right, Well, let's do 612 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:41,560 Speaker 1: this thing, kids. I did this for fifteen days. Okay, 613 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:44,920 Speaker 1: here it is day two and my buddy Caesar is 614 00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:49,759 Speaker 1: greeting me. And for fifteen days it was always the 615 00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:53,600 Speaker 1: same setup. Go into the changing rooms, I get a 616 00:38:53,719 --> 00:38:57,719 Speaker 1: robe out, pick a locker, put my things in it 617 00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:03,520 Speaker 1: called my robe on, and go to the room. Greet 618 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:09,640 Speaker 1: my jovial team. Hi, good morning. That would be me 619 00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:14,839 Speaker 1: Katie Kirk. Make sure it's actually me? And can I 620 00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:21,440 Speaker 1: have your birthday one seven nineteen? Excuse me? And what 621 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:24,239 Speaker 1: part of the treat today? And pick the music I'd 622 00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:28,880 Speaker 1: listened to while I got radiation? What music? How about 623 00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:37,160 Speaker 1: Dolly Parton's greatest hits? Okay, greatest hits sounds good? Uh, 624 00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:40,839 Speaker 1: you know I'm not the biggest sorry Dolly Joline fans. 625 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:43,040 Speaker 1: So let's start with like two doors down or something. 626 00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:53,120 Speaker 1: They're laughing and singing and having a party. Sure, my 627 00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:57,319 Speaker 1: radiation team was fantastic. They made the whole process not 628 00:39:57,440 --> 00:40:00,880 Speaker 1: only as painless as possible. But is it weird to 629 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:04,120 Speaker 1: say they actually made it fun? But as I saw 630 00:40:04,239 --> 00:40:09,080 Speaker 1: other patients in their robes milling around. I wondered what 631 00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:12,800 Speaker 1: are they dealing with? And of course I thought about 632 00:40:12,840 --> 00:40:15,799 Speaker 1: my own family. You know, I've been thinking a lot 633 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:23,400 Speaker 1: about Jay during this whole process, how grueling and terrifying 634 00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:30,120 Speaker 1: his treatment was, how bad his prognosis was, How you 635 00:40:30,239 --> 00:40:39,520 Speaker 1: don't get more real than that facing your mortality. I'm 636 00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:47,000 Speaker 1: just so lucky, you know. I was warned about the 637 00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:50,720 Speaker 1: side effects that I would feel fatigued and my skin 638 00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:54,759 Speaker 1: might turn pink. But besides my left breast looking like 639 00:40:54,920 --> 00:40:58,920 Speaker 1: I've been sunbathing topless, at least on that side, I 640 00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:03,640 Speaker 1: have felt pretty good. Now with radiation done, I'm moving 641 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:08,040 Speaker 1: onto the long term stage of care, which includes a medication, 642 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:13,640 Speaker 1: something I discussed with Dr Drossman. I'm on something called 643 00:41:13,719 --> 00:41:18,960 Speaker 1: an aromatase inhibitor, which I guess keeps estrogen out. What 644 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:21,680 Speaker 1: is that doing? So your tumor was what we call 645 00:41:21,880 --> 00:41:27,160 Speaker 1: estrogen receptor positive? Does it also progesters progesteron receptor positive 646 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:29,760 Speaker 1: and what we call here to negative. These are three 647 00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:33,319 Speaker 1: receptors that we do on all invasive cancers to kind 648 00:41:33,320 --> 00:41:36,799 Speaker 1: of create a profile. Because all breast cancers are not 649 00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:41,040 Speaker 1: created equal. You can have a small tumor that's highly aggressive. 650 00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:43,960 Speaker 1: You could have a large tumor that's very indolent. So 651 00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:48,160 Speaker 1: we really when we're treating patients, aside from doing lumpectomies, 652 00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:51,480 Speaker 1: we want to understand the receptors so that after the 653 00:41:51,560 --> 00:41:54,520 Speaker 1: surgery we can treat them appropriately. You wouldn't want to 654 00:41:54,520 --> 00:41:57,239 Speaker 1: treat somebody with an anti estrogen if their tumor was 655 00:41:57,360 --> 00:42:01,480 Speaker 1: estrogen receptor negative, it does nothing. So for you, your 656 00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:04,960 Speaker 1: tumor was estrogen receptor positive, so you can be treated 657 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:09,240 Speaker 1: with an oral agent, something called an aromatas inhibitor, which 658 00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:12,440 Speaker 1: acts to kind of suppress that estrogen. But I like, 659 00:42:13,040 --> 00:42:15,040 Speaker 1: I know you do, but we're gonna have to do 660 00:42:15,120 --> 00:42:19,319 Speaker 1: something else for you because estrogen, I don't know, it 661 00:42:19,719 --> 00:42:22,560 Speaker 1: keeps you feeling young, it's good for your face. We're 662 00:42:22,560 --> 00:42:28,000 Speaker 1: going to get your right. But I'm going to take 663 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:31,000 Speaker 1: that every day for five years, and you will tolerate 664 00:42:31,040 --> 00:42:34,160 Speaker 1: it well. Majority of people really tolerate it very well. 665 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:36,480 Speaker 1: The other thing that you're going to be doing is 666 00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:40,040 Speaker 1: that for the first two years, we're going to be 667 00:42:40,160 --> 00:42:44,200 Speaker 1: seeing you every six months for a mammogram on the 668 00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:47,840 Speaker 1: involved side and a breast ultrasound on the involved side, 669 00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:50,719 Speaker 1: because we want to follow that and make sure that 670 00:42:50,760 --> 00:42:53,799 Speaker 1: you're healing well and that there's nothing going on at 671 00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:57,800 Speaker 1: that site. So the involved side gets followed every six 672 00:42:57,880 --> 00:43:01,560 Speaker 1: months for the first two years. The uninvolved side is 673 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:04,600 Speaker 1: still on a yearly basis. So we're going to be 674 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:08,080 Speaker 1: a lot more of each other for sure. For sure, 675 00:43:08,520 --> 00:43:12,480 Speaker 1: what is your message to women? Because this is why 676 00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:16,520 Speaker 1: I wanted to quote unquote go public with this. I 677 00:43:16,600 --> 00:43:22,040 Speaker 1: really want women to be educated to obviously get screened. 678 00:43:22,640 --> 00:43:26,000 Speaker 1: But what would you say to people listening to this conversation? 679 00:43:26,840 --> 00:43:29,640 Speaker 1: So I think it's really important to be your own advocate, 680 00:43:29,840 --> 00:43:35,080 Speaker 1: to understand your personal history, your genetic predisposition, the density 681 00:43:35,120 --> 00:43:37,959 Speaker 1: of your breasts, to understand so that when you walk 682 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:41,319 Speaker 1: into a physician's office, you can advocate for yourself if 683 00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:45,000 Speaker 1: ultrasound is not offered to you and you have dense breasts. 684 00:43:45,160 --> 00:43:48,160 Speaker 1: You know, I hope that this podcast really allows people 685 00:43:48,200 --> 00:43:52,160 Speaker 1: to understand the importance of breast ultrasound in terms of 686 00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:56,239 Speaker 1: evaluating tissue that is dense and understanding what your own 687 00:43:56,320 --> 00:44:02,080 Speaker 1: risk factors are. Well, hopefully we'll save some lives here 688 00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:04,719 Speaker 1: to make a difference. I think that's really important and 689 00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:08,080 Speaker 1: I admire you for going public on this, Katie. Well, 690 00:44:08,160 --> 00:44:10,319 Speaker 1: I mean I've shown the world my calling, why not 691 00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:18,560 Speaker 1: my breast, that's for sure. One thing I think that's 692 00:44:18,560 --> 00:44:22,600 Speaker 1: been really valuable is our mom has always taken care 693 00:44:22,640 --> 00:44:27,400 Speaker 1: of us, um, you know, when we've been sick. UM. 694 00:44:27,560 --> 00:44:30,160 Speaker 1: For me, the most seriously I've ever been sick was 695 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:33,600 Speaker 1: having a kidney infection when I was in high school 696 00:44:33,640 --> 00:44:37,680 Speaker 1: that was pretty serious, or randomly last year I was 697 00:44:37,719 --> 00:44:39,920 Speaker 1: in the hospital, but it was just strapped throat that 698 00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:45,440 Speaker 1: got really bad. But she's just always there and communicating 699 00:44:45,440 --> 00:44:48,440 Speaker 1: with the doctors, getting the things we need, and just 700 00:44:48,920 --> 00:44:53,120 Speaker 1: being such a source of comfort and reassurance. Like I 701 00:44:53,120 --> 00:44:56,320 Speaker 1: would never I wouldn't want to be sick with anybody 702 00:44:56,320 --> 00:44:59,360 Speaker 1: else taking care of me, but my mom so to 703 00:44:59,440 --> 00:45:03,120 Speaker 1: be taken care of her. UM. In the aftermath of 704 00:45:03,120 --> 00:45:05,839 Speaker 1: her surgery, or you know, the day the lead up 705 00:45:05,880 --> 00:45:08,840 Speaker 1: to it, I slept over. I went with her to 706 00:45:08,960 --> 00:45:12,640 Speaker 1: the hospital. During the surgery itself, I took a nap, 707 00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:16,759 Speaker 1: and then the doctor called me to come downstairs her 708 00:45:16,840 --> 00:45:21,920 Speaker 1: wake up from the anesthesia and taking her home, and 709 00:45:22,080 --> 00:45:25,319 Speaker 1: I don't know, it was it was sort of a 710 00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:30,400 Speaker 1: humbling experience, and Um, I don't know one that was 711 00:45:30,440 --> 00:45:34,560 Speaker 1: really meaningful to me, but also made me sad and 712 00:45:34,800 --> 00:45:38,600 Speaker 1: nostalgic in some ways because it made me think of, oh, 713 00:45:38,719 --> 00:45:41,600 Speaker 1: is this what it's going to be like as mom 714 00:45:41,640 --> 00:45:45,080 Speaker 1: gets older? And you know that's part of life, um 715 00:45:45,120 --> 00:45:49,319 Speaker 1: that we reverse roles um in terms of taking care 716 00:45:49,320 --> 00:45:52,680 Speaker 1: of our parents. But that was mostly what I got 717 00:45:52,719 --> 00:45:59,120 Speaker 1: out of it, just I guess renewed appreciation for all 718 00:45:59,120 --> 00:46:01,960 Speaker 1: the time she's taken in care of me. I think 719 00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:06,520 Speaker 1: for me because I wasn't there for the diagnosis or 720 00:46:06,560 --> 00:46:11,959 Speaker 1: the surgery um and connected with her in August when 721 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:17,120 Speaker 1: she you know, had a scar but um was healing. Uh. 722 00:46:17,160 --> 00:46:20,400 Speaker 1: To me, it really just reaffirmed that her mom is 723 00:46:20,480 --> 00:46:26,160 Speaker 1: like a superhuman and so strong and uh still has 724 00:46:26,200 --> 00:46:31,080 Speaker 1: boundless energy and can't sit still. I kept being like, 725 00:46:31,440 --> 00:46:34,239 Speaker 1: why don't you watch Ship's Creek or just hang out? 726 00:46:34,480 --> 00:46:36,759 Speaker 1: And you know, I think she was a little a 727 00:46:36,760 --> 00:46:39,040 Speaker 1: little bored. But it's all a small price to pay, 728 00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:42,799 Speaker 1: this whole deal. Even at my young age, you know, 729 00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:46,479 Speaker 1: I am predisposed to colon cancer. It was a good 730 00:46:46,600 --> 00:46:49,200 Speaker 1: reminder that I need to get on top of it 731 00:46:50,400 --> 00:46:53,799 Speaker 1: and everyone should and everyone really should prioritize their health, 732 00:46:53,840 --> 00:46:56,640 Speaker 1: and it's not always easy because you have work and 733 00:46:56,800 --> 00:47:02,279 Speaker 1: sometimes it's just hard to navigate with healthcare. I think, um, 734 00:47:02,320 --> 00:47:05,960 Speaker 1: but I really think people have to advocate for themselves 735 00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:10,040 Speaker 1: and you have to look out for yourself and educate 736 00:47:10,080 --> 00:47:12,279 Speaker 1: yourself as much as possible. I think those are the 737 00:47:12,320 --> 00:47:16,719 Speaker 1: things that we can do as as informed patients when 738 00:47:16,760 --> 00:47:21,080 Speaker 1: we come back, some critically important takeaways from this experience, 739 00:47:21,600 --> 00:47:25,520 Speaker 1: and I'll introduce you to a warrior, a breast cancer 740 00:47:25,600 --> 00:47:30,400 Speaker 1: survivor who's already changing the system. That's right after this. 741 00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:42,480 Speaker 1: I'm sharing my breast cancer story because I love a 742 00:47:42,480 --> 00:47:46,040 Speaker 1: good teachable moment, and this, in fact could be a 743 00:47:46,080 --> 00:47:49,680 Speaker 1: life saving one for the women out there listening, and 744 00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:53,359 Speaker 1: for all of you who love them, please please go 745 00:47:53,440 --> 00:47:58,120 Speaker 1: get your annual mammogram, but even more importantly, find out 746 00:47:58,200 --> 00:48:02,040 Speaker 1: if you need additional screen. Nearly half of all women 747 00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:05,799 Speaker 1: have dense breasts, which can make it difficult for mammograms 748 00:48:05,960 --> 00:48:10,880 Speaker 1: alone to detect abnormalities, and only thirty eight states require 749 00:48:10,960 --> 00:48:14,840 Speaker 1: doctors to notify their patients if they have dense breasts, 750 00:48:15,440 --> 00:48:20,320 Speaker 1: and even that mandated information often isn't enough. There's a 751 00:48:20,360 --> 00:48:24,200 Speaker 1: little verbal uh, some verbiage in a pamphlet that we 752 00:48:24,280 --> 00:48:27,000 Speaker 1: hand to patients that says, your breast tissue is dense, 753 00:48:27,400 --> 00:48:31,080 Speaker 1: you may benefit from an ultrasound or another modality other 754 00:48:31,120 --> 00:48:35,400 Speaker 1: than mammography. But I think in many practices, when patients here, oh, 755 00:48:35,440 --> 00:48:39,120 Speaker 1: my mammogram is fine, they assume my breasts are fine, 756 00:48:39,120 --> 00:48:42,400 Speaker 1: and they walk out the door and neither their physician 757 00:48:42,520 --> 00:48:47,000 Speaker 1: nor themselves think about having anything additional. And you know, 758 00:48:47,120 --> 00:48:49,279 Speaker 1: you hear the story all the time. I went from 759 00:48:49,280 --> 00:48:51,960 Speaker 1: my mammogram, they told me everything was fine, and two 760 00:48:51,960 --> 00:48:53,560 Speaker 1: weeks later I felt a lump and I had a 761 00:48:53,560 --> 00:48:56,800 Speaker 1: breast cancer. How can that be? And the answer is, really, 762 00:48:56,800 --> 00:48:59,799 Speaker 1: when you have dense bress, mammography doesn't do the whole job. 763 00:49:00,239 --> 00:49:03,239 Speaker 1: And if your facility is not offering it and you 764 00:49:03,320 --> 00:49:06,040 Speaker 1: do have dense breass, I think you need to advocate 765 00:49:06,080 --> 00:49:10,600 Speaker 1: for yourself. And here's another thing that really makes me mad. 766 00:49:11,080 --> 00:49:16,120 Speaker 1: Only fourteen states in Washington, d C. Require insurance companies 767 00:49:16,440 --> 00:49:21,680 Speaker 1: to fully or partially cover secondary screenings like breast ultrasounds. 768 00:49:22,520 --> 00:49:24,680 Speaker 1: I think it's disgraceful, to be honest with you, and 769 00:49:24,719 --> 00:49:27,480 Speaker 1: I think that it really is very poor medicine, and 770 00:49:27,520 --> 00:49:30,080 Speaker 1: it doesn't really make sense because if we have the 771 00:49:30,160 --> 00:49:33,560 Speaker 1: ability to find more breast cancers with a tool that 772 00:49:33,600 --> 00:49:37,560 Speaker 1: has absolutely no radiation and is relatively easy to use. 773 00:49:38,440 --> 00:49:41,520 Speaker 1: I don't really understand. You know, this is really a 774 00:49:41,600 --> 00:49:44,840 Speaker 1: has been a discussion round and round and round among 775 00:49:45,120 --> 00:49:50,879 Speaker 1: breast imagers and state you know, state legislatures. She said, 776 00:49:50,880 --> 00:49:54,040 Speaker 1: it's an injustice. I said, well, I said that we've 777 00:49:54,040 --> 00:49:58,440 Speaker 1: got to change the law. Michelle Young is intimately familiar 778 00:49:58,480 --> 00:50:02,080 Speaker 1: with this injustice that the health care you receive really 779 00:50:02,120 --> 00:50:05,440 Speaker 1: depends on where you live. Michelle's a lawyer and a 780 00:50:05,520 --> 00:50:09,640 Speaker 1: mother of five, and she lives in Cincinnati. Ohio was 781 00:50:09,680 --> 00:50:12,840 Speaker 1: one of the states that didn't require doctors to notify 782 00:50:12,920 --> 00:50:16,960 Speaker 1: their patients about the risks of having dense breasts. It 783 00:50:17,040 --> 00:50:21,480 Speaker 1: also didn't mandate any kind of insurance coverage for additional screening, 784 00:50:22,280 --> 00:50:26,160 Speaker 1: and in Michelle came face to face with the dire 785 00:50:26,239 --> 00:50:31,600 Speaker 1: consequences of not having those requirements in place. Dr Lee 786 00:50:31,640 --> 00:50:34,080 Speaker 1: Slower calls me, who's the head of sinsating breast cancer. 787 00:50:34,160 --> 00:50:37,640 Speaker 1: She said, your stage four, Michelle, And he said, are 788 00:50:37,680 --> 00:50:43,360 Speaker 1: we talking palliative? And I said I'm too young, And 789 00:50:43,520 --> 00:50:48,880 Speaker 1: she said, well it can extend your life. My internet, 790 00:50:51,200 --> 00:50:53,920 Speaker 1: of course, told me do my bucket list, as did others. 791 00:50:54,640 --> 00:50:57,880 Speaker 1: And I said, Dr Laur, how did this happen to me? 792 00:50:58,800 --> 00:51:02,160 Speaker 1: And she said it happened all the time, sometimes every day. 793 00:51:03,120 --> 00:51:08,160 Speaker 1: You have dense breast and mamograms don't catch cancer undense breast. 794 00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:11,600 Speaker 1: It shouldn't happen to any woman. If the technology is there, 795 00:51:12,040 --> 00:51:14,920 Speaker 1: and it is it's affordable. We have short him our eyes, 796 00:51:15,120 --> 00:51:18,880 Speaker 1: we have ultrasounds. The question of whether I would live 797 00:51:18,960 --> 00:51:21,360 Speaker 1: or die was a question of geography, whether I was 798 00:51:21,400 --> 00:51:24,799 Speaker 1: in the right state with a or for this. So 799 00:51:24,920 --> 00:51:29,400 Speaker 1: that day we mean two vows. One vow was that 800 00:51:29,480 --> 00:51:32,120 Speaker 1: we were going to change the law, and the second 801 00:51:32,239 --> 00:51:35,719 Speaker 1: I asked her as they said, Dr Laur, can we 802 00:51:35,800 --> 00:51:40,440 Speaker 1: go for me to live? I really am not that type. 803 00:51:41,120 --> 00:51:44,439 Speaker 1: I want to try. And while there was a I 804 00:51:44,520 --> 00:51:50,359 Speaker 1: was definitely meta static. I had it in um over 805 00:51:50,440 --> 00:51:57,880 Speaker 1: twenty notes. It had spread to my right hip, my spine, 806 00:51:58,880 --> 00:52:02,840 Speaker 1: my left arm, and I said, Okay, even if I 807 00:52:02,920 --> 00:52:05,759 Speaker 1: have a very short lifespan according to most people, let's 808 00:52:05,760 --> 00:52:09,719 Speaker 1: go for it. And Dr Laur agreed, And that was lucky. 809 00:52:09,880 --> 00:52:14,759 Speaker 1: While you were being treated, you decided something needed to 810 00:52:14,800 --> 00:52:19,920 Speaker 1: be done about this. Women like you needed to understand 811 00:52:20,640 --> 00:52:26,239 Speaker 1: that additional screening is necessary, and not just for extremely 812 00:52:26,520 --> 00:52:30,520 Speaker 1: dense breass, for just dense breasts in general, because there 813 00:52:30,080 --> 00:52:33,239 Speaker 1: are four categories of dense breass A, B, C, and D. 814 00:52:33,400 --> 00:52:36,200 Speaker 1: D is very dense, but C is pretty damn dense. Yes, 815 00:52:36,239 --> 00:52:39,400 Speaker 1: it is. So what did you do? How did you 816 00:52:39,640 --> 00:52:42,680 Speaker 1: approach this and how did you get the law changed? 817 00:52:42,719 --> 00:52:47,600 Speaker 1: In Ohio? I went to Dr Lisa, my doctor in Ohio, 818 00:52:47,840 --> 00:52:51,040 Speaker 1: and I said, we gave each other our word, we 819 00:52:51,120 --> 00:52:52,960 Speaker 1: have to do this, and we don't know what's going 820 00:52:53,000 --> 00:52:55,400 Speaker 1: to happen. Because the chances of me being in long 821 00:52:55,520 --> 00:52:59,560 Speaker 1: term remission, which to me is three years, really slim. 822 00:52:59,560 --> 00:53:02,480 Speaker 1: We have to move fast. So she and I gathered 823 00:53:02,480 --> 00:53:06,400 Speaker 1: together Dr Mahoney, who's the head of the American Mediology, 824 00:53:06,719 --> 00:53:09,120 Speaker 1: and we also brought together Dr Andy Brown, who you 825 00:53:09,120 --> 00:53:11,960 Speaker 1: would love. Said, you see, they're both that you see. 826 00:53:12,400 --> 00:53:16,440 Speaker 1: I brought in two legislators. One was Jeane Schmidt, who 827 00:53:16,520 --> 00:53:20,760 Speaker 1: was a congresswoman who is a conservative Republican, and Cedric 828 00:53:20,800 --> 00:53:25,480 Speaker 1: Denson was an African American progressive Democrat, and these two 829 00:53:25,520 --> 00:53:27,560 Speaker 1: offered to be the authors and to keep it going 830 00:53:28,320 --> 00:53:31,759 Speaker 1: even if I was not here, and we met bi 831 00:53:31,800 --> 00:53:35,640 Speaker 1: weekly to put together what we thought was dream legislation. 832 00:53:36,800 --> 00:53:44,040 Speaker 1: We vetted it with Commerce, with conservatives, but just about everybody, 833 00:53:44,160 --> 00:53:48,080 Speaker 1: all the hospitals before we brought it forth. So we 834 00:53:48,120 --> 00:53:50,160 Speaker 1: had everything vetted by the Chamber of Commerce, which is 835 00:53:50,200 --> 00:53:55,000 Speaker 1: really important in advance, and no one testified against it. 836 00:53:55,840 --> 00:53:59,040 Speaker 1: We passed it in the House with only one vote 837 00:53:59,040 --> 00:54:02,760 Speaker 1: against it, and then it was sitting there for months 838 00:54:03,520 --> 00:54:06,440 Speaker 1: and months in the Senate. Ohio. It was a very 839 00:54:06,440 --> 00:54:11,840 Speaker 1: divided state, and I saw it wasn't passing yet, it 840 00:54:11,960 --> 00:54:13,799 Speaker 1: wasn't being put on the schedule, and it has to 841 00:54:13,840 --> 00:54:19,200 Speaker 1: be put on the agenda and past. So I went 842 00:54:20,200 --> 00:54:25,880 Speaker 1: to Columbus actually wearing this outfit or similar outfits, pink 843 00:54:26,040 --> 00:54:30,640 Speaker 1: outfits with pink carnations, and knocked on the doors of 844 00:54:30,719 --> 00:54:34,080 Speaker 1: every senator to talk to them about what we needed. 845 00:54:34,120 --> 00:54:36,160 Speaker 1: What I found out when I knocked on the doors 846 00:54:36,239 --> 00:54:39,880 Speaker 1: is every time I knocked on a door, Republican or not, 847 00:54:40,480 --> 00:54:44,480 Speaker 1: there was someone who had experienced breast cancer. And I 848 00:54:44,560 --> 00:54:47,960 Speaker 1: knew we were succeeding. I I went to the governor 849 00:54:48,480 --> 00:54:52,759 Speaker 1: at an event and said, I need to talk to you. Yes, 850 00:54:53,400 --> 00:54:56,360 Speaker 1: and but so as you see, so is my doctor 851 00:54:56,360 --> 00:55:00,200 Speaker 1: Andy Brown, so are others and we had the ole 852 00:55:01,440 --> 00:55:04,000 Speaker 1: stayed with us at that point, but the question was 853 00:55:04,040 --> 00:55:06,080 Speaker 1: how do we get on the agenda? And I didn't 854 00:55:06,080 --> 00:55:09,520 Speaker 1: know what was holding us up. So I kept on 855 00:55:09,600 --> 00:55:14,120 Speaker 1: going with my little carnations. And I knew we were 856 00:55:14,160 --> 00:55:17,120 Speaker 1: safe when the head of the Senate invited me over 857 00:55:17,920 --> 00:55:20,600 Speaker 1: and we were only two weeks before the end, three 858 00:55:20,640 --> 00:55:23,320 Speaker 1: weeks before the end, and I said, as a session. 859 00:55:23,360 --> 00:55:26,799 Speaker 1: And I said, well, according to Jane Schmidt, congress you know, 860 00:55:27,000 --> 00:55:29,439 Speaker 1: former Congressman. I said, it looks like we could get 861 00:55:29,440 --> 00:55:33,799 Speaker 1: this done in twenty four hours if we try, like 862 00:55:33,840 --> 00:55:36,320 Speaker 1: in a one day massive session. We're in the morning, 863 00:55:36,320 --> 00:55:40,440 Speaker 1: we passed the committee, we go to the Senate vote, 864 00:55:41,000 --> 00:55:43,480 Speaker 1: then we go back to the committee to reconcile the bills. 865 00:55:43,480 --> 00:55:45,680 Speaker 1: If we go back to the House, we then vote 866 00:55:45,680 --> 00:55:49,239 Speaker 1: again and then be passed by the evening. And I said, 867 00:55:49,280 --> 00:55:54,759 Speaker 1: who we do this? And he said absolutely so. And 868 00:55:54,880 --> 00:55:57,920 Speaker 1: one day, between seven o'clock in the morning and seven 869 00:55:57,920 --> 00:56:03,000 Speaker 1: o'clock in the evening, it was passed. Take me back 870 00:56:03,120 --> 00:56:06,919 Speaker 1: to the day the legislation passed and it became law. 871 00:56:07,920 --> 00:56:13,400 Speaker 1: It was a lovely day because in this divided nation, 872 00:56:14,400 --> 00:56:19,440 Speaker 1: and I was a two thousand sixteen candidate, Democratic endorsed 873 00:56:19,440 --> 00:56:25,279 Speaker 1: candidate for Congress. I have work to elect woman to 874 00:56:25,480 --> 00:56:30,920 Speaker 1: office for years. I was heartbroken over all our divisions 875 00:56:31,960 --> 00:56:36,839 Speaker 1: and the way nothing ever moves forward. And I had 876 00:56:36,880 --> 00:56:40,719 Speaker 1: never seen or had the opportunity to be there and 877 00:56:40,719 --> 00:56:44,000 Speaker 1: see a bill passed. And there I was very far 878 00:56:44,120 --> 00:56:48,719 Speaker 1: off in the I guess they called the galleys, and 879 00:56:49,600 --> 00:56:55,960 Speaker 1: each time I was applauded, and I thought, the first bill, 880 00:56:56,120 --> 00:56:58,920 Speaker 1: the only bill I may ever pass, is actually from 881 00:56:58,960 --> 00:57:02,840 Speaker 1: the galleys as a state for survivor never as a legislator. 882 00:57:03,520 --> 00:57:07,320 Speaker 1: But there was this beautiful moment where everything I dreamed 883 00:57:07,360 --> 00:57:12,080 Speaker 1: of came together, which is that everyone cared only about 884 00:57:12,080 --> 00:57:14,239 Speaker 1: doing the right thing. That it was. We were no 885 00:57:14,280 --> 00:57:18,960 Speaker 1: longer Republicans or Democrats, or men or woman. We just 886 00:57:19,040 --> 00:57:24,760 Speaker 1: wanted to see that we fixed a problem and save lives. 887 00:57:25,880 --> 00:57:31,919 Speaker 1: And I was so grateful for that moment to see 888 00:57:31,920 --> 00:57:36,040 Speaker 1: that and to see my friends, I mean Jean and 889 00:57:36,160 --> 00:57:41,080 Speaker 1: said on opposite sides of the aisle, both of them 890 00:57:41,120 --> 00:57:45,360 Speaker 1: in this beautiful moment together feeling they've done something great 891 00:57:45,880 --> 00:57:52,560 Speaker 1: for everyone. All I had suffered. I'm just someone who 892 00:57:52,560 --> 00:57:55,560 Speaker 1: wanted to do something good, and I finally did so 893 00:57:55,680 --> 00:57:59,280 Speaker 1: I felt it was like a girl's gut getting her badge. Okay, 894 00:58:00,080 --> 00:58:02,760 Speaker 1: I did something good. It was the way I wanted 895 00:58:02,760 --> 00:58:06,360 Speaker 1: to do it, which is and and that we all 896 00:58:06,400 --> 00:58:10,400 Speaker 1: were happy we did it. So I was just pleased 897 00:58:10,720 --> 00:58:13,760 Speaker 1: that it worked out and that we overcame the odds. 898 00:58:14,200 --> 00:58:17,400 Speaker 1: So I guess I just felt that day that a 899 00:58:17,560 --> 00:58:23,000 Speaker 1: chapter was closing, and thank God that I had resolved 900 00:58:23,000 --> 00:58:27,480 Speaker 1: this and with decency, and that you're healthy and for 901 00:58:27,560 --> 00:58:32,480 Speaker 1: the moment, for the moment fingers crossed, and that you 902 00:58:32,560 --> 00:58:39,640 Speaker 1: will ensure that hundreds, maybe thousands of women will be healthy. 903 00:58:39,680 --> 00:58:43,360 Speaker 1: Before we talk about the impact, tell me specifically, in 904 00:58:43,480 --> 00:58:46,640 Speaker 1: kind of simple terms, if you could, Michelle, what does 905 00:58:46,680 --> 00:58:50,760 Speaker 1: this new law actually say and do well? This law, 906 00:58:51,560 --> 00:58:54,880 Speaker 1: what it says and does, which makes it different is 907 00:58:54,920 --> 00:58:58,000 Speaker 1: that women were not allowed before to get mamograms except 908 00:58:58,040 --> 00:59:01,360 Speaker 1: every two years according to their age, and now it's 909 00:59:01,360 --> 00:59:05,720 Speaker 1: every year every age, which means if you're under forty 910 00:59:07,440 --> 00:59:10,160 Speaker 1: you would find it too late. And we have so 911 00:59:10,200 --> 00:59:13,360 Speaker 1: many deaths for a woman under forty, but it was 912 00:59:13,400 --> 00:59:17,440 Speaker 1: considered statistically not as important. So when we're allowed to 913 00:59:17,480 --> 00:59:22,680 Speaker 1: die and not be detected, that won't happen anymore. Because 914 00:59:22,800 --> 00:59:26,120 Speaker 1: every woman has a right for a mammogram, and every 915 00:59:26,200 --> 00:59:30,560 Speaker 1: mammogram if in the judgment of the radiologist, not the 916 00:59:30,560 --> 00:59:35,160 Speaker 1: insurance company, not anyone else. If the radiologists can't see 917 00:59:35,240 --> 00:59:38,680 Speaker 1: clearly or says you have dense breasts, she can go 918 00:59:39,200 --> 00:59:44,040 Speaker 1: or any other conditions, she can get the right screening 919 00:59:44,120 --> 00:59:47,280 Speaker 1: technology to check on you. And we never had that 920 00:59:47,440 --> 00:59:50,960 Speaker 1: right before. And that's huge because it means if we 921 00:59:51,000 --> 00:59:54,000 Speaker 1: could catch every cancer early, that's nine nine out of 922 00:59:54,000 --> 00:59:57,880 Speaker 1: a hundred cancers will likely not come back. Then then 923 00:59:58,000 --> 01:00:00,240 Speaker 1: the third thing we did is we change uch the 924 01:00:00,240 --> 01:00:04,120 Speaker 1: gobbledy book on the language. It is really clear English. Now, hey, 925 01:00:04,200 --> 01:00:07,240 Speaker 1: you've got dense pressed, you've got a problem, and you 926 01:00:07,240 --> 01:00:09,640 Speaker 1: know what You've better talk to your doctor and you 927 01:00:09,640 --> 01:00:13,600 Speaker 1: can ask for additional testing. It is clear as a bell. 928 01:00:14,160 --> 01:00:18,240 Speaker 1: Not only can you ask for additional testing, your insurance 929 01:00:18,320 --> 01:00:22,720 Speaker 1: company is obligated to pay for it. Yes, yes, And 930 01:00:22,760 --> 01:00:25,800 Speaker 1: that is the point. Your insurance company is obligated to 931 01:00:25,840 --> 01:00:28,640 Speaker 1: pay for it because for some women they might even 932 01:00:28,680 --> 01:00:32,800 Speaker 1: be told that. But an ultrasound abreast ultrasound is four 933 01:00:32,840 --> 01:00:35,760 Speaker 1: hundred dollars and m r S four thousand dollars. I 934 01:00:35,760 --> 01:00:38,840 Speaker 1: mean a lot of women a don't know and be 935 01:00:39,080 --> 01:00:42,240 Speaker 1: even when they find out, Michelle, they can't afford it. No, 936 01:00:42,480 --> 01:00:44,360 Speaker 1: and and and you were right, And that is why 937 01:00:44,400 --> 01:00:46,560 Speaker 1: this was so important to us. I mean this was 938 01:00:46,600 --> 01:00:49,760 Speaker 1: critical because in most states in the nation they say 939 01:00:49,800 --> 01:00:51,520 Speaker 1: to you, hey, I think we need an extra test. 940 01:00:51,560 --> 01:00:55,240 Speaker 1: We couldn't really tell, and then you say how much 941 01:00:55,320 --> 01:00:59,440 Speaker 1: is it? And then you don't do it? And African 942 01:00:59,440 --> 01:01:03,880 Speaker 1: American woman and have such a higher death rate it's astronomical. 943 01:01:04,880 --> 01:01:09,960 Speaker 1: It's about income and access and access. And what we 944 01:01:10,040 --> 01:01:16,720 Speaker 1: did now is try to make access as universal as 945 01:01:16,760 --> 01:01:21,080 Speaker 1: possible for all women. That does not mean it's still 946 01:01:21,080 --> 01:01:23,440 Speaker 1: the issue of the deductible we have to take on next. 947 01:01:23,880 --> 01:01:28,760 Speaker 1: But yeah, I would say what this did, hopefully we'll 948 01:01:28,800 --> 01:01:33,520 Speaker 1: save thousands of lives within the first year of it 949 01:01:33,600 --> 01:01:39,280 Speaker 1: being enacted. I'm so impressed by what you've done, and 950 01:01:39,320 --> 01:01:43,000 Speaker 1: I hope you don't stop. And whatever we can do 951 01:01:43,360 --> 01:01:54,320 Speaker 1: to inform women and get laws changed everywhere, um, the better. Well, 952 01:01:54,320 --> 01:01:56,840 Speaker 1: I need your help on this. Every woman should have 953 01:01:56,880 --> 01:02:03,120 Speaker 1: a right. It is a grotesque injustice to all women 954 01:02:03,160 --> 01:02:05,760 Speaker 1: and by the way, their husbands and their children and 955 01:02:05,800 --> 01:02:08,680 Speaker 1: everyone in their life that they could be gone because 956 01:02:08,720 --> 01:02:12,959 Speaker 1: we didn't care enough. I saved the colin's why can't 957 01:02:12,960 --> 01:02:15,760 Speaker 1: I save the breasts? Wouldn't that be the most wonderful 958 01:02:15,800 --> 01:02:18,280 Speaker 1: thing on earth to do? This October? We could do it, 959 01:02:18,800 --> 01:02:24,920 Speaker 1: all right, Let's do it. The bill that Michelle shepherded 960 01:02:24,960 --> 01:02:30,240 Speaker 1: through the Ohio State Legislature officially went into effect in September, 961 01:02:31,920 --> 01:02:37,600 Speaker 1: almost four years from Michelle's cancer diagnosis. Michelle Young is 962 01:02:37,720 --> 01:02:45,680 Speaker 1: currently in remission. Before we go, I want to give 963 01:02:45,880 --> 01:02:49,160 Speaker 1: my daughters a special shout out. Thank you Ellien Carey 964 01:02:49,240 --> 01:02:52,320 Speaker 1: for being part of this podcast, and of course to 965 01:02:52,440 --> 01:02:56,200 Speaker 1: my incredible doctors for taking the time out of their 966 01:02:56,400 --> 01:03:00,320 Speaker 1: very busy schedules, busy saving lives to join me for 967 01:03:00,360 --> 01:03:04,160 Speaker 1: this episode. I'll have much more information not only about 968 01:03:04,240 --> 01:03:09,040 Speaker 1: my journey, but really important information about secondary screenings, the 969 01:03:09,200 --> 01:03:13,080 Speaker 1: risk of dense breast and all kinds of information about 970 01:03:13,160 --> 01:03:16,680 Speaker 1: breast cancer in general, for the entire month of October 971 01:03:17,120 --> 01:03:20,680 Speaker 1: on my website. Just go to Katie correct dot com 972 01:03:20,720 --> 01:03:29,720 Speaker 1: for more. Next Question with Kati Kurik is a production 973 01:03:29,760 --> 01:03:33,080 Speaker 1: of I Heart Media and Katie Curic Media. The executive 974 01:03:33,080 --> 01:03:37,760 Speaker 1: producers Army Katie Curic and Courtney Litz. The supervising producer 975 01:03:37,840 --> 01:03:42,720 Speaker 1: is Lauren Hansen. Associate producers Derek Clements and Adriana Fasio. 976 01:03:43,040 --> 01:03:46,440 Speaker 1: The show is edited and mixed by Derrick Clements. For 977 01:03:46,560 --> 01:03:49,360 Speaker 1: more information about today's episode, or to sign up for 978 01:03:49,480 --> 01:03:52,400 Speaker 1: my morning newsletter, Wake Up Paul, go to Katie currect 979 01:03:52,440 --> 01:03:55,040 Speaker 1: dot com. You can also find me at Katie Currik 980 01:03:55,120 --> 01:03:58,760 Speaker 1: on Instagram and all my social media channels. For more 981 01:03:58,800 --> 01:04:02,360 Speaker 1: podcasts from My heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, 982 01:04:02,560 --> 01:04:06,080 Speaker 1: Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 983 01:04:12,000 --> 01:04:12,040 Speaker 1: H