121: Deb Krier survived Stage IV HER2+ breast cancer, then survived skin cancer and thyroid cancer.
Release Date: 06/15/2024
147: Helinka Carr survived bowel cancer | ileostomy bag | pelvic radiation disease | colonoscopy
Cancer Interviews
When Helinka Carr experienced limited rectal bleeding, because it was limited, she never thought her problem could rise to the level of cancer. She also thought the bleeding might be diverticulitis, which had been suffered by members of her family. However, at the urging of her doctor, she underwent blood tests and a colonoscopy. The latter revealed that she had bowel cancer. Thanks to two surgical procedures, she achieved survivorship but has to wear an ileostomy bag. She tires easily, but had the energy to start a line of ostomy lingerie for bag-wearing women...
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146: Guy Nakoa survived Stage IV breast cancer | mastectomy | ibrance | letrozole | radiation treatment
Cancer Interviews
Guy Nakoa has survived two diagnoses of Stage IV breast cancer. He initially felt a lump in his breast while showering in 2000. Because it wasn’t causing him and because he didn’t think could not get a type of cancer associated with women, I went more than a decade before he chose to have the lump checked out. In 2014, he sought medical attention, he was diagnosed and in 2016, he had the lump removed; but in 2020, the cancer returned. He was hoping it could be removed with chemotherapy and radiation treatment, but over his initial objection, he...
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145: Sheila Romanski twice survived breast cancer | autologous stem cell transplant | lumpectomy | diep flap
Cancer Interviews
Sheila Romanski is with us today after overcoming two diagnoses of breast cancer and the removal of a tumor in her left shoulder thanks to an autologous stem cell transplant. She tells the @CancerInterviews podcast her initial of Stage 1A breast cancer in 1996 came after her doctor suggested a routine mammogram at age 36 when at the time mammograms were not performed on women that young. Radiation treatment successfully addressed that diagnosis, but the following year, the cancer had metastasized to her shoulder. That brought on the stem cell transplant, plus chemotherapy and...
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144: Daniel Garza, Anal Cancer Survivor – Laguna Beach, California, USA
Cancer Interviews
In 2015, Daniel Garza experienced bloating and difficulty completing a bowel movement. A subsequent digital rectal exam revealed a mass on his sphincter, which led to a diagnosis of anal cancer. A surgical procedure got rid of the cancer, but it also resulted in his losing half of his sphincter and the temporary presence of a fistula, a tear which was like a second anus. He underwent a chemotherapy regimen of 5-fluorouracil, followed by radiation treatment, but another major challenge awaited Daniel, as he had to wear an ostomy bag, which he does to this day. He deals...
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143: Rick Upchurch survived chronic myelogenous leukemia | oral chemotherapy | blood cancer | tasigna | nilotinib
Cancer Interviews
Former NFL star Rick Upchurch seemed to be in good health, but in 2010, he began to experience night sweats, fatigue and aches and pains. He saw his doctor, who ordered blood work. The test results revealed his white blood cell count was very high, and his general practitioner gave him the address of another doctor to see. Rick and his wife were shocked to learn the doctor they had been told to see was an oncologist. That doctor called for a bone marrow biopsy, which confirmed Rick had chronic myelogenous leukemia, a rare form of blood cancer that is tied to a genetic...
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142: Jeff Kallis survived renal cell carcinoma | kidney cancer | right kidney nephrectomy | diverticulosis | ct urogram
Cancer Interviews
Jeff Kallis survived renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer. When he experienced pain in his lower flank and saw blood in his urine, he sought medical attention. A CT urogram revealed a stone in his left kidney and a mass in his right kidney. A biopsy confirmed he had clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Jeff underwent a radical nephrectomy on his right kidney. The operation was painful, but a success. Through exercise and a healthy diet, Jeff says he feels better than he did before his diagnosis. He shares his story with the @CancerInterviews...
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141: John Morley survived T2 Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer | cystectomy | prostatectomy | splenectomy
Cancer Interviews
What John Morley originally thought was a urinary tract infection turned out to be a diagnosis of bladder cancer. At first, he was told it was a mild form of the disease. Then the diagnosis was upgraded to T2 Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer, requiring a radical cystectomy meaning he would need to get his bladder removed. His care team next told John he would also have to get his prostate taken out. Next a mass was detected on his spleen, which meant that it, too, would have to be removed. Treatment and recovery were tough, but he now urinates into a bag known as an...
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140: Jessica Wharton survived breast cancer | chemotherapy | taxol | super radiation | red devil | ptsd
Cancer Interviews
When Jessica Whorton discovered lumps on her left breast in 2011, she sought medical attention. The doctors she spoke with said breast cancer was not indicated. She walked around with the lumps for another nine months before seeking a second opinion. Tests revealed she had Stage 3A invasive ductal carcinoma. Doctors urged that she get a double mastectomy even though her right breast was still healthy. After chemotherapy and radiation, Jessica achieved survivorship in 2013. Jessica thought there was something wrong when she detected three lumps...
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139: Susan Svoboda survived hormone positive breast cancer | estrogen inhibitor | invasive ductal carcinoma | lumpectomy
Cancer Interviews
Susan Svoboda was accustomed to going in for her mammogram every November. She enjoyed a healthy lifestyle, which included running 65 half marathons. But in late 2021, after her mammogram, she was called to return to the doctor’s office. After scans and a biopsy, she was diagnosed with Stage 1-2 invasive ductal carcinoma. Given her healthy routine, Susan was shocked, but she quickly had to turn her attention to her treatment. In 2022, she underwent a successful lumpectomy. Because of the location of the lump, and her low Oncotype DX score, the oncologist...
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138: Albertina Dancy survived liver cancer | fatty liver disease | radiation treatment | chemotherapy
Cancer Interviews
In 2021, Albertina Dancy began to experience abdominal pain, but that wasn’t all. She also had gastrointestinal issues, jaundice and other problems. However, she didn’t take them seriously and thought they could be successfully addressed with over-the-counter remedies. When that didn’t happen, she sought medical attention. Albertina’s doctor said the symptoms, combined with her existing fatty liver disease, merited a trip to an oncologist. A series of scans and tests, plus the stiffness of her liver, led to a diagnosis of liver cancer. The...
info_outlineThe unstoppable Deb Krier survived Stage IV HER2+ breast cancer, basal cell carcinoma and papillary thyroid cancer, enduring 33 surgeries.
In 2015, Deb Krier of Mapleton, Georgia, went in for a routine mammogram. She had no idea that would be start of a lengthy cancer journey. After the procedure, she was asked to return to the clinic. Although the mammogram did not reveal a lump or a bump, it did reveal tiny flecks known called microcalcifications. Next up for Deb, were two needle biopsies, known as stereotactic biopsies. Both came back negative. Even though Deb was diagnosed Stage Zero, doctors called for an MRI. Viewing the results, the surgeon suggested some lymph nodes be removed.
The surgeon was stunned when of twelve removed lymph nodes eight were positive, and just like that, Deb went from Stage Zero to Stage Three. This necessitated a visit to an oncologist.
Deb Krier and her oncologist decided to chemotherapy, then surgery, then radiation treatment. They also agreed on a massive chemotherapy regimen. Deb cannot name any of them, but there were no less than eight drugs in her chemo cocktail. She had a port put in her shoulder, and her initial chemotherapy session lasted eight hours.
There were complications from Deb’s chemotherapy regimen. It caused damage to her colon, resulting in septic shock. This required emergency, life-saving surgery on her colon. She also suffered hair loss, brain fog and fatigue.
Next up was the surgery, and Deb opted for a double mastectomy without reconstruction decision she felt was the right decision at the time, and still does. She said she no longer wanted to worry about her breasts and wanted them both gone even the cancer existed in only one. She also didn’t like the idea of “foreign objects’ being put into her body.
Meanwhile, when Deb experienced pain in her ribcage and the test came back as “inconclusive,” doctors changed her diagnosis to Stage IV, so that they give it the highest level of treatment.
From all her surgeries, Deb could look at herself and see lots of scars, but when she looks at them, she realizes without the scars, she wouldn’t be alive.
However, cancer was not done with Deb. In 2021, while visiting her primary care physician, she pointed out a sore on her arm. Deb was referred to a dermatologist, who conducted a biopsy and said showed basal cell carcinoma. Deb said it was a very small patch, easily burned off. She still sees a dermatologist once every six months.
Then in 2023, Deb Krier was diagnosed with a third cancer, papillary thyroid cancer. She told her doctor she would have a spasm. The doctor ran a CT scan, and it showed lesions on her thyroid. After more tests and shots and biopsies, she learned she had papillary thyroid cancer. There were two tumors, but they were caught so early that the removal of Deb’s thyroid was relatively easy.
By way of advice, Deb Krier reminds anyone diagnosed with cancer that they are not alone. She also advises one diagnosed with cancer to do plenty of research and to always be their own advocate.
Additional Resources:
Deb’s website: www.tryingnottodie.LIVE