August 28, 2025 • 49 mins
One of our favorite Bachelorettes is hanging out with Becca and Tanya! Katie Thurston is ready to share how she keeps a positive outlook on life despite her stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis.
Katie lets us in on her relationship with her husband, and how they went from meeting to married... all within one year!
Plus, Katie gets emotional when sharing her breast cancer journey with Becca and Tanya and why she chose to be public about her challenges.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Scrubbing In with Becca Tilly and Tanya rad and iHeartRadio
and two time People's Choice Award winning podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Hello everybody, we are scrubbing in.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
It's Tills and Yad and Katie Thurston in the pad.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (00:20):
That's right.
Speaker 6 (00:22):
We all know and love her as a bachelorette, but
she's here to discuss some much more important topics today.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
We know and we love her from the Bachelor franchise,
but there is much more to get into with Katie Thurston.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yes, she recently got married.
Speaker 6 (00:35):
She also recently was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she
has been so open and vulnerable on social media in
the podcast I've listened to, so I'm very excited to
talk to her.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Let's bring her in, Becca, Let's bring her in.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Everyone. Welcome Katie Thurston.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
In an introduction, Let's hello, Thank you so much for
being here.
Speaker 5 (01:00):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 6 (01:01):
Guys, we this is our first time we met, which
is unheard of in the Bachelor world.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
It's like we all know each other in this weird,
like subliminal messaging kind of way, you know, the first.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Time you have met.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah, it's like your trauma bonded through being on the show.
Speaker 6 (01:15):
And it's just like an understanding that you know, when
you actually do meet, you get each other.
Speaker 5 (01:20):
Yes, we're already like failing now.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
It's like a sorority, Tony, You're not a part of it.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
I know, No, I know, honestly. No.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Becka always says she's like, I wish that you had
just like one experience on the Bachelor because she thinks
I would have made like.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Good television, yeah, which is kind of rude.
Speaker 6 (01:38):
No, no, no, not everyone that is good on TV.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
It's a negative thing.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Yeah, it would have been miserable.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
If you have great commentary, then like, yeah, that's amazing.
Speaker 6 (01:48):
The only thing is she would have fallen too fast
and gotten like they would have been able to get
in her head very Yeah, he.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Has a really good connection with Katie. I would have
been like, you know, it's.
Speaker 5 (01:59):
A great televison, right.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So there's been a lot going on in your life.
Speaker 6 (02:05):
Yes, I'm like, I have so many areas that I
want to cover, but I kind of want to go
into you being a wife because I feel like we
have gotten to watch your love story, you know, from
being on the Bachelor, and.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
What was your love life before you were on the show.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
I mean I definitely was like actively a dater's.
Speaker 5 (02:24):
How you word it, but like I was pursuing.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Love always and like long term serious Like I never
dated for fun. I always dated like with the hope
of like marriage or at least long term, you know.
And the older you get your you're like, I hope
this is the one, yeah, you know, and every time
you think it is, and then it's not, like.
Speaker 5 (02:38):
Damn it, you know. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
And then for the Bachelor, it was like COVID. I
was twenty nine at the time, which is you know,
in reality TV world, is like you're about to age
out because like I should apply because I loved the
show and I was like this could be fun. And
then yeah, then as you know, your whole world changes
so fast.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Well, I remember when you were on the show.
Speaker 6 (03:00):
Your intro is what like you're intro out of the
limo is what really got everyone's attention. I think like
knowing you had a following on TikTok and it was
very like sex positive and you were very open and
honest about that, which in my mind I think is
such a like not advantage in a way of like
negative but like you coming off the show, there wasn't
(03:21):
this overwhelming, like navigating the social media aspect of it,
which I think ever since that that has been introduced,
like there is that element of the show that people
have like a following.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
But I had no idea what I was doing.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Sex positive mean, like.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
You, I just say this is this is my opinion
of it. I don't I never ever use that term
sex pot like what is the I was just open
about sex, which is a very common thing for women
of our generation.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
You know, but open about what like having it or
just talking about position, all of it.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Girl talk, you know, it's like the thing is you
would talk about with your friends. I talked about publicly
on TikTok, I guess. And then I came out of
the I went with a vibrator, and then this phrase,
you know, oh she's sex positive started coming out. I
was like, I mean, I don't know. I'm from Washington.
This didn't seem crazy, you know, it's a progressive state.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
So I hate the phrase because I don't want to
give me some like metal of like, oh she's so
sex positive. I'm like, no, I just represent many many
women of our generation who are comfortable with their sexuality
and talking about sexual experiences and thoughts.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
So right right.
Speaker 6 (04:28):
Well, as someone who grew up in like purity culture
and stuff, I think of it as a like I
mean that as like a complimentary terms. Yeah, Like I
in my mind, I'm like seeing people being so comfortable
talking about it, especially the way I grew up where
it was like so much like you don't talk about
it was so refreshing, I think for people who you know,
grew up like me, but I would say that you're
also in that category too comfortable time. Well yeah, but
(04:51):
I'm saying comfortable talking about your you know.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
I feel like I feel like there were things that
I had to like google that I feel like should
have just been like common knowledge.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Do you know what I mean?
Speaker 5 (05:03):
Like like callous, I'm actually.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
About sex, but like I didn't even realize that there
was like multiple holes, so.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
I'm like, do you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Like I was just trying to learn how to use
a tampon, Like I'm having to like figure out like, oh,
the p hole is very small, so you actually can't
put your tampon?
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Was like what if I put it on my peel?
Speaker 3 (05:24):
And like I'm having to google these things that like
should have just been like taught to me or shown
to me, Like why are we not showing people how
to use like somebody DM me how to insert a
mental cop And I was like, I would literally show
you if Instagram wouldn't like deactivate my account, because like
I wish somebody would do that for me.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
Yeah, it's like sucks.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Yeah, well that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 6 (05:45):
It was like a she was you were very comfortable
doing that, and I think people gravitated towards you for
that reason. When you got the call to be the Bachelorette,
where were you and what what was that experience?
Speaker 5 (05:58):
Like, I mean just COVID, so I think I was
probably at home home.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Yeah, yeah, I was like I was shocked because, as
you know, it's usually like more of the front runners,
and I was like, in terms of ranking eleventh place,
so I thought maybe Bachelor in Paradise.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
I was not really.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Thinking the Bachelorette, but of course I'm like, yes, like
help me in, so very excited. It was very weird
because I was like working at my job and they
tell you like very last minute, and so I kind
of gave like notice. I was like, but also they
might not pick me and I would still like to
work here. Yeah, yeah, But then I knew, Like once
I was hon I was like, I can't come back
to working at the bank. It doesn't even coming back
(06:36):
to the bank after being quote dildo girl on The
Bachelor was very.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
Awkward for me.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
So I knew slowly my life was about to shift
and do like a one to eighty.
Speaker 6 (06:45):
Yeah, it's so funny you say that because I was
a virgin on my season and I wasn't. I intentionally
didn't tell them it just it came about in the show.
But when I went back to work now, it was
something that was very confident and proud in. But it
was so strange knowing the like strangers who came into
our office every day, like knew this about me.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
It was like, oh yeah, yeah, intimate details. You don't
think about it though, because you're in a bubble. Yeah yeah.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
So you get off the show those relationships, that relationship
did not work out, right, and now we're sitting here
and you're a married woman. And once an Tonia was like,
how did they meet? And I was like, I actually
don't know that I know the full story of how
y'all met.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Oh, it's so silly, because you know, once you do
this reality TV, you're like, I can be anything I want.
And so I wanted to be a comedian, and so
I started like following different comics to like clean up
my feed and just be like inspired, and Jeff was
one of them, and so I followed him.
Speaker 5 (07:38):
He followed me.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
He actually thought I was a makeup influencer, which is
crazy because I can't do that. And then one day
we were like exchanging dms and then literally that's kind
of like the shortest version is like we met in
the dms on Instagram, talked for a month because he
lived in New York I lived in LA and then
I think that was what actually helped build a really
(08:00):
great start, because we didn't connect on a physical level
or a drunk level or like an awkward, bad first date.
It was purely conversational, and because we had that first
month of just talking, when we finally had our first date,
it was like so good and I was like I
was shaking. I literally remember like like we went to
brunch for our date and I remember picking up the
(08:21):
champagne and I had to acknowledge it. I had to
be like, oh, I'm actually a little nervous around you.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
I couldn't even drink. I'd to like set it back down.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
But yeah, was it the first time you felt like
that on a date with the guys?
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Yeah, I'm normally like way more confident than that, and
so the fact that I was all like bashful and
giddy around him and like like we just knew. Honestly
the first time we were texting, I joked but also
kind of was like, Oh, this is going to go somewhere,
because you can tell from a first conversation it's beyond
like what's your family history?
Speaker 5 (08:51):
What are you going to call? It's like so much more.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
I was like, we're gonna have to flip coins for
who us to move once we fall in love, because
I was like, this is gonna be something.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
Little did I know it was a whole damn marriage,
But I know.
Speaker 6 (09:05):
So when you so, I feel like when you were
when I was talking about your dating before the Bachelorette, Yeah,
you said you were like intentionally looking for that next step,
which was marriage, right, Yeah, and then you meet someone
and you're like, Okay, I think this is gonna be it.
Let's see where we're gonna move and next next thing,
you know, it's like moving so quickly.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Yeah, did it just feel like this is what's supposed
to happen.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yeah, it's funny because you know that phrase like when
you know you know, yeah, that's what this was, and
I and I never could relate to that, or I
thought I could, but then when this one hit, I
was like, oh, this is what that means. And so
like not once have I like looked back or like
we continued, like our love keeps like just growing and
obviously what was it we our first date was in May,
(09:51):
we got engaged in August, and then we got married
in I should know this actually February, so March my
research because it was an elopement and it was like
kind of it was like in our apartment. So it
doesn't feel like it feels like an actual marriage, but
we still want to plan a wedding, so the date
(10:12):
doesn't feel like the date the.
Speaker 5 (10:14):
Date quite yeah, but we are legally on paper.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Married Tonya's dream.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
What if that's if you could have gotten engaged married right, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
I guess that was kind of the same.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
But I was the same in terms of like I
knew and oh yeah yeah, but my husband was like
I'm the Brakes girl.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
I was like, okay, compromise. I guess it's something you
do in marriage.
Speaker 6 (10:40):
So I want to go into your diagnosis because we
were just talking about how women's well, First of all,
can we talk go back to that moment when that
happened anything, And I want to talk about did you
do like a self breast exam, like what brought you
into the doctor to even get the diagnosis.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Yeah, it was painful, like like I had no choice
but to notice it. But because it was painful, I
was like, oh, is it my period? You know it
was summer. It was last year actually that I first
felt it. That's how long I waited to get it
checked out. And so I started working out in the summer.
I'm like, maybe it's like a sort of muscle or something,
you know, or maybe it'll come and who knows.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
And it just was always there, never went away.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
It was always there.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Maybe maybe in the beginning it felt like it went away,
but then there was a certain point where it's like, oh,
I can't ignore this anymore. But I did have a
benign cyst in my early twenties, so it was like
a lump that was not cancerous and I kind of
and I had it removed, and so I kind of
thought it was going to be the same thing. It
was the same side. I was like, oh, maybe it's
just coming back. I'll have to do another lumpectomy. It's
(11:42):
like it's no, no rush, no urgency whatever. And then literally,
like it was right before I was leaving LA, I
was like, I should use up my insurance before you know,
changing states and whatnot, and do all these little checks.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
And so I went in. I was like, hey, this lump.
They referred me no, no urgently, you went to your guy, know,
just like a prime like a.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Random primary care like it was Kaiser, So it's like
it's a little bit different, but just a primary care.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
They can't really do anything.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
They just have to basically feel and go, yes, you
should see like a professional, you know, a breast specialist.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
I guess.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
So then like two weeks after that, went and had
a breast ultrasound and I had a feeling within that appointment.
I was like, Oh, something's off because you could hear
like them taking like pictures and not telling me anything.
There's no like reassurance like oh it's it's you have
dense breasts or like whatever.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
It was just quiet. I was like, oh shit.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
And then they're like can you stay and get a mammogram?
And I was like I've never had a mammogram, but okay.
And so that's when I kind of had the first
inkling like oh, this is like serious, this is some
something's up.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
So when can you discrice.
Speaker 6 (12:49):
I've always heard that people say that it's not painful,
like a lot of people. I've always heard that because
anytime I'm about to start my period and I have pain,
I'm like, no, well, if it was something serious, it
doesn't hurt, because that's what they say say same because
I googled.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
I'm not googling like I think I literally does breast
cancer hurt, you know, in general? Like the Google which
don't use Google for your doctor diagnosis, guys, But it
said the same thing, like typically it doesn't hurt, and
that is still true. I think people have breast cancer
and it's not physically painful. Mine just happened to be painful,
maybe based on placement, I don't know. And so I
(13:24):
think that's also why I ignored it for so long,
because like, oh it's painful, it's not breast cancer yeah,
and then riamn.
Speaker 6 (13:32):
It's just so true to like listen to your body though,
like you were like, you know, you you gave yourself
the benefit of the doubt. You're like, it's not but
then at a certain time it wasn't. It was persistent,
and you were like, I have to take care of it.
And yeah, I was listening to Caitlin's podcast and you
were talking about how it's crazy because what.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Is it before forty? They they your insurance doesn't come.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
What's the Yeah, you don't, so it's not standard and
I do perdic. This will change in the future because
it has to. But right now, what we're all taught
as women is like once you're forty, that's what insurance
will cover on mammogram. So all of us have been
kind of like ignoring our breasts. We're like, oh, we
think cancer doesn't happen till you're older. I'll get my
mamragram at forty. That's when I'll start really paying attention.
(14:15):
And then what I quickly learned is so many women
under forty do have breast cancer. And so I'm like
so passionate about like educating people now, like wherever you
think you know you don't like you have to be
so procative every month and like doing a self exam
and it doesn't even have to be some formal formula
of like up, down, left right. Literally the way it
(14:36):
felt is I just like I like to hold my boobs.
I just like I just hold them, you know, Jeff
likes to hold them, you know, And I felt it.
I felt something was off, you know. And so what
I tell people is like, don't feel like you have
to create h.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Right now, everyone, everybody stop.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
My doctor always said, like do like a snake and
like go just like around, like just keep going around
and like make it a big a circle. Yeah, but
like to feel for like like p shaped bumps.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Yeah, Mine, I would say, felt like like a wad
of gum, like a little like you know, rubbery almost
like fat. A lot of people like to check their
breasts in the shower because they're so bad and it's
easy to like glide around. But yeah, people need to
be checking their boobs and talking to their doctor even
if they think it's nothing. Let your doctor decide that.
(15:26):
You know, no matter what your ages, no matter what
your family history is, breast cancer does not run in
my family. So all these things that I thought were
like in my favor, actually didn't matter.
Speaker 6 (15:51):
So when you got the diagnosis, what what stage was
it when you got the diagnosis.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Well, technically they at the time I was staged three
and triple positive. But then when I transferred care and
you have to kind of get retested everything, I was
actually stage four and I was hormon positive, her too negative,
So it was like a whole it was a whole
different thing, which is crazy.
Speaker 6 (16:15):
Can you explain triple I don't know what that means?
So what do is triple positive means? It's so it's hard,
it's so complex. I thought breast cancer was just breast cancer.
But there's triple negative, triple positive, and then mine is
which is horma like er hr positive, meaning it feeds
off estrogen hormones, and then her to either negative or positive,
which is like a protein. I don't really know how
(16:37):
to explain it more on the medical stance, but there's
there's so many different subtypes of breast cancer. And then
based on that is the type of like medicine you get.
Because also I learned chemotherapy is not just a chemotherapy,
it's like a formula of chemotherapy like different names, and
so it's like someone with triple positive versus triple negative
(16:59):
might both get chemothera therapy, but it's different.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
hYP formulated differently.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
So breast cancer is such a way more complex thing
than I knew now that I'm like in it, I'm like, oh,
I'm like an expert. But yeah, from the outside, it's like, yeah, wait,
I thought breast cancer was just breast cancer.
Speaker 6 (17:13):
Well yeah, and you see people having different responses to
different medicines and having to do different different steps in
their diagnosis. Yeah, so will you, like what's the next step,
what's your current process and like in terms of medication
and what's to come.
Speaker 5 (17:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
So, so with stage four that means it has spread
and technically it's forever. And I always put quotes because
I just am so confident in like the future and
medical advancements, and the way I try to like really
simplify it is like, because we know it has spread,
there will always be at least one little cancer cell
floating around in my body somewhere, you know. So like
that's why it's not like it's not curable, you know.
(17:54):
But what I'm doing right now, it's called like targeted
therapy where the medicine I'm taking rather than attacking my
whole body, it's it's focused on just the tumor. And
so I just had my three month scan, like I
don't know, last month, I think I don't know. I
lose track of time. Yeah, but the medicine's working. The
tumor in my liver no longer shows up on a
(18:14):
PET scan.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
So that's great, that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Yeah, and then the tumor my breast has shrunk significantly.
I'm actually very optimistic that my next three month scan,
I'm hoping it's like they call it no evidence of disease,
like it's shrunk to nothing. But basically I'll be on
this medication forever until, like until either a doesn't work
or be there's like a cure or like something better
than I'm taking.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
So do you what are the side effects? What are
you experiencing? Well?
Speaker 5 (18:41):
So I take?
Speaker 2 (18:41):
So I take.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
First of all, I'm in medical and medically induced menopause
because my cancer feeds.
Speaker 5 (18:47):
Off hormones little more birth control.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
I get a shot, a lupron shot every month, so
I don't have the period, and my hormone levels are
of those going through menopause. So like I literally have
like a hot flash water John right now that do
it shoots like a cold blast of air onto your
wrists so that you can bypass the hot flash that
your brain is about to give you.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Does it work?
Speaker 5 (19:10):
It does work?
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Oh yeah, So all the effects fide effects people go
through with menopause, so like hair thinning. My vision's a
little not great anymore. I'm tired all the time. Yeah,
memory fog, that's that One's probably the most annoying. Is
someone who's always been like on it. Now I'm like,
(19:32):
I can't keep track of things very well. Yeah, but
like all things considered, like it's it is manageable, and
we're still kind of like figuring out like the proper
dosage and like because it is quote forever them on
this like protocol, I guess we want to find something
that makes it manageable in terms of side effects and whatnot.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
So all of those things are you'll be on forever.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
So so every month, so I could I could have
my ovaries removed. It's such a permanent thing. I'm not
ready to make that decision, but a lot of people do.
Because the alternative is a monthly shot in your looking ass.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
And that sucks. That hurts.
Speaker 6 (20:11):
I hate needles. Does your husband do it or do.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
You have to go in?
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I think I've seen people do it at home. I
can't even Jeff and I did IVF and you get
shots in your belly. I couldn't do that. He had
to do it for me.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
I can't.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
I could not stick myself with an ady. I don't
think I could actually do it.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
So yeah, every month, I get a shot to suppress
my ovaries, and then I take like hormone suppressing pills,
and then this this other drug which is like the
targeted therapy three weeks on, one week off because it's
so strong that you have to have that one week
off to allow like your white blood cell counts to
like recover. So it's I like, right now I'm on
(20:52):
my quote off week, which is like my favorite week
because I feel my best, and then when I start
the new cycle, it's like slowly I'm likedling away and
then get to reset.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Did you take birth control like for a long time.
Speaker 5 (21:05):
Ten plus years?
Speaker 4 (21:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Yeah, And it's tough because I talked to my doctor
about that and she's like, well, you know, they they
say that birth control. Hormonal birth control also decreases your
chance that like ovarian cancer.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
So there's like.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
Pros and concept every drug, and.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
I mean it's not for any unwanted pregnancy. My periods
were great and my skin was great, But then there's
also this world of like okay, but also was I
just taking too much like hormones over time? You know,
like that's the thing with cancer.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
I will say. Everyone always tries to dissect why.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Yeah, I promise you will not figure it out because.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
It's different for everybody.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Yeah. I was like, should I have been a vegan?
And then I see a vegan with breast cancers?
Speaker 6 (21:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (21:46):
Cause I don't have kids yet, and someone who has
kids has it.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
So there's no answer as much as we want to know,
like why me, what did I do wrong?
Speaker 4 (21:54):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (21:54):
I'm so impressed with your like spirit and your attitude
about this because I think it's such a testament to
the person you are, because I I'm thinking about myself
and I just don't know that I would have the
strength and like the I'm just like, you have taken
something that someone could could have and it could just
(22:17):
be such a different crumble. And not only have you
seem to remain so positive and optimistic, but also you're
so passionate about making sure that other people are taking
care of their health and like being so proactive and
helping other people. And I just have to say, I'm
like blown away by you right now.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Just shut up.
Speaker 6 (22:38):
But no, it's just amazing because like you have taken
something that could you could just be mad and why me?
And this is not fair and I'm so young, and
instead you're going, how can I help other people with this?
And how can I remain optimistic so that this is
a story that I get to share my whole life
that can help people. And also, I mean, you can
do any At this point you have to feel like,
(23:00):
well I can handle anything. Well.
Speaker 5 (23:02):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
And as much as like there's moments where you're like, oh,
you're killing it, it's like there's also moments where I
was not and I was crumbling on the floor, and
those those moments still continue. Yeah, it's there's highs and lows.
But the one thing I did before I was public
with my diagnosis is look to other people on social
media for their experience, and that's like what kind of
helped me. I'm like Oh, there's there's other women with
(23:24):
breast cancer who were under forty. Oh, and this is
how they're doing it. I could like see their journey
just like deep dive on their page, and that helped
bring me some kind of calm because I.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
Was like, oh, there's other survivors, there's other stage four women.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Yeah, and then I was like, well, I have to
do this. But then also like I have such a
big platform, It's like, why wouldn't I share my experience
and help other women, Because who knows if last summer
there was someone like me being like, hey, you get
those lumps checked, I might have gone in sooner, you know.
And so this year's been a crazy year with people
(23:56):
like Olivia Munn Jesse j all coming out with these
big platforms of women also then being diagnosed with breast
cancer and like sharing their their dar I say, journey,
but you know, and telling people like, hey, breast cancer
is real no matter what age you're at.
Speaker 5 (24:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
I just think it is, Like I feel like it
can be frustrating because I think not just like like mammograms,
like we were saying, if you're you don't if you're
not sent by the doctor or they don't see anything
like you you have to pay out a pocket for
a mammogram, and like every everything is so expensive, and
so it's like all this stuff feels very like daunting
and defeating, and so I think a lot of people
(24:35):
just kind of like, yeah, actually like stored away, you know,
And I think it should really be in the forefront
of all of our minds, you know what I mean,
like and really kind of trying to push the status
quo and like fighting for those things, even like you know,
fertility treatments and stuff like none of that's covered through
insurance and there's still you know, depending on your insurance.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
It just it's just sucks.
Speaker 5 (24:59):
Yeah, no, it's it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
And I think the dialogue around like breast health is shifting.
And there's even this study going on where I think
they're like everyone's like, what's what do we do to
fix this? Right? And I think the focus is not
lower the age for mammograms, because not everybody needs one,
but there does need to be more conversation about like
how to check for like your breast and bring something
(25:22):
up what is your family history and not just mom
breast cancer, but like grandpa pancreatic. Yeah, proceeding like all
the things, like all the cancer is not just breast
cancer all it all plays in a role and even
genetic testing. And so there's a study called the Wisdom Study,
if anyone wants to look it up. It's it's a
(25:44):
nonprofit org where there's two studies. One is the standard
of care right now, which is your mammogram staring at
forty and then the other you take a swab of
your saliva, sent it in. They check your genetic making
to see if you are at risk for cancer, and
then based on that they'll give you like a like
(26:05):
a protocol of like okay, based on what you're sharing
with your family history and your genetic makeup, we recommend
doing breast ultrasounds at thirty five. So for example, I
didn't know, but I have a ATM genetic mutation which
increases my risk for breast cancer.
Speaker 5 (26:22):
It's not as big as braka. Is that how you'd
say it? The main breast cancer?
Speaker 6 (26:29):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (26:29):
Oh yeah?
Speaker 1 (26:30):
But had I known I had that, I would have
been told to start breast ultrasounds at age thirty.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Wow. Yeah, does anyone did anyone in your family have
a history of breast cancer?
Speaker 5 (26:41):
Nobody?
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Oh, yeah, which I think is also why you're like, oh,
I'm fine, I know.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
And then well, I have.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
My grandma on my mom's side had breast cancer and
I don't know what her type was. Like I want
to say they thought it was hormone induced, but I've
always had that thought. So I'm always, you know, doing
my regular checkups, but I haven't had a mammogram, and
I'm like.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
I need Like as soon as I heard your story, I.
Speaker 6 (27:07):
Was like, I need to go get it checked because
I'm seeing people in their early to mid thirties that
that's the age that we're in, and all of a
sudden you're hearing it. And I think about how I
viewed it for so long as it was like happening
to older people and like I would deal with it
when I got to that age. Yeah, And so I
think it's just so important that you're taking something and
you're like educating people and also encouraging people like, hey,
(27:30):
don't age is irrelevant when it comes to cancer.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (27:35):
Well, and I will say, like.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Insurance with mammograms, like as a standard schedule, it's like yeah,
once you're forty. Yeah, But because I had cause to
get one, insurance we'll cover it. So if if someone
has a lump in their breast, don't feel like, ohoot,
about to be out of pocket for all this stuff.
If you have cause, which is a physical lump, physical
change in your breast, it's not always lump. Sometimes it's
like discharge or dimpling, timbling. Yeah, anything that looks off
(28:03):
with your inverted nipples. There's more than just like a lump.
But your insurance will cover it because there's there's a
reason to explore for the They just don't want to
cover everyone just being like, hey, I just want to
get one just for peace of mind.
Speaker 4 (28:15):
Yeah, yeah, peace of mind.
Speaker 6 (28:17):
Did you have any exit like when you got the diagnosis?
Did you have because you hear that word and then
you have these things of like, what's going to happen?
Speaker 2 (28:24):
What's my life going to look like?
Speaker 6 (28:25):
Did you have any things that have happened unexpectedly or
haven't happened at all that you thought when you know
that when you think of cancer and you think of it,
did you have anything that you were like, oh my gosh,
I can't believe I'm going to have to deal with this, or.
Speaker 5 (28:39):
I think the biggest one that will make me emotional
is how did you IVF?
Speaker 1 (28:47):
And and and Jeff and I we have two embryos,
which is great, but because of the type of cancer
I have and at stage four, I won't be able
to carry my own baby, And that's not something I
ever had to.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Like think about around Yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Obviously you can seem with my reaction, I don't think
I even like fully processed it, because that's just not
a chapter we're in right now, because in the future
we will be like looking for a surrogate and going
through that and like and then hope that the only
two embryos we have because I don't think I can
do IVF again because that's hormones, Like you're packing your
body with hormones.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
We just have to hope that it takes.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
So, Like, that was a weird one for me that
I just like I never thought of in terms of
like first I'm like, oh, well, well I get to breastfeed,
and now it's not even a matter of that. It's
like I won't even be able to carry my baby.
And then also like I think stage four sounds very scary,
and it is, but I've met so many women who
(29:41):
are ten years into their diagnosis and living fully and
the scans are clear, nothing showing up. And so I
think a lot of people when they first heard I
was stage four, like we're like, oh, she's like I
hate to us we're dying, but like, oh, good luck
to her, you know, like whatever. But I'm like, no, no,
(30:02):
I plan to be here a very long time. Yeah.
And so there's just like so much education around breast
cancer that I'm learning and I want to make sure
other people know that. It's like, you know, it's scary,
but like I want to believe, like everything's going to
be okay.
Speaker 6 (30:15):
Yeah, you know, I think your spirit is what's going
to like and I think, you know, life is.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
What you're doing is you're able.
Speaker 6 (30:25):
You're offering people a different perspective on life. And I
remember I heard you say to Caitlin, like the truth
is we're all dying, Like we're like every day that
we're alive as we're dying. Yeah, And I thought that
was such an incredible perspective of like live it to
the fullest, even though it sounds so like corny of
like living your life to the fullest, but like it
(30:45):
really is so like thinking about those things and like
life and kids and you know, marriage and love and
all these things that we so often just are mundane
and everyday things. It's like you're getting this perspective shift
not only in your own life, but that you're getting
to share with other people, because that really affected you
as well hearing that, because I think you hear these
(31:05):
things that people take for granted and it's just like, wow,
if you have the opportunity sees it. Yeah, but I
think you're gonna everything even though it sucks, because it's
like it just sucks, Like I just want to be
like you're so positive and also like it just sucks,
like it sucks, you.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Know, it's it's and like you'll always be like why
me what you know?
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (31:30):
But I I I know it sounds so weird saying this,
but I'm like, if there's anyone to have cancer, let
it be me, because I have the opportunity to share
with so many women and make like such an impact
and like, I'm sorry, please turn like.
Speaker 5 (31:45):
Pain into purpose, you know.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
And so it's just as much as you're like, oh dang,
you're like killing it. You're so Positive'm like no, yeah,
but there's also like really fucking hard days. Yeah, And
I think that's I think that's just what cancer is
is is not like this upward journey.
Speaker 5 (32:01):
Of like positivity.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
It's like high highs low lows and some just like
numb and and things will sneak up on you when
you don't expect it.
Speaker 5 (32:08):
Like I was.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
I was watching Twilight and it was when Bella gets
pregnant and she's like yeah, and I'm like, oh, that
would be me if I tried to have a bait
like it like the random most random thing like tricked
me and then crying over Bella having a baby and
dying and turn into advance.
Speaker 5 (32:25):
It's so stupid, you know, But that's like what cancer does.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Like some days you're just like everything's great, and some
days you're like, ah, why you know.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
I mean that's just the human experience.
Speaker 6 (32:34):
Like if you were like I'm just always positive about this,
I'd be like, are you a robot?
Speaker 5 (32:38):
What's your medication? And how do I get it?
Speaker 6 (32:42):
But I just I think that the way that you have,
like you said, using it as a purpose. And you know,
how has Jeff handled this because y'all, how how long
have you been together when we're all together when you
were diagnosed?
Speaker 1 (32:54):
Yeah, yeah, so so we were. We got engaged last
year August, and then I was diagnosed just this February.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Oh just in February.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Yeah, oh wow, yeah yeah, so I'm six months into
my my diagnosis.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Okay, yeah, So you all have been together.
Speaker 5 (33:08):
For like such, so like a year.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Oh wait.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
So it's I know, it's so confusing.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
So I'm like, we never had to celebrate a year
of anything because by the time our one year date
came up, we had a one year engagement and a
one year wedding. I'm like, I think we've been together
a year in total, and all the things that we've.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
Done, you'll have been through a lot.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
Yes, so you've already done all your chemo.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
So so that's the crazy part. So I was supposed
to have chemotherapy. I had the port installed, and it
was the day before chemo was supposed to start, and
there's all this medication you're supposed to take leading up
to it, and I'd called my doctor and I was like,
I don't understand these instructions, like how do I do this?
Speaker 5 (33:46):
She goes, well, hold on, we.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Still have to. We still have got the info back
on your her two status, which basically means if it's
her too negative. I actually wouldn't have to do chemo,
which was insane to hear. Less than twenty four hours
before my first chemo appointment, I have a port installed,
I have a chemo bag packed my like cold capping
(34:09):
to like help you like retain your hair. And yeah,
long story short, I was her too negative, which meant
I didn't have to do chemo at all.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
Oh okay, so what you were saying, the shot and
the medication, that's that's treatment.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
That's what it is for forever.
Speaker 6 (34:23):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
So the start of my official treatment was just oral medication,
targeted therapy they might call it.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
And that's all I've been doing.
Speaker 4 (34:31):
Did you take your port out?
Speaker 5 (34:32):
Yeah, so I have.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
I have.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
I'm like, why did they put that in there?
Speaker 5 (34:36):
If they did it, well, so, I mean, because you're
supposed to do it.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
You want to believe that your doctors from the other
place were correct. So New York doctors were like moving
forward with everything they had been told from the LA doctors,
but were also thank god, doing their due diligence and
be like, okay, we'll proceed as planned, but let's also
do our checks and balances. And then they're like wait, wait, wait,
this is actually wrong and they double checked the LA
(35:02):
doctors like biopsy, and they're like, no, we were even
retested their test sample. They to this day don't know
how this happened. It's a whole thing. I filed like
a grievance and everything. Yeah, yeah, because that's crazy, Like
imagine me getting because I would have got like the
wrong treatment. Yeah, and then which would have possibly been chemotherapy,
which is so hard on your body, and then for
(35:23):
what for to not actually.
Speaker 5 (35:24):
Even work for me, you know. Yeah, that's so I got.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
I had a port for like three weeks and now
have like a little matching scar to my lumpectomy.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
So yeah, that's a crazy story.
Speaker 4 (35:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
I still like am in shock about that, and like
this is like the crazy thing too.
Speaker 5 (35:41):
Like the day that I got the call.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
This sounds so stupid, but the day I got the
call that I didn't have to do chemotherapy was the
same day that Jeff got the call that he was
getting a Netflix special. So both him and I were
just on the biggest high that day, just like so
happy and like celebrating together.
Speaker 6 (35:58):
Yeah, so I mean, very exciting news.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Day for us.
Speaker 5 (36:05):
I think he probably celebrated.
Speaker 6 (36:06):
But so when you got the diagnosis, y'all are engaged
at the time. Yeah, And was was that in terms
(36:28):
of getting married in the y'all eloped?
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Correct?
Speaker 1 (36:32):
Yeah, So we definitely wanted to do a wedding, and
when we still do, we will at some point, you know,
maybe it's a five year celebration. But with everything going on,
I'll cry very too much.
Speaker 5 (36:42):
Talk about Jeff.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
He was like, I like, am here to stay by
your side, Like I want to prove that to you.
Speaker 5 (36:51):
I will, I'll marry you tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (36:53):
And I was like, okay, bet, let's do it. Which,
come to find out you cannot get married the next day.
Speaker 5 (36:59):
There's a lot of like free work.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
You have to do.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
But I was like, yes, like I would love, like,
let's do that. And so we flew both our parents
into town. We literally eloped in our apartment, which had
no furniture because we were moving in together quicker than
we expected, and just had a little elopement and dinner
and yeah. And that was just like his way of
just being like, you know, in sickness and in health,
(37:24):
I'm here to stay.
Speaker 5 (37:25):
And it was just like he's just the best man
and I'm so lucky to happen.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
I'm sorry, Like today he just literally announced his he
officially announced his Netflix special, which is why I can
talk about it. But his tour is coming up and
he is donating one dollar from every ticket sale to BCRF,
which is a nonprofit breast cancer organization. I'm just like,
how did I get like so lucky like to like
(37:50):
have this man, Because the unfortunate reality is when people,
especially women, are diagnosed with breast cancer, their partners will
typically leave, like more likely than not will a partner
like abandon their their spouse when it comes to cancer.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
Because even though I had a friend who was it
wasn't cancer at all. She was in the hospital for
it doesn't matter exactly what it was, but it's something
trivial like it was not it was like she was
in and out and within like a week. But again
it was like something it was like had to do
with an autoimmune disorder that she had, and the guy
that she was dating like freaked her out and he
was like peace out.
Speaker 5 (38:25):
Yeah, Like what a dude.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
So it's yeah, I think women are just like such
like nurturers and would be like I don't want to say,
would never do that, but I'm obviously biased. Girls we
wouldn't stay through that, you know, and men just go like,
oh my nurturing caretaker needs caretaking.
Speaker 5 (38:42):
Yeah, I don't know, I'm out, you know.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
Yeah, And so every day I'm just like so thankful
for like Jeff is like shown up for our relationship.
Speaker 4 (38:49):
And yeah, that's really special.
Speaker 5 (38:50):
Nothing he could plan for, Like.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
Yeah, how are you prepared to be married to a
cancer patient?
Speaker 6 (38:55):
You know, I'm just so happy. I mean, I think
watching your like, you know, it's you're in such a
unique position because we watched your like a part of
your dating life pay out, and it's so it's so
amazing to see with someone who not only just loves you,
but even through what you're going through.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Is like I'm in it, no questions, and god.
Speaker 4 (39:15):
You guys found each other.
Speaker 5 (39:17):
Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
It's crazy that like, even like you like we had
to like go through like so much like television and
trauma didn't find our person off the screen, like what
the heck?
Speaker 5 (39:28):
But whatever, at least we did it.
Speaker 1 (39:29):
You know.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
It's a stepping stone.
Speaker 6 (39:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:31):
Yeah, have you gotten to go to Disneyland?
Speaker 5 (39:35):
You heard about that?
Speaker 2 (39:36):
I heard about it. I was upset for you.
Speaker 5 (39:38):
No, and no one's called.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Me still and I don't know. I'm so for those
of you who don't know what we're talking about. Usually
the leads get to go to Disneyland as like they're
like reward like and not just Disneyland, but like like, yeah,
just get the lines to.
Speaker 5 (39:53):
Bring like your friends and family whatever.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
I did not get to do mine, and I probably
think about it like once a month. I haven't been
on the show for like four years. And yeah, so
we talked about on Kaitlyn Bristol's podcast. So no, not yet.
I'm still waiting for my call from somebody.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
I'm about to just take you the Disneyland on the private.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Yeah, I mean the whole team's changed there now, so
who you know, if anyone who works at Disney wants
to let me cut the lines, that's really what it is.
I just haven't I've never experienced Disney like that, and
that's so cool. You have to to be able to
just like sorry, kids, but like I want to skip
the line, you know, I.
Speaker 5 (40:34):
Want to just enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
And I'm so tired all the time that I can't
imagine now going to Disney and like walking and waiting
and no, I would be it would be a waste
of money.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
No, I'm going to make this happen. We're gonna make
this happen.
Speaker 6 (40:48):
People people are people, call your people. So what's next?
What's what's your life right now? Well, the big things.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
I have coming up, I have a colonoscope next month
and then but even bigger than that, I'm having a
double bistectomy in November. Oh yeah, so fully remove them.
Speaker 4 (41:10):
Are you doing the reconstruction?
Speaker 5 (41:12):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (41:13):
So is it two separate surgeries?
Speaker 5 (41:14):
It can be.
Speaker 1 (41:15):
So I'm going to go straight to implant, and I'm
doing that because I'm going to stay the same size.
Some people will have multiple surgeries because either a they're
going to have radiation, which will then shrink the skin,
and they'll need expanders because it needs to like stretch
that skin back out. Maybe they want to go up
a size, which then also requires expanders. Some people use
(41:35):
fat from their body and put it in there. There's
so many different routes you can go. Some people are
temporarily flat and then six months later we'll do it.
I'm trying to do it all at once, so we'll
see how that goes. But yeah, that's my big surgery
in November.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
That's huge.
Speaker 6 (41:51):
Yeah, that so was that Because I know a lot
of people that's kind of a Sometimes the doctors are
like this, you have you have to do this, yeah,
and then other people it's a choice because just they're like,
I don't even want it to have a chance to
come back.
Speaker 1 (42:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
Was it both for you or did the doctors recommend
it or was it like a personal choice for you.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
I think if my immediate doctors would have preferred, I'd
either did a lumpectomy or just nothing, assuming that maybe
the tumor shrinks completely. It's still there, so we don't
know what that looks like yet, but I essentially it's
like I have the choice. You're in charge of your
body and your health decisions. And so even if my
immediate breast surgeon was like I recommend a lumpectomy, like, well,
(42:31):
I want to remove these killer breasts, you know, So
I found a surgeon who agreed to do it. Because
that's the other thing with stage four. Some people are like, A,
I don't know. And so because my spread was so minor,
it would just there's a phrase for it. I can
never pronounce. It's like augliodastic. I'm so butchering that, but
it means like small spread basically, because I had small
(42:54):
spread to my liver. My surgeon was like, as long
as the liver lesions are taken care of, then we
we can proceed with surgery. And so with my last
scans that they didn't show anything with the liver anymore.
So she's like, all right, I guess we'll put you
on the books.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
Wow, how do you feel about that?
Speaker 1 (43:12):
I mean, it's a big surgery and it's so inconvenient. Well,
I mean the surgery itself, I think it's like maybe
six hours. I'm under so I won't know, but the
recovery could be like a month. It just really sucks
because I spent my whole life like I'm small chested,
so I spent my whole life finally accepting and loving
my boobs. I was like, I'm happy, I finally have
(43:34):
learned self love and these moobs are my boobs, and
now I have to get rid of them, you know.
And so that's the disappointing part.
Speaker 5 (43:44):
But I don't know.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
The reconstruction might give me like a little confidence boost
that I don't know I could have.
Speaker 2 (43:49):
Yeah, and you might be like these new girls lady.
Speaker 6 (43:55):
Yeah. Yeah, Oh, I was gonna ask do you have
are you keeping your last name as of now?
Speaker 4 (44:02):
It's such a pain.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
I don't like I probably don't know when I'll do
it because there's so many things you have to change,
your bank account.
Speaker 5 (44:12):
Security, your past.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
Have you started because I apparently when you so, I've
been told when you go to the courthouse and like
start the process to petition to change your name, they
give you like a detailed instruction on like where to go,
what to do, like who to call.
Speaker 4 (44:27):
I'm just like, I'm really excited to change my name.
So he's like, I just like need to do it.
Speaker 5 (44:32):
No, I feel that it's very special.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
Do you have kids? No?
Speaker 5 (44:35):
No, do you want kids? I have step kids, step kids.
Speaker 4 (44:37):
Okay, there is.
Speaker 1 (44:38):
Something that's just very like, I don't know, unifying. If
you want just to like share that like mister and
missus Art and Currie would be mine.
Speaker 5 (44:45):
So the plan is too but just I you.
Speaker 6 (44:47):
Have a Yeah, well I was saying about it because
when we introduced you, I was like, oh, I wonder
if she's you know, that's a conversation topic.
Speaker 5 (44:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
We did go to a wedding and I had his
last name on like my name.
Speaker 5 (45:00):
I was like, it's been writing.
Speaker 4 (45:02):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 3 (45:02):
I remember my first letter that I got in the
mail with like both of our names on it.
Speaker 6 (45:05):
I was like, oh, yeah, well, thank you so much
for coming on and also being so open and vulnerable
and sharing your story in every aspect because I am
blown away by you.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
I think you're amazing, and I.
Speaker 6 (45:19):
Hope that everything moving forward is of ease and goodness
and celebration.
Speaker 4 (45:27):
Yeah, I really.
Speaker 3 (45:28):
Really hope that you stay as strong and positive and
just get good news, good news, good news.
Speaker 4 (45:33):
I hope it only is good news.
Speaker 5 (45:36):
Thank you for me.
Speaker 6 (45:37):
I wanted to ask, because I skipped over it, But
your comedy career.
Speaker 5 (45:42):
I'm in retirement now.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
If anything, I have a whole new like life experiences
to write about.
Speaker 5 (45:49):
But yeah, that's definitely not a thing on my list.
Speaker 6 (45:52):
I think that would be one of the hardest things
that someone could get me to do, like going and try,
like like going on a stage and being like I
need everyone to laugh at what I'm saying. That sounds
I don't think I could ever do that, So I'm
just like blown away at the I loved it.
Speaker 5 (46:09):
In a moment.
Speaker 2 (46:10):
Yeah it was great.
Speaker 1 (46:11):
But yeah, but now with everything going on and even
like the brain fog, I don't know I could do
it because I would just like space out on stage
and then be like, all right, guys, I guess the
show's over.
Speaker 5 (46:20):
Now because I don't remember anything anymore.
Speaker 6 (46:23):
You're like, I have my flash guards, but that's yeah,
that's it. Well, thank you so much for being here.
I'm so happy that I finally got to meet you.
Speaker 5 (46:31):
Crazy.
Speaker 3 (46:32):
Yeah, it's crazy that you guys haven't met I know.
I was like everybody from the Bachelor World were like
best friends.
Speaker 1 (46:37):
But everyone there's like hubs, like different cities. Everyone lives
in our states, and so it's like you might meet
like I've met a lot of San Diego people and show,
but now I'm in New York, so you'll meet like
the New Yorkers.
Speaker 2 (46:48):
Yeah, New York. How's New York life?
Speaker 5 (46:50):
Oh my, it's so different.
Speaker 7 (46:52):
It's so hot and ikey, I'm just not a city girl,
but I need to be because you know, Jeff, Jeff
a comic and like New York's the place for the comedians.
Speaker 1 (47:03):
When he's not like on the road, he's like they're
the comedy seller. So I think it'll take a minute
for New York to like, you know, rub off on me.
Speaker 6 (47:09):
But I think when it cools down and you're getting
the fall weather and like the leaves in Central Park,
I think you're gonna adapt.
Speaker 5 (47:16):
Christmas and Christmas.
Speaker 2 (47:18):
Yeah, I think you're do you just need to cool down?
Speaker 5 (47:21):
Yeah, that's the thing. It's it's so thick.
Speaker 7 (47:24):
Um.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
Yeah, I waste my whole summer being indoors because it's
too hot to cause.
Speaker 2 (47:28):
It's a lot here right now too, we've been indoors.
Speaker 6 (47:32):
Tanya wears a sweater set every day, so she's in
these offices.
Speaker 4 (47:37):
What do you want for me?
Speaker 3 (47:37):
I'll never wear like a fun summer's dress to work
because it's like frigid here.
Speaker 6 (47:43):
Thank you Katie for being on the podcast. Where can
people follow you on TikTok all the things?
Speaker 1 (47:47):
Well, Instagram's like my main thing, I think. So I'm
just at the Katie Thurston for all my updates.
Speaker 5 (47:52):
I have a booby broadcast that people.
Speaker 1 (47:53):
Can join on Instagram and read in more depth about
like where I'm at with the medical journey and going
through So oh that's cool.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
So we're is it? It's a live.
Speaker 5 (48:03):
It's on Instagram.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
It's like it's kind of thing of it, like a
large group chat, like I think sixty thousand members in it.
Speaker 5 (48:09):
Honest, it's a welcome What are those things like Reddit?
Speaker 4 (48:14):
No, no, the things that ever? Like, we have one
for honor with Ryan. What's it called? What's it called
broadcast channel?
Speaker 5 (48:21):
It is a broadcast channel, thank you. Yes, it's called
Booby broadcast. Yeah yeah, but.
Speaker 1 (48:26):
Yeah, it is the broadcast channel option on Instagram. Okay,
you can just name it and that's what I named it.
Do your audience can say engage back. Yes, it's so cool.
It's like it's miniature Reddit through Instagram.
Speaker 2 (48:39):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's going to be more positive than
Reddit though.
Speaker 1 (48:42):
Well yeah, because it's your it's your supporters and not
your your hat.
Speaker 5 (48:47):
You just block them. You never see them again.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
It's an ideal situation. Yes, yes, well go follow Katie. Katie,
thank you for taking time and being here and we
wish you the best.
Speaker 4 (48:56):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (48:57):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (49:00):
Two
Scrubbing In with Becca Tilly and Tanya rad and iHeartRadio
and two time People's Choice Award winning podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Hello everybody, we are scrubbing in.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
It's Tills and Yad and Katie Thurston in the pad.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (00:20):
That's right.
Speaker 6 (00:22):
We all know and love her as a bachelorette, but
she's here to discuss some much more important topics today.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
We know and we love her from the Bachelor franchise,
but there is much more to get into with Katie Thurston.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yes, she recently got married.
Speaker 6 (00:35):
She also recently was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she
has been so open and vulnerable on social media in
the podcast I've listened to, so I'm very excited to
talk to her.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Let's bring her in, Becca, Let's bring her in.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Everyone. Welcome Katie Thurston.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
In an introduction, Let's hello, Thank you so much for
being here.
Speaker 5 (01:00):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 6 (01:01):
Guys, we this is our first time we met, which
is unheard of in the Bachelor world.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
It's like we all know each other in this weird,
like subliminal messaging kind of way, you know, the first.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Time you have met.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah, it's like your trauma bonded through being on the show.
Speaker 6 (01:15):
And it's just like an understanding that you know, when
you actually do meet, you get each other.
Speaker 5 (01:20):
Yes, we're already like failing now.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
It's like a sorority, Tony, You're not a part of it.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
I know, No, I know, honestly. No.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Becka always says she's like, I wish that you had
just like one experience on the Bachelor because she thinks
I would have made like.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Good television, yeah, which is kind of rude.
Speaker 6 (01:38):
No, no, no, not everyone that is good on TV.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
It's a negative thing.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Yeah, it would have been miserable.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
If you have great commentary, then like, yeah, that's amazing.
Speaker 6 (01:48):
The only thing is she would have fallen too fast
and gotten like they would have been able to get
in her head very Yeah, he.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Has a really good connection with Katie. I would have
been like, you know, it's.
Speaker 5 (01:59):
A great televison, right.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So there's been a lot going on in your life.
Speaker 6 (02:05):
Yes, I'm like, I have so many areas that I
want to cover, but I kind of want to go
into you being a wife because I feel like we
have gotten to watch your love story, you know, from
being on the Bachelor, and.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
What was your love life before you were on the show.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
I mean I definitely was like actively a dater's.
Speaker 5 (02:24):
How you word it, but like I was pursuing.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Love always and like long term serious Like I never
dated for fun. I always dated like with the hope
of like marriage or at least long term, you know.
And the older you get your you're like, I hope
this is the one, yeah, you know, and every time
you think it is, and then it's not, like.
Speaker 5 (02:38):
Damn it, you know. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
And then for the Bachelor, it was like COVID. I
was twenty nine at the time, which is you know,
in reality TV world, is like you're about to age
out because like I should apply because I loved the
show and I was like this could be fun. And
then yeah, then as you know, your whole world changes
so fast.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Well, I remember when you were on the show.
Speaker 6 (03:00):
Your intro is what like you're intro out of the
limo is what really got everyone's attention. I think like
knowing you had a following on TikTok and it was
very like sex positive and you were very open and
honest about that, which in my mind I think is
such a like not advantage in a way of like
negative but like you coming off the show, there wasn't
(03:21):
this overwhelming, like navigating the social media aspect of it,
which I think ever since that that has been introduced,
like there is that element of the show that people
have like a following.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
But I had no idea what I was doing.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Sex positive mean, like.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
You, I just say this is this is my opinion
of it. I don't I never ever use that term
sex pot like what is the I was just open
about sex, which is a very common thing for women
of our generation.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
You know, but open about what like having it or
just talking about position, all of it.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Girl talk, you know, it's like the thing is you
would talk about with your friends. I talked about publicly
on TikTok, I guess. And then I came out of
the I went with a vibrator, and then this phrase,
you know, oh she's sex positive started coming out. I
was like, I mean, I don't know. I'm from Washington.
This didn't seem crazy, you know, it's a progressive state.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
So I hate the phrase because I don't want to
give me some like metal of like, oh she's so
sex positive. I'm like, no, I just represent many many
women of our generation who are comfortable with their sexuality
and talking about sexual experiences and thoughts.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
So right right.
Speaker 6 (04:28):
Well, as someone who grew up in like purity culture
and stuff, I think of it as a like I
mean that as like a complimentary terms. Yeah, Like I
in my mind, I'm like seeing people being so comfortable
talking about it, especially the way I grew up where
it was like so much like you don't talk about
it was so refreshing, I think for people who you know,
grew up like me, but I would say that you're
also in that category too comfortable time. Well yeah, but
(04:51):
I'm saying comfortable talking about your you know.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
I feel like I feel like there were things that
I had to like google that I feel like should
have just been like common knowledge.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Do you know what I mean?
Speaker 5 (05:03):
Like like callous, I'm actually.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
About sex, but like I didn't even realize that there
was like multiple holes, so.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
I'm like, do you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Like I was just trying to learn how to use
a tampon, Like I'm having to like figure out like, oh,
the p hole is very small, so you actually can't
put your tampon?
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Was like what if I put it on my peel?
Speaker 3 (05:24):
And like I'm having to google these things that like
should have just been like taught to me or shown
to me, Like why are we not showing people how
to use like somebody DM me how to insert a
mental cop And I was like, I would literally show
you if Instagram wouldn't like deactivate my account, because like
I wish somebody would do that for me.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
Yeah, it's like sucks.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Yeah, well that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 6 (05:45):
It was like a she was you were very comfortable
doing that, and I think people gravitated towards you for
that reason. When you got the call to be the Bachelorette,
where were you and what what was that experience?
Speaker 5 (05:58):
Like, I mean just COVID, so I think I was
probably at home home.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Yeah, yeah, I was like I was shocked because, as
you know, it's usually like more of the front runners,
and I was like, in terms of ranking eleventh place,
so I thought maybe Bachelor in Paradise.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
I was not really.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Thinking the Bachelorette, but of course I'm like, yes, like
help me in, so very excited. It was very weird
because I was like working at my job and they
tell you like very last minute, and so I kind
of gave like notice. I was like, but also they
might not pick me and I would still like to
work here. Yeah, yeah, But then I knew, Like once
I was hon I was like, I can't come back
to working at the bank. It doesn't even coming back
(06:36):
to the bank after being quote dildo girl on The
Bachelor was very.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
Awkward for me.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
So I knew slowly my life was about to shift
and do like a one to eighty.
Speaker 6 (06:45):
Yeah, it's so funny you say that because I was
a virgin on my season and I wasn't. I intentionally
didn't tell them it just it came about in the show.
But when I went back to work now, it was
something that was very confident and proud in. But it
was so strange knowing the like strangers who came into
our office every day, like knew this about me.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
It was like, oh yeah, yeah, intimate details. You don't
think about it though, because you're in a bubble. Yeah yeah.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
So you get off the show those relationships, that relationship
did not work out, right, and now we're sitting here
and you're a married woman. And once an Tonia was like,
how did they meet? And I was like, I actually
don't know that I know the full story of how
y'all met.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Oh, it's so silly, because you know, once you do
this reality TV, you're like, I can be anything I want.
And so I wanted to be a comedian, and so
I started like following different comics to like clean up
my feed and just be like inspired, and Jeff was
one of them, and so I followed him.
Speaker 5 (07:38):
He followed me.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
He actually thought I was a makeup influencer, which is
crazy because I can't do that. And then one day
we were like exchanging dms and then literally that's kind
of like the shortest version is like we met in
the dms on Instagram, talked for a month because he
lived in New York I lived in LA and then
I think that was what actually helped build a really
(08:00):
great start, because we didn't connect on a physical level
or a drunk level or like an awkward, bad first date.
It was purely conversational, and because we had that first
month of just talking, when we finally had our first date,
it was like so good and I was like I
was shaking. I literally remember like like we went to
brunch for our date and I remember picking up the
(08:21):
champagne and I had to acknowledge it. I had to
be like, oh, I'm actually a little nervous around you.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
I couldn't even drink. I'd to like set it back down.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
But yeah, was it the first time you felt like
that on a date with the guys?
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Yeah, I'm normally like way more confident than that, and
so the fact that I was all like bashful and
giddy around him and like like we just knew. Honestly
the first time we were texting, I joked but also
kind of was like, Oh, this is going to go somewhere,
because you can tell from a first conversation it's beyond
like what's your family history?
Speaker 5 (08:51):
What are you going to call? It's like so much more.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
I was like, we're gonna have to flip coins for
who us to move once we fall in love, because
I was like, this is gonna be something.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
Little did I know it was a whole damn marriage,
But I know.
Speaker 6 (09:05):
So when you so, I feel like when you were
when I was talking about your dating before the Bachelorette, Yeah,
you said you were like intentionally looking for that next step,
which was marriage, right, Yeah, and then you meet someone
and you're like, Okay, I think this is gonna be it.
Let's see where we're gonna move and next next thing,
you know, it's like moving so quickly.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Yeah, did it just feel like this is what's supposed
to happen.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yeah, it's funny because you know that phrase like when
you know you know, yeah, that's what this was, and
I and I never could relate to that, or I
thought I could, but then when this one hit, I
was like, oh, this is what that means. And so
like not once have I like looked back or like
we continued, like our love keeps like just growing and
obviously what was it we our first date was in May,
(09:51):
we got engaged in August, and then we got married
in I should know this actually February, so March my
research because it was an elopement and it was like
kind of it was like in our apartment. So it
doesn't feel like it feels like an actual marriage, but
we still want to plan a wedding, so the date
(10:12):
doesn't feel like the date the.
Speaker 5 (10:14):
Date quite yeah, but we are legally on paper.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Married Tonya's dream.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
What if that's if you could have gotten engaged married right, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
I guess that was kind of the same.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
But I was the same in terms of like I
knew and oh yeah yeah, but my husband was like
I'm the Brakes girl.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
I was like, okay, compromise. I guess it's something you
do in marriage.
Speaker 6 (10:40):
So I want to go into your diagnosis because we
were just talking about how women's well, First of all,
can we talk go back to that moment when that
happened anything, And I want to talk about did you
do like a self breast exam, like what brought you
into the doctor to even get the diagnosis.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Yeah, it was painful, like like I had no choice
but to notice it. But because it was painful, I
was like, oh, is it my period? You know it
was summer. It was last year actually that I first
felt it. That's how long I waited to get it
checked out. And so I started working out in the summer.
I'm like, maybe it's like a sort of muscle or something,
you know, or maybe it'll come and who knows.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
And it just was always there, never went away.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
It was always there.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Maybe maybe in the beginning it felt like it went away,
but then there was a certain point where it's like, oh,
I can't ignore this anymore. But I did have a
benign cyst in my early twenties, so it was like
a lump that was not cancerous and I kind of
and I had it removed, and so I kind of
thought it was going to be the same thing. It
was the same side. I was like, oh, maybe it's
just coming back. I'll have to do another lumpectomy. It's
(11:42):
like it's no, no rush, no urgency whatever. And then literally,
like it was right before I was leaving LA, I
was like, I should use up my insurance before you know,
changing states and whatnot, and do all these little checks.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
And so I went in. I was like, hey, this lump.
They referred me no, no urgently, you went to your guy, know,
just like a prime like a.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Random primary care like it was Kaiser, So it's like
it's a little bit different, but just a primary care.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
They can't really do anything.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
They just have to basically feel and go, yes, you
should see like a professional, you know, a breast specialist.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
I guess.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
So then like two weeks after that, went and had
a breast ultrasound and I had a feeling within that appointment.
I was like, Oh, something's off because you could hear
like them taking like pictures and not telling me anything.
There's no like reassurance like oh it's it's you have
dense breasts or like whatever.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
It was just quiet. I was like, oh shit.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
And then they're like can you stay and get a mammogram?
And I was like I've never had a mammogram, but okay.
And so that's when I kind of had the first
inkling like oh, this is like serious, this is some
something's up.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
So when can you discrice.
Speaker 6 (12:49):
I've always heard that people say that it's not painful,
like a lot of people. I've always heard that because
anytime I'm about to start my period and I have pain,
I'm like, no, well, if it was something serious, it
doesn't hurt, because that's what they say say same because
I googled.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
I'm not googling like I think I literally does breast
cancer hurt, you know, in general? Like the Google which
don't use Google for your doctor diagnosis, guys, But it
said the same thing, like typically it doesn't hurt, and
that is still true. I think people have breast cancer
and it's not physically painful. Mine just happened to be painful,
maybe based on placement, I don't know. And so I
(13:24):
think that's also why I ignored it for so long,
because like, oh it's painful, it's not breast cancer yeah,
and then riamn.
Speaker 6 (13:32):
It's just so true to like listen to your body though,
like you were like, you know, you you gave yourself
the benefit of the doubt. You're like, it's not but
then at a certain time it wasn't. It was persistent,
and you were like, I have to take care of it.
And yeah, I was listening to Caitlin's podcast and you
were talking about how it's crazy because what.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Is it before forty? They they your insurance doesn't come.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
What's the Yeah, you don't, so it's not standard and
I do perdic. This will change in the future because
it has to. But right now, what we're all taught
as women is like once you're forty, that's what insurance
will cover on mammogram. So all of us have been
kind of like ignoring our breasts. We're like, oh, we
think cancer doesn't happen till you're older. I'll get my
mamragram at forty. That's when I'll start really paying attention.
(14:15):
And then what I quickly learned is so many women
under forty do have breast cancer. And so I'm like
so passionate about like educating people now, like wherever you
think you know you don't like you have to be
so procative every month and like doing a self exam
and it doesn't even have to be some formal formula
of like up, down, left right. Literally the way it
(14:36):
felt is I just like I like to hold my boobs.
I just like I just hold them, you know, Jeff
likes to hold them, you know, And I felt it.
I felt something was off, you know. And so what
I tell people is like, don't feel like you have
to create h.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Right now, everyone, everybody stop.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
My doctor always said, like do like a snake and
like go just like around, like just keep going around
and like make it a big a circle. Yeah, but
like to feel for like like p shaped bumps.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Yeah, Mine, I would say, felt like like a wad
of gum, like a little like you know, rubbery almost
like fat. A lot of people like to check their
breasts in the shower because they're so bad and it's
easy to like glide around. But yeah, people need to
be checking their boobs and talking to their doctor even
if they think it's nothing. Let your doctor decide that.
(15:26):
You know, no matter what your ages, no matter what
your family history is, breast cancer does not run in
my family. So all these things that I thought were
like in my favor, actually didn't matter.
Speaker 6 (15:51):
So when you got the diagnosis, what what stage was
it when you got the diagnosis.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Well, technically they at the time I was staged three
and triple positive. But then when I transferred care and
you have to kind of get retested everything, I was
actually stage four and I was hormon positive, her too negative,
So it was like a whole it was a whole
different thing, which is crazy.
Speaker 6 (16:15):
Can you explain triple I don't know what that means?
So what do is triple positive means? It's so it's hard,
it's so complex. I thought breast cancer was just breast cancer.
But there's triple negative, triple positive, and then mine is
which is horma like er hr positive, meaning it feeds
off estrogen hormones, and then her to either negative or positive,
which is like a protein. I don't really know how
(16:37):
to explain it more on the medical stance, but there's
there's so many different subtypes of breast cancer. And then
based on that is the type of like medicine you get.
Because also I learned chemotherapy is not just a chemotherapy,
it's like a formula of chemotherapy like different names, and
so it's like someone with triple positive versus triple negative
(16:59):
might both get chemothera therapy, but it's different.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
hYP formulated differently.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
So breast cancer is such a way more complex thing
than I knew now that I'm like in it, I'm like, oh,
I'm like an expert. But yeah, from the outside, it's like, yeah, wait,
I thought breast cancer was just breast cancer.
Speaker 6 (17:13):
Well yeah, and you see people having different responses to
different medicines and having to do different different steps in
their diagnosis. Yeah, so will you, like what's the next step,
what's your current process and like in terms of medication
and what's to come.
Speaker 5 (17:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
So, so with stage four that means it has spread
and technically it's forever. And I always put quotes because
I just am so confident in like the future and
medical advancements, and the way I try to like really
simplify it is like, because we know it has spread,
there will always be at least one little cancer cell
floating around in my body somewhere, you know. So like
that's why it's not like it's not curable, you know.
(17:54):
But what I'm doing right now, it's called like targeted
therapy where the medicine I'm taking rather than attacking my
whole body, it's it's focused on just the tumor. And
so I just had my three month scan, like I
don't know, last month, I think I don't know. I
lose track of time. Yeah, but the medicine's working. The
tumor in my liver no longer shows up on a
(18:14):
PET scan.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
So that's great, that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Yeah, and then the tumor my breast has shrunk significantly.
I'm actually very optimistic that my next three month scan,
I'm hoping it's like they call it no evidence of disease,
like it's shrunk to nothing. But basically I'll be on
this medication forever until, like until either a doesn't work
or be there's like a cure or like something better
than I'm taking.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
So do you what are the side effects? What are
you experiencing? Well?
Speaker 5 (18:41):
So I take?
Speaker 2 (18:41):
So I take.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
First of all, I'm in medical and medically induced menopause
because my cancer feeds.
Speaker 5 (18:47):
Off hormones little more birth control.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
I get a shot, a lupron shot every month, so
I don't have the period, and my hormone levels are
of those going through menopause. So like I literally have
like a hot flash water John right now that do
it shoots like a cold blast of air onto your
wrists so that you can bypass the hot flash that
your brain is about to give you.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Does it work?
Speaker 5 (19:10):
It does work?
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Oh yeah, So all the effects fide effects people go
through with menopause, so like hair thinning. My vision's a
little not great anymore. I'm tired all the time. Yeah,
memory fog, that's that One's probably the most annoying. Is
someone who's always been like on it. Now I'm like,
(19:32):
I can't keep track of things very well. Yeah, but
like all things considered, like it's it is manageable, and
we're still kind of like figuring out like the proper
dosage and like because it is quote forever them on
this like protocol, I guess we want to find something
that makes it manageable in terms of side effects and whatnot.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
So all of those things are you'll be on forever.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
So so every month, so I could I could have
my ovaries removed. It's such a permanent thing. I'm not
ready to make that decision, but a lot of people do.
Because the alternative is a monthly shot in your looking ass.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
And that sucks. That hurts.
Speaker 6 (20:11):
I hate needles. Does your husband do it or do.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
You have to go in?
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I think I've seen people do it at home. I
can't even Jeff and I did IVF and you get
shots in your belly. I couldn't do that. He had
to do it for me.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
I can't.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
I could not stick myself with an ady. I don't
think I could actually do it.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
So yeah, every month, I get a shot to suppress
my ovaries, and then I take like hormone suppressing pills,
and then this this other drug which is like the
targeted therapy three weeks on, one week off because it's
so strong that you have to have that one week
off to allow like your white blood cell counts to
like recover. So it's I like, right now I'm on
(20:52):
my quote off week, which is like my favorite week
because I feel my best, and then when I start
the new cycle, it's like slowly I'm likedling away and
then get to reset.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Did you take birth control like for a long time.
Speaker 5 (21:05):
Ten plus years?
Speaker 4 (21:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Yeah, And it's tough because I talked to my doctor
about that and she's like, well, you know, they they
say that birth control. Hormonal birth control also decreases your
chance that like ovarian cancer.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
So there's like.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
Pros and concept every drug, and.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
I mean it's not for any unwanted pregnancy. My periods
were great and my skin was great, But then there's
also this world of like okay, but also was I
just taking too much like hormones over time? You know,
like that's the thing with cancer.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
I will say. Everyone always tries to dissect why.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Yeah, I promise you will not figure it out because.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
It's different for everybody.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Yeah. I was like, should I have been a vegan?
And then I see a vegan with breast cancers?
Speaker 6 (21:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (21:46):
Cause I don't have kids yet, and someone who has
kids has it.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
So there's no answer as much as we want to know,
like why me, what did I do wrong?
Speaker 4 (21:54):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (21:54):
I'm so impressed with your like spirit and your attitude
about this because I think it's such a testament to
the person you are, because I I'm thinking about myself
and I just don't know that I would have the
strength and like the I'm just like, you have taken
something that someone could could have and it could just
(22:17):
be such a different crumble. And not only have you
seem to remain so positive and optimistic, but also you're
so passionate about making sure that other people are taking
care of their health and like being so proactive and
helping other people. And I just have to say, I'm
like blown away by you right now.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Just shut up.
Speaker 6 (22:38):
But no, it's just amazing because like you have taken
something that could you could just be mad and why me?
And this is not fair and I'm so young, and
instead you're going, how can I help other people with this?
And how can I remain optimistic so that this is
a story that I get to share my whole life
that can help people. And also, I mean, you can
do any At this point you have to feel like,
(23:00):
well I can handle anything. Well.
Speaker 5 (23:02):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
And as much as like there's moments where you're like, oh,
you're killing it, it's like there's also moments where I
was not and I was crumbling on the floor, and
those those moments still continue. Yeah, it's there's highs and lows.
But the one thing I did before I was public
with my diagnosis is look to other people on social
media for their experience, and that's like what kind of
helped me. I'm like Oh, there's there's other women with
(23:24):
breast cancer who were under forty. Oh, and this is
how they're doing it. I could like see their journey
just like deep dive on their page, and that helped
bring me some kind of calm because I.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
Was like, oh, there's other survivors, there's other stage four women.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Yeah, and then I was like, well, I have to
do this. But then also like I have such a
big platform, It's like, why wouldn't I share my experience
and help other women, Because who knows if last summer
there was someone like me being like, hey, you get
those lumps checked, I might have gone in sooner, you know.
And so this year's been a crazy year with people
(23:56):
like Olivia Munn Jesse j all coming out with these
big platforms of women also then being diagnosed with breast
cancer and like sharing their their dar I say, journey,
but you know, and telling people like, hey, breast cancer
is real no matter what age you're at.
Speaker 5 (24:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
I just think it is, Like I feel like it
can be frustrating because I think not just like like mammograms,
like we were saying, if you're you don't if you're
not sent by the doctor or they don't see anything
like you you have to pay out a pocket for
a mammogram, and like every everything is so expensive, and
so it's like all this stuff feels very like daunting
and defeating, and so I think a lot of people
(24:35):
just kind of like, yeah, actually like stored away, you know,
And I think it should really be in the forefront
of all of our minds, you know what I mean,
like and really kind of trying to push the status
quo and like fighting for those things, even like you know,
fertility treatments and stuff like none of that's covered through
insurance and there's still you know, depending on your insurance.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
It just it's just sucks.
Speaker 5 (24:59):
Yeah, no, it's it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
And I think the dialogue around like breast health is shifting.
And there's even this study going on where I think
they're like everyone's like, what's what do we do to
fix this? Right? And I think the focus is not
lower the age for mammograms, because not everybody needs one,
but there does need to be more conversation about like
how to check for like your breast and bring something
(25:22):
up what is your family history and not just mom
breast cancer, but like grandpa pancreatic. Yeah, proceeding like all
the things, like all the cancer is not just breast
cancer all it all plays in a role and even
genetic testing. And so there's a study called the Wisdom Study,
if anyone wants to look it up. It's it's a
(25:44):
nonprofit org where there's two studies. One is the standard
of care right now, which is your mammogram staring at
forty and then the other you take a swab of
your saliva, sent it in. They check your genetic making
to see if you are at risk for cancer, and
then based on that they'll give you like a like
(26:05):
a protocol of like okay, based on what you're sharing
with your family history and your genetic makeup, we recommend
doing breast ultrasounds at thirty five. So for example, I
didn't know, but I have a ATM genetic mutation which
increases my risk for breast cancer.
Speaker 5 (26:22):
It's not as big as braka. Is that how you'd
say it? The main breast cancer?
Speaker 6 (26:29):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (26:29):
Oh yeah?
Speaker 1 (26:30):
But had I known I had that, I would have
been told to start breast ultrasounds at age thirty.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Wow. Yeah, does anyone did anyone in your family have
a history of breast cancer?
Speaker 5 (26:41):
Nobody?
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Oh, yeah, which I think is also why you're like, oh,
I'm fine, I know.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
And then well, I have.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
My grandma on my mom's side had breast cancer and
I don't know what her type was. Like I want
to say they thought it was hormone induced, but I've
always had that thought. So I'm always, you know, doing
my regular checkups, but I haven't had a mammogram, and
I'm like.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
I need Like as soon as I heard your story, I.
Speaker 6 (27:07):
Was like, I need to go get it checked because
I'm seeing people in their early to mid thirties that
that's the age that we're in, and all of a
sudden you're hearing it. And I think about how I
viewed it for so long as it was like happening
to older people and like I would deal with it
when I got to that age. Yeah, And so I
think it's just so important that you're taking something and
you're like educating people and also encouraging people like, hey,
(27:30):
don't age is irrelevant when it comes to cancer.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (27:35):
Well, and I will say, like.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Insurance with mammograms, like as a standard schedule, it's like yeah,
once you're forty. Yeah, But because I had cause to
get one, insurance we'll cover it. So if if someone
has a lump in their breast, don't feel like, ohoot,
about to be out of pocket for all this stuff.
If you have cause, which is a physical lump, physical
change in your breast, it's not always lump. Sometimes it's
like discharge or dimpling, timbling. Yeah, anything that looks off
(28:03):
with your inverted nipples. There's more than just like a lump.
But your insurance will cover it because there's there's a
reason to explore for the They just don't want to
cover everyone just being like, hey, I just want to
get one just for peace of mind.
Speaker 4 (28:15):
Yeah, yeah, peace of mind.
Speaker 6 (28:17):
Did you have any exit like when you got the diagnosis?
Did you have because you hear that word and then
you have these things of like, what's going to happen?
Speaker 2 (28:24):
What's my life going to look like?
Speaker 6 (28:25):
Did you have any things that have happened unexpectedly or
haven't happened at all that you thought when you know
that when you think of cancer and you think of it,
did you have anything that you were like, oh my gosh,
I can't believe I'm going to have to deal with this, or.
Speaker 5 (28:39):
I think the biggest one that will make me emotional
is how did you IVF?
Speaker 1 (28:47):
And and and Jeff and I we have two embryos,
which is great, but because of the type of cancer
I have and at stage four, I won't be able
to carry my own baby, And that's not something I
ever had to.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Like think about around Yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Obviously you can seem with my reaction, I don't think
I even like fully processed it, because that's just not
a chapter we're in right now, because in the future
we will be like looking for a surrogate and going
through that and like and then hope that the only
two embryos we have because I don't think I can
do IVF again because that's hormones, Like you're packing your
body with hormones.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
We just have to hope that it takes.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
So, Like, that was a weird one for me that
I just like I never thought of in terms of
like first I'm like, oh, well, well I get to breastfeed,
and now it's not even a matter of that. It's
like I won't even be able to carry my baby.
And then also like I think stage four sounds very scary,
and it is, but I've met so many women who
(29:41):
are ten years into their diagnosis and living fully and
the scans are clear, nothing showing up. And so I
think a lot of people when they first heard I
was stage four, like we're like, oh, she's like I
hate to us we're dying, but like, oh, good luck
to her, you know, like whatever. But I'm like, no, no,
(30:02):
I plan to be here a very long time. Yeah.
And so there's just like so much education around breast
cancer that I'm learning and I want to make sure
other people know that. It's like, you know, it's scary,
but like I want to believe, like everything's going to
be okay.
Speaker 6 (30:15):
Yeah, you know, I think your spirit is what's going
to like and I think, you know, life is.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
What you're doing is you're able.
Speaker 6 (30:25):
You're offering people a different perspective on life. And I
remember I heard you say to Caitlin, like the truth
is we're all dying, Like we're like every day that
we're alive as we're dying. Yeah, And I thought that
was such an incredible perspective of like live it to
the fullest, even though it sounds so like corny of
like living your life to the fullest, but like it
(30:45):
really is so like thinking about those things and like
life and kids and you know, marriage and love and
all these things that we so often just are mundane
and everyday things. It's like you're getting this perspective shift
not only in your own life, but that you're getting
to share with other people, because that really affected you
as well hearing that, because I think you hear these
(31:05):
things that people take for granted and it's just like, wow,
if you have the opportunity sees it. Yeah, but I
think you're gonna everything even though it sucks, because it's
like it just sucks, Like I just want to be
like you're so positive and also like it just sucks,
like it sucks, you.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Know, it's it's and like you'll always be like why
me what you know?
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (31:30):
But I I I know it sounds so weird saying this,
but I'm like, if there's anyone to have cancer, let
it be me, because I have the opportunity to share
with so many women and make like such an impact
and like, I'm sorry, please turn like.
Speaker 5 (31:45):
Pain into purpose, you know.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
And so it's just as much as you're like, oh dang,
you're like killing it. You're so Positive'm like no, yeah,
but there's also like really fucking hard days. Yeah, And
I think that's I think that's just what cancer is
is is not like this upward journey.
Speaker 5 (32:01):
Of like positivity.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
It's like high highs low lows and some just like
numb and and things will sneak up on you when
you don't expect it.
Speaker 5 (32:08):
Like I was.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
I was watching Twilight and it was when Bella gets
pregnant and she's like yeah, and I'm like, oh, that
would be me if I tried to have a bait
like it like the random most random thing like tricked
me and then crying over Bella having a baby and
dying and turn into advance.
Speaker 5 (32:25):
It's so stupid, you know, But that's like what cancer does.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Like some days you're just like everything's great, and some
days you're like, ah, why you know.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
I mean that's just the human experience.
Speaker 6 (32:34):
Like if you were like I'm just always positive about this,
I'd be like, are you a robot?
Speaker 5 (32:38):
What's your medication? And how do I get it?
Speaker 6 (32:42):
But I just I think that the way that you have,
like you said, using it as a purpose. And you know,
how has Jeff handled this because y'all, how how long
have you been together when we're all together when you
were diagnosed?
Speaker 1 (32:54):
Yeah, yeah, so so we were. We got engaged last
year August, and then I was diagnosed just this February.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Oh just in February.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Yeah, oh wow, yeah yeah, so I'm six months into
my my diagnosis.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Okay, yeah, So you all have been together.
Speaker 5 (33:08):
For like such, so like a year.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Oh wait.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
So it's I know, it's so confusing.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
So I'm like, we never had to celebrate a year
of anything because by the time our one year date
came up, we had a one year engagement and a
one year wedding. I'm like, I think we've been together
a year in total, and all the things that we've.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
Done, you'll have been through a lot.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
Yes, so you've already done all your chemo.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
So so that's the crazy part. So I was supposed
to have chemotherapy. I had the port installed, and it
was the day before chemo was supposed to start, and
there's all this medication you're supposed to take leading up
to it, and I'd called my doctor and I was like,
I don't understand these instructions, like how do I do this?
Speaker 5 (33:46):
She goes, well, hold on, we.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Still have to. We still have got the info back
on your her two status, which basically means if it's
her too negative. I actually wouldn't have to do chemo,
which was insane to hear. Less than twenty four hours
before my first chemo appointment, I have a port installed,
I have a chemo bag packed my like cold capping
(34:09):
to like help you like retain your hair. And yeah,
long story short, I was her too negative, which meant
I didn't have to do chemo at all.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
Oh okay, so what you were saying, the shot and
the medication, that's that's treatment.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
That's what it is for forever.
Speaker 6 (34:23):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
So the start of my official treatment was just oral medication,
targeted therapy they might call it.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
And that's all I've been doing.
Speaker 4 (34:31):
Did you take your port out?
Speaker 5 (34:32):
Yeah, so I have.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
I have.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
I'm like, why did they put that in there?
Speaker 5 (34:36):
If they did it, well, so, I mean, because you're
supposed to do it.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
You want to believe that your doctors from the other
place were correct. So New York doctors were like moving
forward with everything they had been told from the LA doctors,
but were also thank god, doing their due diligence and
be like, okay, we'll proceed as planned, but let's also
do our checks and balances. And then they're like wait, wait, wait,
this is actually wrong and they double checked the LA
(35:02):
doctors like biopsy, and they're like, no, we were even
retested their test sample. They to this day don't know
how this happened. It's a whole thing. I filed like
a grievance and everything. Yeah, yeah, because that's crazy, Like
imagine me getting because I would have got like the
wrong treatment. Yeah, and then which would have possibly been chemotherapy,
which is so hard on your body, and then for
(35:23):
what for to not actually.
Speaker 5 (35:24):
Even work for me, you know. Yeah, that's so I got.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
I had a port for like three weeks and now
have like a little matching scar to my lumpectomy.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
So yeah, that's a crazy story.
Speaker 4 (35:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
I still like am in shock about that, and like
this is like the crazy thing too.
Speaker 5 (35:41):
Like the day that I got the call.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
This sounds so stupid, but the day I got the
call that I didn't have to do chemotherapy was the
same day that Jeff got the call that he was
getting a Netflix special. So both him and I were
just on the biggest high that day, just like so
happy and like celebrating together.
Speaker 6 (35:58):
Yeah, so I mean, very exciting news.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Day for us.
Speaker 5 (36:05):
I think he probably celebrated.
Speaker 6 (36:06):
But so when you got the diagnosis, y'all are engaged
at the time. Yeah, And was was that in terms
(36:28):
of getting married in the y'all eloped?
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Correct?
Speaker 1 (36:32):
Yeah, So we definitely wanted to do a wedding, and
when we still do, we will at some point, you know,
maybe it's a five year celebration. But with everything going on,
I'll cry very too much.
Speaker 5 (36:42):
Talk about Jeff.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
He was like, I like, am here to stay by
your side, Like I want to prove that to you.
Speaker 5 (36:51):
I will, I'll marry you tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (36:53):
And I was like, okay, bet, let's do it. Which,
come to find out you cannot get married the next day.
Speaker 5 (36:59):
There's a lot of like free work.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
You have to do.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
But I was like, yes, like I would love, like,
let's do that. And so we flew both our parents
into town. We literally eloped in our apartment, which had
no furniture because we were moving in together quicker than
we expected, and just had a little elopement and dinner
and yeah. And that was just like his way of
just being like, you know, in sickness and in health,
(37:24):
I'm here to stay.
Speaker 5 (37:25):
And it was just like he's just the best man
and I'm so lucky to happen.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
I'm sorry, Like today he just literally announced his he
officially announced his Netflix special, which is why I can
talk about it. But his tour is coming up and
he is donating one dollar from every ticket sale to BCRF,
which is a nonprofit breast cancer organization. I'm just like,
how did I get like so lucky like to like
(37:50):
have this man, Because the unfortunate reality is when people,
especially women, are diagnosed with breast cancer, their partners will
typically leave, like more likely than not will a partner
like abandon their their spouse when it comes to cancer.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
Because even though I had a friend who was it
wasn't cancer at all. She was in the hospital for
it doesn't matter exactly what it was, but it's something
trivial like it was not it was like she was
in and out and within like a week. But again
it was like something it was like had to do
with an autoimmune disorder that she had, and the guy
that she was dating like freaked her out and he
was like peace out.
Speaker 5 (38:25):
Yeah, Like what a dude.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
So it's yeah, I think women are just like such
like nurturers and would be like I don't want to say,
would never do that, but I'm obviously biased. Girls we
wouldn't stay through that, you know, and men just go like,
oh my nurturing caretaker needs caretaking.
Speaker 5 (38:42):
Yeah, I don't know, I'm out, you know.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
Yeah, And so every day I'm just like so thankful
for like Jeff is like shown up for our relationship.
Speaker 4 (38:49):
And yeah, that's really special.
Speaker 5 (38:50):
Nothing he could plan for, Like.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
Yeah, how are you prepared to be married to a
cancer patient?
Speaker 6 (38:55):
You know, I'm just so happy. I mean, I think
watching your like, you know, it's you're in such a
unique position because we watched your like a part of
your dating life pay out, and it's so it's so
amazing to see with someone who not only just loves you,
but even through what you're going through.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Is like I'm in it, no questions, and god.
Speaker 4 (39:15):
You guys found each other.
Speaker 5 (39:17):
Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
It's crazy that like, even like you like we had
to like go through like so much like television and
trauma didn't find our person off the screen, like what
the heck?
Speaker 5 (39:28):
But whatever, at least we did it.
Speaker 1 (39:29):
You know.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
It's a stepping stone.
Speaker 6 (39:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:31):
Yeah, have you gotten to go to Disneyland?
Speaker 5 (39:35):
You heard about that?
Speaker 2 (39:36):
I heard about it. I was upset for you.
Speaker 5 (39:38):
No, and no one's called.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Me still and I don't know. I'm so for those
of you who don't know what we're talking about. Usually
the leads get to go to Disneyland as like they're
like reward like and not just Disneyland, but like like, yeah,
just get the lines to.
Speaker 5 (39:53):
Bring like your friends and family whatever.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
I did not get to do mine, and I probably
think about it like once a month. I haven't been
on the show for like four years. And yeah, so
we talked about on Kaitlyn Bristol's podcast. So no, not yet.
I'm still waiting for my call from somebody.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
I'm about to just take you the Disneyland on the private.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Yeah, I mean the whole team's changed there now, so
who you know, if anyone who works at Disney wants
to let me cut the lines, that's really what it is.
I just haven't I've never experienced Disney like that, and
that's so cool. You have to to be able to
just like sorry, kids, but like I want to skip
the line, you know, I.
Speaker 5 (40:34):
Want to just enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
And I'm so tired all the time that I can't
imagine now going to Disney and like walking and waiting
and no, I would be it would be a waste
of money.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
No, I'm going to make this happen. We're gonna make
this happen.
Speaker 6 (40:48):
People people are people, call your people. So what's next?
What's what's your life right now? Well, the big things.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
I have coming up, I have a colonoscope next month
and then but even bigger than that, I'm having a
double bistectomy in November. Oh yeah, so fully remove them.
Speaker 4 (41:10):
Are you doing the reconstruction?
Speaker 5 (41:12):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (41:13):
So is it two separate surgeries?
Speaker 5 (41:14):
It can be.
Speaker 1 (41:15):
So I'm going to go straight to implant, and I'm
doing that because I'm going to stay the same size.
Some people will have multiple surgeries because either a they're
going to have radiation, which will then shrink the skin,
and they'll need expanders because it needs to like stretch
that skin back out. Maybe they want to go up
a size, which then also requires expanders. Some people use
(41:35):
fat from their body and put it in there. There's
so many different routes you can go. Some people are
temporarily flat and then six months later we'll do it.
I'm trying to do it all at once, so we'll
see how that goes. But yeah, that's my big surgery
in November.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
That's huge.
Speaker 6 (41:51):
Yeah, that so was that Because I know a lot
of people that's kind of a Sometimes the doctors are
like this, you have you have to do this, yeah,
and then other people it's a choice because just they're like,
I don't even want it to have a chance to
come back.
Speaker 1 (42:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
Was it both for you or did the doctors recommend
it or was it like a personal choice for you.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
I think if my immediate doctors would have preferred, I'd
either did a lumpectomy or just nothing, assuming that maybe
the tumor shrinks completely. It's still there, so we don't
know what that looks like yet, but I essentially it's
like I have the choice. You're in charge of your
body and your health decisions. And so even if my
immediate breast surgeon was like I recommend a lumpectomy, like, well,
(42:31):
I want to remove these killer breasts, you know, So
I found a surgeon who agreed to do it. Because
that's the other thing with stage four. Some people are like, A,
I don't know. And so because my spread was so minor,
it would just there's a phrase for it. I can
never pronounce. It's like augliodastic. I'm so butchering that, but
it means like small spread basically, because I had small
(42:54):
spread to my liver. My surgeon was like, as long
as the liver lesions are taken care of, then we
we can proceed with surgery. And so with my last
scans that they didn't show anything with the liver anymore.
So she's like, all right, I guess we'll put you
on the books.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
Wow, how do you feel about that?
Speaker 1 (43:12):
I mean, it's a big surgery and it's so inconvenient. Well,
I mean the surgery itself, I think it's like maybe
six hours. I'm under so I won't know, but the
recovery could be like a month. It just really sucks
because I spent my whole life like I'm small chested,
so I spent my whole life finally accepting and loving
my boobs. I was like, I'm happy, I finally have
(43:34):
learned self love and these moobs are my boobs, and
now I have to get rid of them, you know.
And so that's the disappointing part.
Speaker 5 (43:44):
But I don't know.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
The reconstruction might give me like a little confidence boost
that I don't know I could have.
Speaker 2 (43:49):
Yeah, and you might be like these new girls lady.
Speaker 6 (43:55):
Yeah. Yeah, Oh, I was gonna ask do you have
are you keeping your last name as of now?
Speaker 4 (44:02):
It's such a pain.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
I don't like I probably don't know when I'll do
it because there's so many things you have to change,
your bank account.
Speaker 5 (44:12):
Security, your past.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
Have you started because I apparently when you so, I've
been told when you go to the courthouse and like
start the process to petition to change your name, they
give you like a detailed instruction on like where to go,
what to do, like who to call.
Speaker 4 (44:27):
I'm just like, I'm really excited to change my name.
So he's like, I just like need to do it.
Speaker 5 (44:32):
No, I feel that it's very special.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
Do you have kids? No?
Speaker 5 (44:35):
No, do you want kids? I have step kids, step kids.
Speaker 4 (44:37):
Okay, there is.
Speaker 1 (44:38):
Something that's just very like, I don't know, unifying. If
you want just to like share that like mister and
missus Art and Currie would be mine.
Speaker 5 (44:45):
So the plan is too but just I you.
Speaker 6 (44:47):
Have a Yeah, well I was saying about it because
when we introduced you, I was like, oh, I wonder
if she's you know, that's a conversation topic.
Speaker 5 (44:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
We did go to a wedding and I had his
last name on like my name.
Speaker 5 (45:00):
I was like, it's been writing.
Speaker 4 (45:02):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 3 (45:02):
I remember my first letter that I got in the
mail with like both of our names on it.
Speaker 6 (45:05):
I was like, oh, yeah, well, thank you so much
for coming on and also being so open and vulnerable
and sharing your story in every aspect because I am
blown away by you.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
I think you're amazing, and I.
Speaker 6 (45:19):
Hope that everything moving forward is of ease and goodness
and celebration.
Speaker 4 (45:27):
Yeah, I really.
Speaker 3 (45:28):
Really hope that you stay as strong and positive and
just get good news, good news, good news.
Speaker 4 (45:33):
I hope it only is good news.
Speaker 5 (45:36):
Thank you for me.
Speaker 6 (45:37):
I wanted to ask, because I skipped over it, But
your comedy career.
Speaker 5 (45:42):
I'm in retirement now.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
If anything, I have a whole new like life experiences
to write about.
Speaker 5 (45:49):
But yeah, that's definitely not a thing on my list.
Speaker 6 (45:52):
I think that would be one of the hardest things
that someone could get me to do, like going and try,
like like going on a stage and being like I
need everyone to laugh at what I'm saying. That sounds
I don't think I could ever do that, So I'm
just like blown away at the I loved it.
Speaker 5 (46:09):
In a moment.
Speaker 2 (46:10):
Yeah it was great.
Speaker 1 (46:11):
But yeah, but now with everything going on and even
like the brain fog, I don't know I could do
it because I would just like space out on stage
and then be like, all right, guys, I guess the
show's over.
Speaker 5 (46:20):
Now because I don't remember anything anymore.
Speaker 6 (46:23):
You're like, I have my flash guards, but that's yeah,
that's it. Well, thank you so much for being here.
I'm so happy that I finally got to meet you.
Speaker 5 (46:31):
Crazy.
Speaker 3 (46:32):
Yeah, it's crazy that you guys haven't met I know.
I was like everybody from the Bachelor World were like
best friends.
Speaker 1 (46:37):
But everyone there's like hubs, like different cities. Everyone lives
in our states, and so it's like you might meet
like I've met a lot of San Diego people and show,
but now I'm in New York, so you'll meet like
the New Yorkers.
Speaker 2 (46:48):
Yeah, New York. How's New York life?
Speaker 5 (46:50):
Oh my, it's so different.
Speaker 7 (46:52):
It's so hot and ikey, I'm just not a city girl,
but I need to be because you know, Jeff, Jeff
a comic and like New York's the place for the comedians.
Speaker 1 (47:03):
When he's not like on the road, he's like they're
the comedy seller. So I think it'll take a minute
for New York to like, you know, rub off on me.
Speaker 6 (47:09):
But I think when it cools down and you're getting
the fall weather and like the leaves in Central Park,
I think you're gonna adapt.
Speaker 5 (47:16):
Christmas and Christmas.
Speaker 2 (47:18):
Yeah, I think you're do you just need to cool down?
Speaker 5 (47:21):
Yeah, that's the thing. It's it's so thick.
Speaker 7 (47:24):
Um.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
Yeah, I waste my whole summer being indoors because it's
too hot to cause.
Speaker 2 (47:28):
It's a lot here right now too, we've been indoors.
Speaker 6 (47:32):
Tanya wears a sweater set every day, so she's in
these offices.
Speaker 4 (47:37):
What do you want for me?
Speaker 3 (47:37):
I'll never wear like a fun summer's dress to work
because it's like frigid here.
Speaker 6 (47:43):
Thank you Katie for being on the podcast. Where can
people follow you on TikTok all the things?
Speaker 1 (47:47):
Well, Instagram's like my main thing, I think. So I'm
just at the Katie Thurston for all my updates.
Speaker 5 (47:52):
I have a booby broadcast that people.
Speaker 1 (47:53):
Can join on Instagram and read in more depth about
like where I'm at with the medical journey and going
through So oh that's cool.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
So we're is it? It's a live.
Speaker 5 (48:03):
It's on Instagram.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
It's like it's kind of thing of it, like a
large group chat, like I think sixty thousand members in it.
Speaker 5 (48:09):
Honest, it's a welcome What are those things like Reddit?
Speaker 4 (48:14):
No, no, the things that ever? Like, we have one
for honor with Ryan. What's it called? What's it called
broadcast channel?
Speaker 5 (48:21):
It is a broadcast channel, thank you. Yes, it's called
Booby broadcast. Yeah yeah, but.
Speaker 1 (48:26):
Yeah, it is the broadcast channel option on Instagram. Okay,
you can just name it and that's what I named it.
Do your audience can say engage back. Yes, it's so cool.
It's like it's miniature Reddit through Instagram.
Speaker 2 (48:39):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's going to be more positive than
Reddit though.
Speaker 1 (48:42):
Well yeah, because it's your it's your supporters and not
your your hat.
Speaker 5 (48:47):
You just block them. You never see them again.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
It's an ideal situation. Yes, yes, well go follow Katie. Katie,
thank you for taking time and being here and we
wish you the best.
Speaker 4 (48:56):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (48:57):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (49:00):
Two
Hosts And Creators
Tanya Rad
Rebecca Tilley
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