09 17 25 Lung Cancer Survivor Kristine Creps on her Coast 2 Coast 4 Cancer ride

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now on Colorado's Morning News. Imagine biking from Denver to Topeka. Now,
imagine doing it with only one lung. That's what Christine
Creps is doing to raise funds for groundbreaking cancer research.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
She's going to cycle two hundred and twenty five miles over
the next three days, starting today in Denver and joining
is now in the Koa comments prior to Health Hotline
Christine Creps a twenty one year lung cancer survivor, and
participate in the cross country coast to coast for Cancer ride.
I got to tell you just from drum Jump, Christine,
a lot of people have two lungs and can't navigate
the altitude here. How are you doing it with one lung?

(00:30):
And I admiration very much out towards you for the doing.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
So, oh well, thank you. And that's a very good question.
I'm not quite sure how this is going to work out,
but you know what, I have ridden so far since
April fourteen hundred miles in preparation for this big day.
So I'm looking forward to it, and it's for a
good cause.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Tell us a little bit about the program, because it's
not just you, there's a whole team of people who
are really biking across the country for this research.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
Right, this is something that Bristol Meyers Squid is extremely
passionate about and for the last twelve years they've raised
over nineteen million dollars for the v Foundation. And what's
amazing about this is one hundred percent goes to research
and advancement for cancer research. So in order to take
part in it, you apply as an employee to partake

(01:25):
in this, and there's over one hundred employees and it's
pretty competitive. Six hundred people will apply and then they
choose the teams and then you begin to train and
raise money for a super good cause.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Christine, if you don't mind me prying, but I'd like
to know when you first were diagnosed, what your reaction was.
And secondly, were you smoker? Did you get secondhand smoke?
Because I know some people the misnomer is if you
get lung cancer, it was one of those two issues.

Speaker 3 (01:52):
Right, No, what's interesting is that I was an non smoker.
I had just delivered my fourth child. I was in
the hospital. I had children eight four to two and
a newborn and my obstetrician was tenacious. She did not
want me to have a pulmonary embolism. So what she
did was ordered a scan which showed my entire right

(02:15):
lung was blocked by a tumor. So long story short,
I was off to the ask general for a lung
resection and to look at me today, you would never
have guessed I breathe better now than I ever did.
Of course, though you always kind of live in that fear,
but you have to be an advocate for yourself. I

(02:38):
was constantly coughing, you know, but a picture of health
just delivered a baby and off I went. So scary,
it was very scary.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
What's your message to survivors or maybe those who are
still in their cancer battle. Maybe there's somebody like yourself
who are like, how could this happen to me? I
would have never expected.

Speaker 3 (02:57):
This, right, I think you have to listen to your body.
I had been coughing for several years. After the birth
of my second child, I had coughed up blood. They
told me it was because I was vascular because of
the pregnancy. I just I would try to advocate, ask

(03:18):
for you know, tests, I was sort of pregnant. There
a lot both heres, so they couldn't do a lot
of in depth radioactive testing or anything like that. But
chest x rays didn't show anything because it sat behind
my heart so it was difficult to see. So my
advice is, if you feel something is wrong, be tenacious.

(03:39):
Just seek out as much medical help as you possibly can,
and you know, listen to your body.

Speaker 2 (03:45):
It's important, Christine. If people want to follow your tenacious journey,
how can listeners do so? How can they help follow
and do anything to support what you're doing?

Speaker 3 (03:54):
So to support, go to www dot Cancer bike Ride
dot org and there you can support by teams, you
can support individuals, but it's for a good cause and
one hundred percent of what you donate will go to
the v Foundation and it's for helping your family and
friends and everybody for the advancement of cancer research.

Speaker 1 (04:17):
Again, that's Cancer Bike Ride dot org. Christine Krebs, twenty
one year lung cancer survivor, participate in the cross country
coast to coast for Cancer Ride. If you see her
from Denver to Topeka, make sure you say hi. Christine.
Best of luck. I know you're getting underway with the
press conference and everything, so hopefully listeners can help you
out and good luck on those two hundred and twenty

(04:38):
five miles.

Speaker 3 (04:39):
Thank you. Send me good vibes please,