March 13, 2025 • 61 mins
What happens when life delivers a devastating diagnosis on a day meant for celebration? For Deb Tintsman, receiving news of aggressive B-cell lymphoma on her birthday was not the end of hope, but the beginning of an extraordinary journey—one defined by faith, resilience, and an unexpected sense of freedom.
From her childhood on an Ohio farm to her impactful career working with runaway teens in Dallas, Deb has always lived a life of service. Though she never set out to be a teacher, she found herself drawn to education, spending two decades at National Trail School before retiring in 2020. But just when she thought she had closed one chapter, life had another lesson to teach. In July 2023, persistent back pain and overwhelming fatigue led to a shocking cancer diagnosis.
Rather than surrendering to fear, Deb faced her battle with remarkable strength and even humor—naming her IV stand “Gladys” and viewing her chemotherapy as “the blood of Jesus giving me strength.” Against all odds, her faith was met with a miracle: a scan midway through treatment showed no discernible disease despite being initially "full of cancer."
But what makes Deb’s story truly transformative isn’t just the medical outcome—it’s the spiritual awakening she experienced. “I’ve had to be in control all my life. Letting go was eye-opening… but it was freeing too.” Through scripture, prayer, and a community that showed up in powerful ways, Deb discovered peace in surrendering control.
Join hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr as they sit down with Deb to hear her incredible testimony—one that serves as a reminder that even in life’s hardest moments, we are never truly alone. Whether you’re facing a personal struggle, supporting a loved one, or simply searching for inspiration, Deb’s journey proves that hope endures and faith prevails.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, my name is Allie Schmidt.
This is my dad, Dan.
He owns Catron's Glass.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Thanks, allie.
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Speaker 1 (00:26):
Kitchen's best.
The clear choice.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Welcome to the Be Tempered Podcast, where we
explore the art of findingbalance in a chaotic world.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Join us as we delve into insightful conversations,
practical tips and inspiringstories to help you navigate
life's ups and downs with graceand resilience.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
We're your hosts, Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr.
Let's embark on a journey tolive our best lives.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
This is Be Tempered.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
What's up everybody?
Welcome to the Be Temperedpodcast, episode number 45.
45.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Ben beautiful weather today, Perfect weather, had the
windows down.
It might be like 50, but youknow what In?
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Ohio.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
To me it feels like 90.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
When it was seven degrees last week at zero, and
the more.
I don't know what the windchill was.
And then you go from.
Even if it's 40, it feels likea heat wave, it feels tropical,
oh well, good.
Well, we have an amazing ladyhere with us today and I'm going
(01:34):
to give a little bit of anintroduction, which is going to
give some of this story away,but that's okay.
Life has a way of testing us inways we never expect.
Imagine celebrating yourbirthday, a day meant for joy
and reflection, only to receivea life-altering diagnosis.
That's exactly what happened totoday's guest, deb Tinsman.
A lifelong educator anddedicated member of Eaton Ohio,
(01:55):
the community, deb has faced oneof life's toughest battles
cancer.
Through faith, resilience andthe same strength she once
instilled in her students, she'sendured challenges that would
break many.
Today, she's here to share herjourney, the lessons she's
learned and the hope she carriesforward.
Deb Tinsman, welcome to the BeTempered podcast.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
We are glad to have you.
I know there's some anxiety andthat is typical for everybody.
So deep breath and I am excitedfor you to share your story.
Thank you so welcome.
But before we dive in for yourbattle with cancer, we'd like to
start by getting to know youfrom the very beginning.
So can you take us back to yourchildhood and what life was
(02:42):
like growing up and what weresome key experiences that shaped
you into the person that youare today?
Speaker 5 (02:48):
Well, I was born in a little town called Orville,
ohio, which happens to be thehome of Smuggers Jellies and
that is like the big thing inOrville and I was a farm kid,
grew up loving the farm, hadponies and horses and played
(03:08):
outside 98% of the time of mylife.
Had great parents, herb andMeldred Tinsman, and I have two
brothers, david and Dean Tinsman, and I also have my
sister-in-law, susan, who'sprobably my best friend.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
I want to stop you for one second.
What's it like being the sisterwith two brothers?
Speaker 5 (03:33):
Well, they're eight and six years older than I am,
so I was the bratty little painin the butt sister who wanted to
go wherever they went, and theydid not want me to go anywhere.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
They went.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
So I pretty much um, just hung out with them if they
would let me, or went and rodemy pony.
If they didn't, there you go.
Well, good, I didn't mean tocut you off, I just as I was
reading through.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
You know the answers and we've talked a little bit.
That was one of the things Ithought.
I wonder what it's like beingthe younger sister of a couple
older brothers, so I'm sure theywere protective as you got
older.
Speaker 5 (04:13):
Well, surprisingly enough, because there's so much
age difference between us, theywere pretty much gone by the
time I was getting to the pointwhere I'd need protection.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
And so that was, and we had moved from our hometown
here to Eaton, and so that was abig change, and so I pretty
much in a lot of ways was on myown in terms of brothers and
(04:44):
sister kind of thing.
Gotcha, Gotcha so but it wasn'tbad, I mean.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
I got through.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Yeah, so you moved to Eaton Ohio.
Yep, talk about that.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
Yeah, that was a big change.
My mom said I told them, ifthey made me move it would just
kill me.
And it didn't.
Yeah, we moved in 1968.
And it was my, the year betweenmy seventh and eighth grade
(05:16):
year, which meant I didn't knowanybody and that was a challenge
, but there were people who werekind and welcomed me and that
was good and so I ended upgraduating from Eaton and and
yeah, I'm and obviously Imust've liked it, because I came
(05:37):
back here and stayed.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Yeah, I can imagine at that, you know, at that
adolescence of an age.
You know we have kids in middleschool.
I have a daughter that's inseventh grade right now.
Ben's got a son in sixth grade.
You know that's a tough timeanyways.
As a kid.
Your body's changing.
You got a lot of things goingon trying to fit in and then you
make this big move.
So I imagine that had been kindof challenging.
Speaker 5 (05:59):
It was I really I changed a lot.
I was a really really activekid prior and then when I moved
here, where I'd been a countrykid now, we lived in the city,
and so that was a lot of changeand probably not for the best.
But you go where your family is, that's right.
(06:21):
And mom and dad were great, butit was.
It was a challenge.
It was a challenge, it's hardfor kids that age to make
changes, those kinds of changes.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
So you graduate from Eaton High School.
What's next for you?
Speaker 5 (06:35):
Well, I went to Ashland University Ashland
College, then it's now auniversity and majored in.
Well, actually, I didn't knowwhat I was going to be when I
grew up.
I couldn't decide and I kepttrying to figure it out and I
actually left college between mysophomore and junior year, came
(06:59):
home and still didn't know whatI wanted to be, and Mom and I
had a conversation in July andsaid why don't you go back and
at least get a degree?
You'll have something.
So I did and finally settled onhistory, because that was
something that I was veryinterested in.
Not that I ever wanted to be aneducator, I didn't Maybe a
(07:20):
teacher, Forget it but what Idid was I majored in
comprehensive social studies,which gave me a very broad
education.
It included things likesociology and some psychology
and political science, that kindof stuff, and I went ahead and
(07:43):
graduated and didn't bother toapply for any schools because I
didn't want to be a teacher,even though my degree was
teaching, and ended up getting ajob through a friend with
children's services.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (08:01):
And worked for them for three years.
Good job, hard job, man man.
People who do that deserve allthe respect in the world yeah,
special yeah wow and um then umdecided that, with a friend of
mine, we didn't want to livehere anymore, so we decided to.
She was actually actually fromTexas, so we decided to go to
(08:23):
Texas and move to Dallas.
Gosh, what year was that?
81, I think.
Okay, and live there.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
So from Eaton, Ohio, to the big city of Dallas.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
Texas, you bet.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
That's a big change.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
It was so.
Talk about that.
It was great.
I love Dallas.
It was such a cool place to beum.
It's so cool.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
I had season tickets to the cowboys they were good
back then they were good yeah Iactually saw um landry coach,
wow yeah, I.
Speaker 5 (08:59):
I think that to me is like what a milestone you know,
saw landry coach and saw umseveral of the greats play, you
know, and so that was prettyexciting and uh, got um, got a
job, started off working therein a diamond store of all things
.
I know I needed a job so?
Speaker 3 (09:20):
so, children's services to a diamond?
Yeah, to a diamond store?
Okay, yeah, I needed a jobstore.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
Okay, yeah, I needed a job, and so I worked for them
for a few years and theneventually moved back into
working with kids, became aDallas County probation officer.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
And worked with runaways.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
So talk about that, because that had to be pretty
impactful.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
It was.
That's probably the best thingI ever did.
And well, no, that's probablythe best thing I ever did.
And um, well, no, that's notthe best thing I ever did, but
um, it was.
Um, it was certainly eyeopening.
Um, being a country kid andmoving to Dallas was pretty
eyeopening.
And then the begin to work withkids who lived on the streets,
(10:07):
and the program I worked withwas under the Dallas County
Probation but it was calledLeTot and it was just the name
of the building we actually werein and we specialized in
working with kids who wererunaways and trying to help them
get back home and be able tolive at home.
(10:27):
Probably one of the mosttelling statistics for a runaway
is that four out of fiverunaways are sexually or in some
way abused, and so that was amajor part of, and along with a
lot of other things you know,with street kids and no families
(10:47):
, and on and on and on.
We could talk forever about allof that.
So learning about these kidsand working with them was it was
certainly different than whatI'd ever experienced before, but
it was a.
It was so impactful, soimportant.
(11:10):
You know, when you went to work, you felt like you were doing
something, something important.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
You know I admire people and children's services
and doing something like that.
How do you?
How do you separate yourself?
You go home at night, becauseI'm sure you probably made a
connection with many of thosekids that was probably very
challenging to let go of.
How do you manage that?
Speaker 5 (11:35):
Um, I don't know that you always do.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
Um, I think one of the most telling things that a
kid said to me I had actuallybeen away because I had gone on
vacation or something.
I don't remember why I was gone.
I came back and this was alive-in facility.
They were there for 30 days.
So this young lady who I satdown and started to play a game
(12:03):
with, and she looked at me andshe says no adult has ever
played with me before and thatjust broke my heart right there
that no one had ever actuallysat down with her and played
with her or spent time justbeing normal not not being not
doing anything like therapy oranything like that, just sitting
(12:27):
and talking and playing a game,and that was the kind of things
that that happened and some ofthe things were really.
I mean, after that I was like,after talking to her, I felt so
good about having done that andthen, and then at the same time,
there'd be other things thatwere pretty awful um that you
(12:48):
know, uh hurt kids hurtingthemselves and and um, just just
things that you'd.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Very challenging.
Yeah, yeah, very challengingthings, that that you, I'm sure,
had to be a try to be apositive influence because of
the person that you are, andthen follow whatever steps you
were were, you know, supposed tofollow to do your job.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
Yeah, sure, yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
So you're in Dallas.
How long did you do that?
Speaker 5 (13:13):
Um, I stayed uh 13 years.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Okay, yeah.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
So and uh I, oh the weather, there was so much it
was hard to leave because of theweather, um, but, um, I ended
up coming home, mostly becauseof, well, there was a lot of
reasons, but my dad had gottenreally sick and, um, fortunately
(13:37):
, through um surgery and thedoctors, he had healed.
But you, you know there was,they were getting both, my
parents were getting elderly andI just felt the tug to come
home.
And, um, I hadn't married, umand um didn't have, uh, had ties
definitely there, but didn'thave the, the ties that meant I
(14:01):
couldn't leave.
And so, um, just felt like Ineeded to come home.
Not intending to live in Eaton,not never intending to live in
Eaton, I figured I'd end up inCincinnati or Columbus or
someplace like that.
And um, here I am.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Yeah, so you.
So you come home to help takecare of your parents.
And what are you doing for work?
Speaker 5 (14:26):
Well, I didn't really know at that moment.
I had my degree, but again, Ididn't really expect to teach,
that really wasn't on my radar.
But because I had my degree, Ifigured I could go to the ESC,
which is the Educational ServiceCenter, and see if there was
(14:49):
some possibilities.
And while I was, I think I wasgoing to sub.
I think that's why I went there.
I can't really remember why Iwent, to be honest, but as I was
standing there I saw on thecounter a um thing for a job and
it centered on working with atrisk kids.
(15:11):
Um, and it's like that's what Ido.
So, um, I was, a friend walkedby at that point and I said is
this like for real?
What is this job here?
And she happened to know andshe looked at me and she said
you could do this.
And I said, yeah, I could.
and so I ended up kind offalling into that job yeah and
(15:36):
um did that, for it was called,uh, student assistance and it
was, as said was, working withat-risk kids.
And then, through again ESC, Igot my validation with working
with gifted kids, which was tome rather surprising because I
(15:57):
don't consider myself gifted.
But working with gifted kidsand then eventually came to
National Trail.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Yeah, and then you taught at National Trail for.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
I taught there for about 20 years.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Okay, so you weren't going to be a teacher.
Speaker 5 (16:15):
No, I was not going to be a teacher.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
And you taught for 20 years.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
I am.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Yeah, talk about National Trail, because National
Trail is near and dear to myheart.
Oh, you bet I love NationalTrail.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
Yeah, yeah, I did not , you know, growing up National
Trail you kind of was like whenI was growing up it was kind of
that school.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Out there, out there in the country, yeah, out in the
middle of the cornfield.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
And I was.
I'm not even sure I knewexactly where it was to be
honest.
I'm not even sure I knewexactly where it was to be
honest.
But when I came home andstarted to learn about the
education part of the county, Ifound that I did sub for a
(16:59):
period and I found that NationalTrail was one of my favorite
places to go.
I liked the kids.
I knew a few people who workedthere, so it wasn't hard for me
then to, when a position cameopen, to say hmm, I'm kind of
interested, and so I ended upworking there.
(17:22):
I took Coach Hoff's spot when hewent to Florida and um, and
then of course he came back, butuh, yeah, so I ended up there
for for 20 years.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
So let's talk about you know, that was what 2020,
2021, 2021.
So we're right in the middle ofCOVID.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
No, I'm sorry, 2001.
I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
I said 2021.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
Yeah, it's, 2001 is when I started.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
And then you retired in 2020 with COVID.
Let's talk about that, becauseCOVID is one of those things we
all had to deal with and figureout and try to understand and
everybody's got you know,everybody's got their their
opinions on it.
But talk about you know whatled you to retirement, and was
it related to COVID or was itjust time?
(18:13):
It was just time.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
Yeah, I was um, I was going to be 65 and um, unlike a
lot of people you know whostart out teaching immediately
and they get to retire whenthey're in their 50s, I had to
go the whole time which I didn'tmind.
Again, I was not married, and sowhat would I be doing?
(18:37):
And I never was unhappy goingto work, was unhappy going to
work.
I was really fortunate, thewhole time we were at Trail, or
I was at Trail that the people Iworked with were dynamite.
I mean, I loved working withthe people I worked with.
Was it perfect?
(18:57):
Oh heavens no, but it wascomfortable and I felt
appreciated and so yeah, andthat's important in life, right
it?
Sure is it?
Sure is it makes all thedifference the kind of
administration you had.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
And except for a couple of years, our
administration continues to bereal good at trail?
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 5 (19:21):
And that's one of the reasons why it's as good as
school as it is now.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Yeah, and it is they for sure, and that's one of the
reasons why it's as good asschool as it is now.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
And it is that they're doing well.
Um so, throughout that timeyou're, you're teaching and
you're still caring for yourparents.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
Yeah, um, mom or dad, I should say dad, um, he, um,
dad had emphysema.
He'd been a lifelong smoker andum his um, you know, his
breathing was had been a becamea real challenge for him.
And um, in 2005, um, he passed.
And then, uh, mom lived foranother 10 years and in 2015 she
(19:57):
passed.
Okay.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Okay, so so you're caring for them and teaching and
doing all those things backback in back in the hometown
area.
You're in Preble County, youweren't in Eaton, but are
teaching in Eaton.
So 2020 hits you retire.
What's life look like then?
Speaker 5 (20:13):
Oh, that was strange.
Um, that whole school year whenwe started out, I kept telling
I taught high school and Itaught seniors and, in
particular, and I get kepttelling that class, we're going
to graduate together, we'regoing to graduate together.
Um and um, it was such a funclass, I really enjoyed that
class.
(20:34):
And then all of a sudden, inMarch, we were done.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
And, um, I think, along with several of the people
I knew, I had COVID.
Before it was COVID, I think alot of people did, and I had
been sick more in that fromJanuary to March, more than I
think the whole time I was, youknow, worked and so I literally
(21:02):
came back from being sick for acouple of days to somebody
saying this is our last day.
It's like what, how is thatpossible?
And no, that's not, it's notgoing to be.
Yeah, it was, we were done andum, so there's no prep.
No there's no prep.
You just, I mean, I knew it wasgoing to be done at the end of
(21:23):
the year, but I didn't know Iwas going to be done.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
In March, in March yeah.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
So we struggled through the classes struggled
through because nobody wasreally in a real good place to
be able to, because we had allthese things yet to accomplish
and you're not going to get itaccomplished.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Yeah, you're not prepared because it was
completely unexpected Right then.
You're not going to get itaccomplished.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
Yeah, you're not prepared because it was
completely unexpected, rightright?
Speaker 3 (21:45):
yeah, and so that was a challenging time.
Here you are kind of, you know,riding the wave out with this
group of seniors and then all ofa sudden, bang, everything kind
of stops and changes, and nowyou've got to change how you
teach right and what that lookslike, and probably knowing we're
not coming back to finish outthe year.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
Yeah, one thing that Trail has done really, really
well, and I imagine still does,is we had the technology.
Thanks to our technology guy,brian Poole, our technology is,
I'll say it, probably betterthan anybody else in Provo
(22:24):
County.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:25):
I'm sure there'll be people who won't appreciate me
saying that, but I'm prettycertain and because of that and
I like technology my kids were.
We worked from the computer.
I didn't rely on the computerto do everything, but they were
(22:47):
comfortable with the way Itaught and that they could use
the computer.
And so some things weredifferent, but we were able to
get through and finish up theyear somewhat successful.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Sure, yeah, so we'll fast forward a little bit.
Okay, to 2024, on your birthday.
Can you talk about kind ofleading up to that point?
I know we'd had someconversations and reading you
know what you'd sent me onanswering some of my questions,
(23:20):
but you were sick.
Right, you were feeling sick.
Things weren't good for you.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
Yeah, I've been a pretty healthy person all my
life.
Don't like to go to the doctorbecause I'm never sick.
So I went on a cruise with afriend of mine and didn't feel
terrible, but didn't feel, youknow, didn't feel as good as I
(23:47):
usually do and came home foundout that I had a UTI Okay, big
deal, got over that but stilldidn't feel great.
And this is getting into Maynow and get to Memorial Day and
find that I'm or MemorialWeekend anyways, and find that
I'm a Memorial weekend anyways,and find that I'm having back
(24:10):
pain and, um, I don't again, Idon't have that kind of problem,
and so and of course it was aholiday.
So I thought, well, I, and itseems like if you call for a
doctor's appointment, it takesforever now.
So I went to the emergency roomand explained what it was and
(24:34):
what was going on andfortunately they took me serious
and did all kinds of tests andall the tests came back fine, I
was good.
The only thing that the doctormentioned was that my lymph
nodes were enlarged and he saidthat could be any number of
things, um, including cancer,and then he left and I'm like,
(24:56):
oh, okay, well, it's no big dealright yeah, it's just, and I'll
be in touch with my regulardoctor.
And so then we started theprocess of checking everything
and all my tests were comingback normal, everything was fine
, except that they began to feellike maybe my gallbladder was
(25:18):
giving me the problem because Iwas still having back pain.
I was still having and I was sotired and I was so tired it was
.
I have a dog and I would walkmy dog every day and I could
hardly walk my dog.
I could get so far and then I'dhave to stop and wait, catch my
(25:39):
breath and then walk back to myhouse.
My poor dog didn't hardly knowwhat was going on.
Walked back to my house, mypoor dog didn't hardly know what
was going on.
And um, so that was, um, thatwas in june and they decided it
was my gallbladder.
So I had my gallbladder takenout in beginning of july and, um
(26:01):
, that doctor, um, did a biopsy.
Um, I think when he took thegallbladder out he knew probably
what was going on.
And um, they uh did the biopsy.
And then on my birthday theycalled and said you have cancer.
And I can't say I was surprised.
(26:22):
Um, I really wasn't.
Something was up.
I knew that by that time that Iwas sick, something was wrong.
Something was wrong.
I didn't dwell on the thoughtthat it could be cancer.
I certainly didn't do that but,it was, there was something
wrong, definitely.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
So how did that hit you when, when you actually when
it kind of confirmed in yourmind what you may have been
thinking how did it hit you?
Speaker 5 (26:46):
Well, um, I think the thing that that hit me most was
I've got to tell my family andum, there was cancer in um, my
oldest brother's uh wife died ofcancer.
Her family unfortunately hadhas cancer pretty prevalent in
there, and my niece, um, is a10-year survivor of breast
(27:09):
cancer.
And so I think the thing thathit me first was I didn't want
to tell my family.
I mean, I wanted to tell thembecause I I needed them, but I
didn't want to tell them that.
I didn't want to say you know,um, here we go again for them.
And that was probably the thingthat hit me first was having to
(27:32):
share that with them.
And then after that it was likeokay, you know, I have lived on
my own all my life, I amindependent on my own all my
life.
I have my um, I am umindependent um, I, uh, I have
always been independent.
I've had to be right so this isjust one more thing, um, and
(27:57):
that I have to deal with.
But the the good news for mewas I didn't have to deal with
it alone.
I had a big God, um, and I knewthat, I knew he was big and he
was big enough to handle this.
And, um, I did not um, I didnot fear, I never did Um, I, I
(28:22):
said to my pastor, I said Idon't quite understand it, yet I
do, I'm not afraid, and I knowthis could be a death sentence,
I know that, whether it is ornot, you know I'm his.
And there's a verse that I cameacross after this, not before
(28:42):
this, but after this.
It says if I live, I live tothe Lord.
If I die, I die to the Lord.
If I die, I die to the Lord.
If I live or die, I'm his andthat's okay, that's the best,
that's a win-win, that's that's.
You know, if I, if I'm healed,it's a win.
If I go to Jesus, it's an evenbigger win.
(29:02):
In my mind, that's amazing.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
Yeah, that's amazing and and and this is very fresh,
right, I mean when you, when yousay July, you're talking just
July, seven months eight monthsago, seven months ago.
Yeah, so you tell your familywhat's their reaction.
Speaker 5 (29:20):
Cheers.
I mean, we were all crying Umbut, yeah, but you know, I felt
they were going to be there.
I knew they were going to bethere.
I didn't have to worry aboutthat.
They were going to be there.
But at the same time, you know,unless you've gone through
something like this, you reallydon't know what that means that
(29:45):
they're going to be there.
And again, it's still hard toput into words.
You really don't know until youknow, um, until you experience
it and um, yeah, I have aamazing family.
Um, they all just stepped in.
I mean, I couldn't even vacuummy floor.
I literally went three monthswithout cleaning my house.
(30:10):
My mom would have been rollingin her grave and, yeah, I
couldn't run a vacuum cleaner.
I was lucky if I could get upout of bed, and I would.
I would never stay in bed, butI'd get up out of bed and I'd
make it to my chair and, um,maybe make it to the kitchen to
(30:33):
get something to eat, but I hadstopped eating.
I could hardly eat anything,and then I'd come back to my
chair and then eventually I'd goto bed and that was about as
much energy as I had.
There just wasn't any energy atall and, um, that was the thing
that that was.
So I'm not a super, you know,going all the time kind of
(30:59):
person.
I never have been that way.
But to not be able to doanything was, I mean, my car sat
for weeks and never movedbecause I wasn't moving.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
It's one thing, the toll on your body, right, you
know what you're dealing withgoing through chemo, the
treatments but I think probablythe bigger toll is maybe on your
mind, right.
Speaker 5 (31:24):
Yeah Well, yes, tolls maybe on your mind, right?
Yeah Well yes, I mean I feltthat was actually an area where
I was strong because of my God,because of, because of my faith.
Um, I didn't have anything inthe word, in the way of of
strength, but I could, I couldbe in the word, I could pray, I
(31:46):
could um, um, talk to him, um, Ireally um, I.
I often would think about if,if you didn't, if for someone
who didn't have my faith likethe faith I had, or whatever,
what would it be like for them?
And I couldn't imagine it.
(32:06):
It would have been awful,because in the middle of the
night, when you're alone in thathospital bed, there's nothing
except yourself, and if that'sall you got, that's sad, that is
um, and I can see how peoplewould be.
(32:29):
Just so, um, I can't even thinkof the right word Overwhelmed.
Yeah, um, and I, I can say, yeah, I got overwhelmed, but I
didn't feel, um, hopeless, uh,uh, I felt hope the whole time.
I never felt hopeless and,again, I didn't know whether I
(32:50):
was going to live or die.
I didn't and I had no, nothing,you know.
I know some people say, well,you know, the lord has given me
this or whatever, and, um, hegave me hope, but he did not say
you're gonna live.
He never said that and and, butI, as time, say you're going to
live.
He never said that, and and,but I, as time went on, I began
to understand yeah, I was gonnalive, I, I'm, I think I'm, I
(33:15):
feel like I'm going to live.
And um at um, do you want tohear about what the chemo was?
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Absolutely Okay.
Speaker 5 (33:30):
And because that was surprising to me.
You know, you hear about thepeople who go and have chemo and
they sit in the chair and thenthey come home, right.
Well, the doctor says to meokay, you're going to be here
and you're going to be in thehospital.
When I say here, you're goingto be in the hospital for five
to eight days and you're goingto be in the hospital.
When I say here, you're gonnabe in the hospital for five to
(33:51):
eight days and you're going tohave chemo, and the chemo is
going to run 22 hours a day, I'mlooking at his face his big
eyes.
Well, he was wrong.
It was 24 to 26 hours a day,wow, and because that's how they
filled the chemo bag.
And so what I would, um, what Iwould do is you're hooked up,
(34:11):
you have a what's called a portwhere they hook you up and, uh,
to this bag, and you have Gladysthat was my little tree that I
walked around with, that's whatI called her.
So Gladys and I would goeverywhere together and, um,
(34:32):
this, um.
Then they had the bag that wascovered in a black plastic
because it could not be open tothe light.
You know, if you think, if youknow what a infusion bag is, um,
where you get saline, you know,or something like that you know
that that's open to the lightand there's no problem with this
.
can't be open to the light.
(34:54):
This has to be completelycovered in a black bag, or a
dark bag anyways.
And um in, so what, um, intalking to my niece, who's Molly
, who was, like I said, is acancer survivor, she told me
when she went through it she hadbreast cancer, so it was a
(35:14):
little different, but she toldme that when they gave her her
first infusion, they said thisis called the red devil and
because it's that you andbecause it's that, yeah, yeah,
it's that.
It's that difficult.
And she said she decided in hermind that it was not going to
be the red devil but the bloodof jesus.
See it's red the chemo is.
(35:37):
Is is kind of a red, reddishorange yeah and I thought holy
cow way to go molly.
Way to go molly, yeah, way togo molly and so every time they
hooked me up to it, it was likeblood of jesus, blood of jesus
coming through my veins givingyou strength, giving me strength
.
That's exactly right.
Um, I told you that I had umbacks.
(36:00):
My back was hurting so, and thefirst time they hooked me up,
within 10 minutes, that backpain was gone.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Really.
Speaker 5 (36:09):
Yeah, that was strange, that was surprising and
strange.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Well, cause it had been bothering you for months
and months.
Right, yeah, give me.
Yeah, you're good, so you're.
You're going through this 24 to26 hours of treatment, and this
is every this was, um, when itfinally settled down.
Speaker 5 (36:34):
The first week was eight days, but they were
getting me all kind of set up,you know.
And then after that it was uh,you, I was there for five days,
um, and then I would go home,and then, um, then the very next
day you came back and you hadone more treatment.
So I guess you could say sixdays of treatment and then I'd
(36:54):
be home for two weeks.
And in that first week, firstfive to seven days, I just felt
awful and the strain machinesgot to back up for for a second
while I was in treatment and Iwas good, I felt good.
I mean, yeah, I had to dragGladys with me everywhere I went
(37:15):
, but I did not, I was not sick.
Um, I never.
Um, I take that back, I did once, um, but you know, most people
talk about the nausea and all ofthat.
Well, they, they did a lot toprevent that.
I mean, the care you get now,compared to what you used to
hear about cancer, is like nightand day different.
(37:37):
It really is.
At least for me it was.
And they, I, I felt fine, they,um, I, I felt fine, uh, I did
not.
Uh, I could get up.
I could walk.
Once I started getting strengthback, um, I could do, um,
really just about anything Ineeded to do, um to just accept
(38:02):
I couldn't leave the hospital.
I was.
I had to be there for thetreatment, but then, once the
treatment was over with, that'swhen I started to feel crappy.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Right.
Speaker 5 (38:13):
Yeah, and so for the next five to seven days,
depending, I would be not sick,but just did not feel good.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
Kind of nauseous, kind of like a flu feeling maybe
.
Speaker 5 (38:28):
Yeah, I can't say I had a lot of nausea, but again I
had a lot of medication to helpme with that, so I avoided most
of that.
But you know, I would go inagain.
I talked about sitting in mychair.
I would sit with my in thechair, with my head in my hands
and just sit there for who knowshow long.
(38:48):
I mean just because that's asfar as I could get.
And, um, of course, I lost myhair, which was pretty funny
Actually.
I thought that was hilariousand I don't think it's hilarious
.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
I lost my hair too.
I wear a hat.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
Let me ask you one thing yeah sure.
Speaker 3 (39:08):
Is there significance to the name Gladys?
Speaker 5 (39:11):
No, not really, Except that there's a really,
really old joke, that I can'ttell jokes at all, I don't
remember them, but there's onejoke that I remember, and it's
Gladys.
It has to do with a Gladys, sothat's it.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
That's the only reason.
I was just curious, becausehere you know you're spending 24
, 26 hours with Gladys right?
Just curious if there was anyjust a funny name.
Speaker 4 (39:34):
Okay, I'm just glad that you said that you named it
Gladys Cause, otherwise I'd havebeen going somewhere and being
like now that's your Gladysright.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
What are you talking about?
Speaker 4 (39:43):
So I'm glad you saved me that embarrassment.
It's not like, gladys, what areyou talking about?
I'm glad you saved me thatembarrassment.
Speaker 5 (39:47):
Yeah, no, it's just you.
Humor became really important.
I mean, I'm a person who likesto laugh.
I mean I am not a down in yourdumps kind of a person I've
always been.
I've always tried to smile andbe somebody that has a positive
look always tried to smile andbe somebody that has a positive
(40:10):
look.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
And hearing your story, I think that's pretty
obvious, because look at whatyou did, you know.
When you started out in childservices, you go to Dallas and
you're helping runaway kids andthen you become a teacher.
I mean, your whole life hasbeen about service to others and
having to be that positiveinfluence Right.
So I would expect nothing less.
It's pretty, it's pretty amazingto see.
So you, you get through thechemo treatments.
(40:32):
What's that like?
And what's next for you?
What are the doctors tellingyou?
What's?
Because this is.
When did you finish chemo?
Speaker 5 (40:41):
I finished the end of November.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
Okay, so no, I'm sorry.
Speaker 5 (40:44):
The beginning of November, sorry.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
So we're just talking three, four months yeah.
Speaker 5 (40:48):
I'm pretty new to this.
Yeah, let me step back for justa second Between the third and,
I'm sorry, the second and nothird and fourth.
Third and fourth treatment Ihad a PET scan and, to begin
with, before I even started withtreatment, I had a PET scan and
, to begin with, before I evenstarted with treatment, I had a
PET scan and they showed thepicture of that and I was full
(41:17):
of cancer in my lymph nodes inmy face area through all the way
down into, um, uh, my torso, uh, all the way into my torso.
I was full of cancer.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
So like what's they?
They put that in stages right.
Speaker 5 (41:36):
Yeah, well, yes and no, um, my, um, my family
actually asked that questionwhat stage is this?
And?
And the doctor said it's.
It's different.
We're used to hearing,especially because of breast
cancer, the stages, and for whatI had was B cell lymphoma,
(41:57):
which is a blood cancer, and, um, what they?
This is different.
I had aggressive B celllymphoma type two, which in and
as he explained it to my family,it would be similar to stage
four breast cancer, but with Bcell you have a greater chance
(42:19):
of cure.
Okay, so, um, yeah, so it's alittle yeah, yeah, there's hope.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
Yeah, oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (42:28):
And he, he was real honest.
He says there's no guarantee.
He said, but there's, there iscure on this.
Um, and that's why they were soaggressive from the very
beginning, because, uh, I was sofull of cancer, full of cancer.
(42:52):
And um, so between my third andfourth I had another PET scan.
And PET scan is just verysimple.
It's just they run it throughthe machine and out and you know
so there's no.
You know they're not beingpoked or probed or anything but
um.
So, in waiting to find out, mybrother and sister-in-law, dean
and Susan, were there in theroom and we were going to wait
(43:14):
for the doctor to come and talkand we were like, oh gosh, you
know what's going on.
Well, I feel better, I do feelbetter, so I've got to be at
least some better.
I mean, but you don't know.
And um, he comes in and, uh, drleonhardt gotta say his name
(43:36):
and comes in and um says, um,there's no cancer.
It's like what?
Speaker 1 (43:44):
wow, he says um.
Speaker 5 (43:46):
There's no discernible cancer, it's gone
wow are you kidding me?
Nope, you are cancer free atthis moment did you just want to
jump for joy?
Well, after you left, I got upout of bed and did a happy dance
for sure I did get up and dance.
Yeah, that was like I said Ifelt good, I felt like I was
(44:08):
better.
I didn't know that I was cancerfree, but I was better.
But he said that we're going tocontinue to do all six
treatments because I want to getyou into as deep a remission as
I can get you, and I was okayfor that.
Yeah, definitely, as long asthe insurance pays, I'm okay.
(44:31):
And so, yeah, when he left,yeah, we got up, we cried, we
hugged and we and I danced.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (44:41):
And so.
So then, from third to fourthThrough six, it was about being
in remission and being, and Ihave to say, the, the.
I was on the third floor atKettering, maine, and those
people, they were amazing to me,um, kind and um, just such a
(45:04):
blessing.
Um, there was no, no one that Imean.
Yeah, they got me up at allkinds of hours and because you
have to take all of the, the,the different tests and the
different um medicines and yeahand but, um, they were, they
(45:24):
were the best, and I can't sayenough good things about them.
I had a group of doctors thatwere great.
I mean, there were all kinds offunny, weird, silly things that
happened.
We laughed a lot and you learnto just okay, and that's part of
(45:47):
what is really important for meto say is you learn to
understand that you're not incontrol anymore, and that is for
me.
I've had to be in control allmy life.
I had to take care of businessbecause it was me, and so to not
be in control was eye-opening,but it was freeing too.
(46:11):
It was so freeing to be able tojust okay, lord, you're in
control, you're going to workthe hands of the doctors and
you're going to be the nursesand I'm just going to trust in
you.
I'm going to trust yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:25):
And I'm going to trust.
And yeah, deb, that's anamazing story.
You're an amazing you.
Speaker 5 (46:28):
I'm going to trust, yeah, and I'm going to trust,
and yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
Deb, that's an amazing story.
You're an amazing woman.
I've got a couple of questionsfor you.
I want you to answer for ourlisteners out there, because I
think every family in some way,shape or form, has been impacted
by cancer.
Speaker 5 (46:43):
Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (46:43):
Right.
Whether it's a family member, afriend or whoever it may be, we
all know someone who's who'sbeen given that diagnosis.
Speaker 1 (46:59):
So for someone who may have been given that
diagnosis today, when they'relistening to, this.
Speaker 5 (47:03):
What advice do you have for them To to trust God?
Um, to trust God, it's hard toanswer that question.
I mean, for somebody who is aChristian, who believes in God,
believes in Jesus, that he's ourSavior, it's a little easier to
(47:27):
answer.
It's a harder thing to answerwhen you don't have that and
that is I mean I to be able to,to understand what's even
happening to you without havingfaith.
Um, to do that without faith,you would have to.
(47:51):
I don't know how you could doit.
I just I can't really imaginenot having my faith and having
to go through that.
I think I had, in truth,probably an easier time than
most people did through cancer.
Because of your faith, becauseof my faith, but also, yeah,
(48:13):
because my faith.
I I don't.
I believe god gave me um aneasier time too.
Um, I could hear people um in a, in other rooms being sick
rooms, being sick, but then Idon't again, I don't know what.
What they had or what was thetheir problem.
(48:35):
Um, I didn't have that.
Um, I had um, like I said I,it's a hard question to answer,
I mean, it's an easy question toanswer.
Speaker 3 (48:47):
No, you did a good job.
Speaker 5 (48:48):
I mean, it's an easy question to answer if, like I
said, if you have the faith.
Speaker 1 (48:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (48:53):
It's just, yeah, rely on the Lord, get that Bible out
, get that and begin to read.
And you don't have to have ahuge long background, you don't
have to be a pastor to be ableto, um, just open that that
thing up.
I have a?
(49:13):
Um, I gotten, um this littlebook, um called god's promises,
and I had been, I had kind ofgotten into it prior to this
whole thing, and it has just allkinds of verses that are the
promises that exist in the Bibleand that became man.
That was with me everywhere.
(49:34):
I was just hanging on to thatfor dear life.
In fact, when I ended up havingto go to the emergency room at
the very beginning of this, Ihad it in my purse and I was
hanging on to that just to beable to read that.
That meant everything, just tobe able was hanging on to that,
to just to be able to read that.
That means that meanteverything, just to be able to
hang on to that and to read thatBible and hang on to that.
(49:55):
If you don't have that, then my, my um advice would be um, find
somebody to let you have aBible get a.
Bible, um, and then just beginto read and just let God do what
he does so well.
Speaker 3 (50:13):
Yeah, that's a.
That's a great answer, greatanswer.
So, as we land this plane, alittle bit, this has flown by
for you, don't you think I?
Speaker 1 (50:20):
mean we're.
We're almost an hour in andyou're kidding, you're cranking,
you're doing a great job.
Speaker 3 (50:25):
So I got, I got two questions, two final questions,
okay.
First one is is if you couldhave a conversation with someone
, living or deceased, who wouldit be and why?
Speaker 5 (50:36):
Um, you saw my answer , didn't you Maybe?
Speaker 1 (50:40):
That was yeah.
Speaker 5 (50:41):
Okay, uh, my grandma Stover.
My grandma Stover was my dad'smom and um she, um she, she was
a toot.
She was something else.
And soon after I moved backfrom Texas, I went with some
(51:02):
friends to play mud volleyballand she happened to be, she
happened to be visiting at thattime, and she said to my aunt,
um that basically I would not,how could I possibly turn out to
be anything if I was playingmud volleyball?
Speaker 3 (51:21):
and so, uh, when I saw that question, I thought,
yeah, I want to tell grandma wasokay I turned out okay, you,
you did good, I did good Allright last question, as you're
going through everything thatyou've been through in your
entire life, especially here inthe past six months or a year,
with everything that you'vebattled through.
(51:43):
Is there a Bible verse?
Is there a quote?
Is there something that getsyou through daily that you can
share with our listeners?
Speaker 5 (51:54):
one or a couple.
I have so many.
I'm scrolling down to find theone that I because unfortunately
I um have chemo brain and can'tremember necessarily everything
I want to say- You've donegreat so far.
(52:15):
One that I have had most of mylife, which was Psalm 34, 4, is
I sought the Lord and he heardme and he delivered me from all
my fears.
That's one that I've had long,long before this ever happened,
but I would say probably the onethat I have come back to often
(52:40):
is Romans 8, 38 and 39.
And it says for I'm persuadedthat neither death nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, norpowers, nor things present nor
things to come, nor height nordepth, nor any other created
thing shall be able to separateme us from the love of God,
(53:00):
which is Christ Jesus, our Lord,and I just love that.
Speaker 1 (53:05):
That's great, I just love that.
Speaker 5 (53:08):
So there were a lot.
There were so many that I cameacross, and you know when things
were rough.
I had a real tough time withbeing dehydrated for a long
period of time, and I cameacross one that had to do with
the water, living water, and sowhenever something you know was
(53:36):
in particular was an issue, itseemed like there would be a
verse that would pop that wouldjust go.
Oh, that's me Okay.
Speaker 3 (53:45):
That's amazing.
I got that, Ben.
You have any questions?
Speaker 4 (53:49):
I'm just.
I've been all amazed.
I just I don't know.
You know you talk about, youdidn't have any fears and that
was the Bible verse.
You just said you live by right.
What was?
Speaker 5 (53:58):
it.
Speaker 4 (53:58):
Psalm 34?
.
Is that what it was?
It was.
Speaker 5 (54:01):
Psalm no, it was Romans 8.
Speaker 4 (54:03):
Romans 8, and then what was the one before that?
Speaker 5 (54:05):
34.
Speaker 4 (54:05):
that 34, four 34, four, that was Psalms.
Yeah, yeah, and say that onemore time Okay, sorry, no it's
all right.
Speaker 5 (54:13):
I just I have to read it.
I sought the Lord and he heardme.
That's the part.
Speaker 4 (54:25):
He heard me Right and he delivered me from all my
fears, right and right beforeyou talked about when you you
know your battle with cancerwhat'd you say?
Speaker 5 (54:29):
It was weird, I didn't have any fears.
Speaker 4 (54:30):
I didn't have any fear at all.
Speaker 5 (54:31):
If I live, great I lived a Lord, and if I die, I
die of the Lord, and that's all,that's all of our goals.
Speaker 4 (54:36):
Right To die and go up there and he looks at you and
says well done.
You know, I just thought whenyou said that to be anything you
, the verse you live by andthat's I just.
I don't know.
I get chills thinking about ithonestly, it's amazing.
And I mean we've all been inthose situations too, of people
of Christ that you know.
(54:57):
I remember the first timesomeone prayed with Jude, my son
, when he was in the NICU, youknow, and you hear people say
you pray all the time and I feellike people that aren't
christians that hear you praythey're probably thinking like,
hey, just please be with deb,and that's it, yeah, right.
And then here's somebody reallypray like, hey, the doctors
that are going to work on her bewith it.
You know, give them knowledgeto deal with what they're she's
(55:18):
dealing with, give them thehands.
I mean, you know, when somebodyreally prays for you and you
hear it, you know, and you knowyou have people like that it
just it adds a whole other layerof confidence and just knowing
how loved you really feel.
Speaker 5 (55:30):
Yeah, that was the thing that I think humbled me
more than anything else was toto, and we talked a little bit
about my family but but also thepeople who came around me from
my church and and and not justmy church, but they were
obviously those who are closestto me.
Um, I mean they would do thingslike come into my house and and
(55:53):
were closest to me.
I mean they would do thingslike come into my house and
clean it for me, mow my yard, anumber of things.
But the biggest thing was whenthey said they prayed.
And then they would say andthen I told my cousin, who told
her Bible group they are prayingthere in South Carolina, and
(56:14):
then you would hear somebodyelse would say, when I was
driving by your house, I prayed,I mean that I amazing yeah.
I mean, that just chokes me withwith all kinds of feelings and
emotions and and what a giftthat I mean.
These are, these are peoplethat I knew, but I can't say
(56:36):
were big buds necessarily, butthey were.
They, um, cared enough and andit makes you feel which is part
of the reason why I'm here,because doing this is not on my
bucket list- but if it was, youcould mark it all, yeah.
(56:58):
Which is, you know, god healedme for a reason, and when I was
going through this, especiallywhen I knew I was cancer free, I
was like then, what's next,lord?
What do you want from me now?
Because I know I can't, youcan't have done this without
(57:19):
expecting Right and um, so whatis next?
And certainly this wasn't whatI thought of, but you know, I
had thought about maybe someother things and um, but that's
what was.
When I talked to you I was likeI don't want this about,
necessarily about me, but Iwanted, about you, know what,
what he did, and to his glory.
Speaker 3 (57:41):
You know what's you know?
What's amazing is is thatalmost everyone that that comes
and sits at this table and tellstheir story says the exact same
thing.
I don't want it to be about me.
And what I tell you it's yourstory, right?
It is about you.
But ultimately it's about thelistener who hears the story
(58:02):
right, who finds hope andinspiration in whatever
difficulties they might befacing, because to see you know
your your life's journey again,a servant leader.
Everything you've done has beenservice to others, not about
you, right?
You come on here and you tellyour story so that others can
(58:23):
hear it and find hope andinspiration.
And I don't know if you saw theshirt that I'm wearing.
Speaker 1 (58:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (58:28):
So this is, this was kind of it's not kind of.
This was the motto of betempered when we started, and I
don't know if you saw the shirtthat I'm wearing.
So this was kind of it's notkind of.
This was the motto of BeTempered when we started and I
had the shirt.
I pulled it out this morning.
I'm like this is what I'm goingto wear when we interview Deb,
and it's a Bible verse, isaiah43, verse 2.
It says when you pass throughthe waters, I will be with you,
and when you pass through therivers, I will be with you.
(58:49):
And when you pass through therivers, they will not sweep over
you.
When you walk through the fire,you will not be burned, the
flames will not set you ablaze.
And so I haven't wore this shirton a podcast, yet it is a be
tempered shirt.
I haven't wore it, but forwhatever reason this morning,
(59:09):
you know, I I just I felt calledto um, to wear it today, and
and I wasn't even gonna read theBible verse, but as, as the
more and more you were talking,it was like you know what?
This is why I wore, wore theshirt so, um, that your story is
a true testament to the powerof resilience, faith and an
(59:30):
unbreakable spirit.
Through the toughest challenges, you've shown that strength
isn't about never falling.
It's about getting back up andmoving forward with grace and
courage.
I thank you for sharing yourjourney with us today.
Your unwavering hope anddetermination inspire us all to
(59:50):
live with purpose, to embraceevery moment and to never give
up.
And no matter the obstacles,I'm sure your story will
continue to uplift and empowermany who hear it.
Speaker 5 (01:00:02):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3 (01:00:04):
Really, really appreciate you coming on and
telling your story.
Really appreciate Molly pushingyou as well.
Speaker 5 (01:00:09):
Thank you, molly.
Yeah, thank you.
Yeah, she was a big help.
Yeah, she was.
Speaker 3 (01:00:13):
And she's an amazing woman.
I had the pleasure of coachingher son Noah, who's the same age
as my son Nate and four yearsin basketball.
Great kid, it's hard to believethat they're 15-year-old
freshmen in high school and allthat crazy stuff.
But truly grateful for you.
Thank you and grateful for yourjourney and excited to see
(01:00:34):
where you go next.
Speaker 5 (01:00:35):
Yeah, me too, I really am.
I think guys got you know.
Well, I've already, in justthis short time, done things
that I didn't expect.
No, not even close.
Well, everybody, if you're notinspired by this story, you
didn't expect.
No, not even close.
Speaker 3 (01:00:51):
Well, everybody, if you're not inspired by this
story, you didn't listen.
Be sure to share Deb's story.
It's amazing.
Someone out there you knowagain is battling cancer or have
been given that diagnosis, andthis is a true testament to how
to get through it with faith.
Speaker 5 (01:01:09):
With faith, there you go.
I didn't do it on my own.
Speaker 3 (01:01:11):
You didn't, you didn't Everybody go out and be
tempered.
Speaker 1 (01:01:16):
Hi, my name is Allie Schmidt.
This is my dad, Dan.
He owns Catering's Glass.
Speaker 2 (01:01:20):
Thanks, Allie.
Things like doors and windowsgo into making a house, but when
it's your home you expect morelike the great service and
selection you'll get fromCatron's Glass Final replacement
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Windows from Catron's come witha lifetime warranty, including
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Also ask for custom showerdoors and many other products
and services.
Call 962-1636.
Locally owned, with localemployees for nearly 30 years.
Speaker 1 (01:01:42):
Catron's Glass the clear choice.
Hi, my name is Allie Schmidt.
This is my dad, Dan.
He owns Catron's Glass.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Thanks, allie.
Things like doors and windowsgo into making a house, but when
it's your home you expect morelike the great service and
selection you'll get fromCatron's Glass Final replacement
.
Windows from Catron's come witha lifetime warranty, including
accidental glass breakagereplacement.
Also ask for custom showerdoors and many other products
and services.
Call 962-1636.
Locally owned, with localemployees for nearly 30 years.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Kitchen's best.
The clear choice.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Welcome to the Be Tempered Podcast, where we
explore the art of findingbalance in a chaotic world.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Join us as we delve into insightful conversations,
practical tips and inspiringstories to help you navigate
life's ups and downs with graceand resilience.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
We're your hosts, Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr.
Let's embark on a journey tolive our best lives.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
This is Be Tempered.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
What's up everybody?
Welcome to the Be Temperedpodcast, episode number 45.
45.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Ben beautiful weather today, Perfect weather, had the
windows down.
It might be like 50, but youknow what In?
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Ohio.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
To me it feels like 90.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
When it was seven degrees last week at zero, and
the more.
I don't know what the windchill was.
And then you go from.
Even if it's 40, it feels likea heat wave, it feels tropical,
oh well, good.
Well, we have an amazing ladyhere with us today and I'm going
(01:34):
to give a little bit of anintroduction, which is going to
give some of this story away,but that's okay.
Life has a way of testing us inways we never expect.
Imagine celebrating yourbirthday, a day meant for joy
and reflection, only to receivea life-altering diagnosis.
That's exactly what happened totoday's guest, deb Tinsman.
A lifelong educator anddedicated member of Eaton Ohio,
(01:55):
the community, deb has faced oneof life's toughest battles
cancer.
Through faith, resilience andthe same strength she once
instilled in her students, she'sendured challenges that would
break many.
Today, she's here to share herjourney, the lessons she's
learned and the hope she carriesforward.
Deb Tinsman, welcome to the BeTempered podcast.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
We are glad to have you.
I know there's some anxiety andthat is typical for everybody.
So deep breath and I am excitedfor you to share your story.
Thank you so welcome.
But before we dive in for yourbattle with cancer, we'd like to
start by getting to know youfrom the very beginning.
So can you take us back to yourchildhood and what life was
(02:42):
like growing up and what weresome key experiences that shaped
you into the person that youare today?
Speaker 5 (02:48):
Well, I was born in a little town called Orville,
ohio, which happens to be thehome of Smuggers Jellies and
that is like the big thing inOrville and I was a farm kid,
grew up loving the farm, hadponies and horses and played
(03:08):
outside 98% of the time of mylife.
Had great parents, herb andMeldred Tinsman, and I have two
brothers, david and Dean Tinsman, and I also have my
sister-in-law, susan, who'sprobably my best friend.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
I want to stop you for one second.
What's it like being the sisterwith two brothers?
Speaker 5 (03:33):
Well, they're eight and six years older than I am,
so I was the bratty little painin the butt sister who wanted to
go wherever they went, and theydid not want me to go anywhere.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
They went.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
So I pretty much um, just hung out with them if they
would let me, or went and rodemy pony.
If they didn't, there you go.
Well, good, I didn't mean tocut you off, I just as I was
reading through.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
You know the answers and we've talked a little bit.
That was one of the things Ithought.
I wonder what it's like beingthe younger sister of a couple
older brothers, so I'm sure theywere protective as you got
older.
Speaker 5 (04:13):
Well, surprisingly enough, because there's so much
age difference between us, theywere pretty much gone by the
time I was getting to the pointwhere I'd need protection.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
And so that was, and we had moved from our hometown
here to Eaton, and so that was abig change, and so I pretty
much in a lot of ways was on myown in terms of brothers and
(04:44):
sister kind of thing.
Gotcha, Gotcha so but it wasn'tbad, I mean.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
I got through.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Yeah, so you moved to Eaton Ohio.
Yep, talk about that.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
Yeah, that was a big change.
My mom said I told them, ifthey made me move it would just
kill me.
And it didn't.
Yeah, we moved in 1968.
And it was my, the year betweenmy seventh and eighth grade
(05:16):
year, which meant I didn't knowanybody and that was a challenge
, but there were people who werekind and welcomed me and that
was good and so I ended upgraduating from Eaton and and
yeah, I'm and obviously Imust've liked it, because I came
(05:37):
back here and stayed.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Yeah, I can imagine at that, you know, at that
adolescence of an age.
You know we have kids in middleschool.
I have a daughter that's inseventh grade right now.
Ben's got a son in sixth grade.
You know that's a tough timeanyways.
As a kid.
Your body's changing.
You got a lot of things goingon trying to fit in and then you
make this big move.
So I imagine that had been kindof challenging.
Speaker 5 (05:59):
It was I really I changed a lot.
I was a really really activekid prior and then when I moved
here, where I'd been a countrykid now, we lived in the city,
and so that was a lot of changeand probably not for the best.
But you go where your family is, that's right.
(06:21):
And mom and dad were great, butit was.
It was a challenge.
It was a challenge, it's hardfor kids that age to make
changes, those kinds of changes.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
So you graduate from Eaton High School.
What's next for you?
Speaker 5 (06:35):
Well, I went to Ashland University Ashland
College, then it's now auniversity and majored in.
Well, actually, I didn't knowwhat I was going to be when I
grew up.
I couldn't decide and I kepttrying to figure it out and I
actually left college between mysophomore and junior year, came
(06:59):
home and still didn't know whatI wanted to be, and Mom and I
had a conversation in July andsaid why don't you go back and
at least get a degree?
You'll have something.
So I did and finally settled onhistory, because that was
something that I was veryinterested in.
Not that I ever wanted to be aneducator, I didn't Maybe a
(07:20):
teacher, Forget it but what Idid was I majored in
comprehensive social studies,which gave me a very broad
education.
It included things likesociology and some psychology
and political science, that kindof stuff, and I went ahead and
(07:43):
graduated and didn't bother toapply for any schools because I
didn't want to be a teacher,even though my degree was
teaching, and ended up getting ajob through a friend with
children's services.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (08:01):
And worked for them for three years.
Good job, hard job, man man.
People who do that deserve allthe respect in the world yeah,
special yeah wow and um then umdecided that, with a friend of
mine, we didn't want to livehere anymore, so we decided to.
She was actually actually fromTexas, so we decided to go to
(08:23):
Texas and move to Dallas.
Gosh, what year was that?
81, I think.
Okay, and live there.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
So from Eaton, Ohio, to the big city of Dallas.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
Texas, you bet.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
That's a big change.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
It was so.
Talk about that.
It was great.
I love Dallas.
It was such a cool place to beum.
It's so cool.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
I had season tickets to the cowboys they were good
back then they were good yeah Iactually saw um landry coach,
wow yeah, I.
Speaker 5 (08:59):
I think that to me is like what a milestone you know,
saw landry coach and saw umseveral of the greats play, you
know, and so that was prettyexciting and uh, got um, got a
job, started off working therein a diamond store of all things
.
I know I needed a job so?
Speaker 3 (09:20):
so, children's services to a diamond?
Yeah, to a diamond store?
Okay, yeah, I needed a jobstore.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
Okay, yeah, I needed a job, and so I worked for them
for a few years and theneventually moved back into
working with kids, became aDallas County probation officer.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
And worked with runaways.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
So talk about that, because that had to be pretty
impactful.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
It was.
That's probably the best thingI ever did.
And well, no, that's probablythe best thing I ever did.
And um, well, no, that's notthe best thing I ever did, but
um, it was.
Um, it was certainly eyeopening.
Um, being a country kid andmoving to Dallas was pretty
eyeopening.
And then the begin to work withkids who lived on the streets,
(10:07):
and the program I worked withwas under the Dallas County
Probation but it was calledLeTot and it was just the name
of the building we actually werein and we specialized in
working with kids who wererunaways and trying to help them
get back home and be able tolive at home.
(10:27):
Probably one of the mosttelling statistics for a runaway
is that four out of fiverunaways are sexually or in some
way abused, and so that was amajor part of, and along with a
lot of other things you know,with street kids and no families
(10:47):
, and on and on and on.
We could talk forever about allof that.
So learning about these kidsand working with them was it was
certainly different than whatI'd ever experienced before, but
it was a.
It was so impactful, soimportant.
(11:10):
You know, when you went to work, you felt like you were doing
something, something important.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
You know I admire people and children's services
and doing something like that.
How do you?
How do you separate yourself?
You go home at night, becauseI'm sure you probably made a
connection with many of thosekids that was probably very
challenging to let go of.
How do you manage that?
Speaker 5 (11:35):
Um, I don't know that you always do.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
Um, I think one of the most telling things that a
kid said to me I had actuallybeen away because I had gone on
vacation or something.
I don't remember why I was gone.
I came back and this was alive-in facility.
They were there for 30 days.
So this young lady who I satdown and started to play a game
(12:03):
with, and she looked at me andshe says no adult has ever
played with me before and thatjust broke my heart right there
that no one had ever actuallysat down with her and played
with her or spent time justbeing normal not not being not
doing anything like therapy oranything like that, just sitting
(12:27):
and talking and playing a game,and that was the kind of things
that that happened and some ofthe things were really.
I mean, after that I was like,after talking to her, I felt so
good about having done that andthen, and then at the same time,
there'd be other things thatwere pretty awful um that you
(12:48):
know, uh hurt kids hurtingthemselves and and um, just just
things that you'd.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Very challenging.
Yeah, yeah, very challengingthings, that that you, I'm sure,
had to be a try to be apositive influence because of
the person that you are, andthen follow whatever steps you
were were, you know, supposed tofollow to do your job.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
Yeah, sure, yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
So you're in Dallas.
How long did you do that?
Speaker 5 (13:13):
Um, I stayed uh 13 years.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Okay, yeah.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
So and uh I, oh the weather, there was so much it
was hard to leave because of theweather, um, but, um, I ended
up coming home, mostly becauseof, well, there was a lot of
reasons, but my dad had gottenreally sick and, um, fortunately
(13:37):
, through um surgery and thedoctors, he had healed.
But you, you know there was,they were getting both, my
parents were getting elderly andI just felt the tug to come
home.
And, um, I hadn't married, umand um didn't have, uh, had ties
definitely there, but didn'thave the, the ties that meant I
(14:01):
couldn't leave.
And so, um, just felt like Ineeded to come home.
Not intending to live in Eaton,not never intending to live in
Eaton, I figured I'd end up inCincinnati or Columbus or
someplace like that.
And um, here I am.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Yeah, so you.
So you come home to help takecare of your parents.
And what are you doing for work?
Speaker 5 (14:26):
Well, I didn't really know at that moment.
I had my degree, but again, Ididn't really expect to teach,
that really wasn't on my radar.
But because I had my degree, Ifigured I could go to the ESC,
which is the Educational ServiceCenter, and see if there was
(14:49):
some possibilities.
And while I was, I think I wasgoing to sub.
I think that's why I went there.
I can't really remember why Iwent, to be honest, but as I was
standing there I saw on thecounter a um thing for a job and
it centered on working with atrisk kids.
(15:11):
Um, and it's like that's what Ido.
So, um, I was, a friend walkedby at that point and I said is
this like for real?
What is this job here?
And she happened to know andshe looked at me and she said
you could do this.
And I said, yeah, I could.
and so I ended up kind offalling into that job yeah and
(15:36):
um did that, for it was called,uh, student assistance and it
was, as said was, working withat-risk kids.
And then, through again ESC, Igot my validation with working
with gifted kids, which was tome rather surprising because I
(15:57):
don't consider myself gifted.
But working with gifted kidsand then eventually came to
National Trail.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Yeah, and then you taught at National Trail for.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
I taught there for about 20 years.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Okay, so you weren't going to be a teacher.
Speaker 5 (16:15):
No, I was not going to be a teacher.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
And you taught for 20 years.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
I am.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Yeah, talk about National Trail, because National
Trail is near and dear to myheart.
Oh, you bet I love NationalTrail.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
Yeah, yeah, I did not , you know, growing up National
Trail you kind of was like whenI was growing up it was kind of
that school.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Out there, out there in the country, yeah, out in the
middle of the cornfield.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
And I was.
I'm not even sure I knewexactly where it was to be
honest.
I'm not even sure I knewexactly where it was to be
honest.
But when I came home andstarted to learn about the
education part of the county, Ifound that I did sub for a
(16:59):
period and I found that NationalTrail was one of my favorite
places to go.
I liked the kids.
I knew a few people who workedthere, so it wasn't hard for me
then to, when a position cameopen, to say hmm, I'm kind of
interested, and so I ended upworking there.
(17:22):
I took Coach Hoff's spot when hewent to Florida and um, and
then of course he came back, butuh, yeah, so I ended up there
for for 20 years.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
So let's talk about you know, that was what 2020,
2021, 2021.
So we're right in the middle ofCOVID.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
No, I'm sorry, 2001.
I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
I said 2021.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
Yeah, it's, 2001 is when I started.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
And then you retired in 2020 with COVID.
Let's talk about that, becauseCOVID is one of those things we
all had to deal with and figureout and try to understand and
everybody's got you know,everybody's got their their
opinions on it.
But talk about you know whatled you to retirement, and was
it related to COVID or was itjust time?
(18:13):
It was just time.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
Yeah, I was um, I was going to be 65 and um, unlike a
lot of people you know whostart out teaching immediately
and they get to retire whenthey're in their 50s, I had to
go the whole time which I didn'tmind.
Again, I was not married, and sowhat would I be doing?
(18:37):
And I never was unhappy goingto work, was unhappy going to
work.
I was really fortunate, thewhole time we were at Trail, or
I was at Trail that the people Iworked with were dynamite.
I mean, I loved working withthe people I worked with.
Was it perfect?
(18:57):
Oh heavens no, but it wascomfortable and I felt
appreciated and so yeah, andthat's important in life, right
it?
Sure is it?
Sure is it makes all thedifference the kind of
administration you had.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
And except for a couple of years, our
administration continues to bereal good at trail?
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 5 (19:21):
And that's one of the reasons why it's as good as
school as it is now.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Yeah, and it is they for sure, and that's one of the
reasons why it's as good asschool as it is now.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
And it is that they're doing well.
Um so, throughout that timeyou're, you're teaching and
you're still caring for yourparents.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
Yeah, um, mom or dad, I should say dad, um, he, um,
dad had emphysema.
He'd been a lifelong smoker andum his um, you know, his
breathing was had been a becamea real challenge for him.
And um, in 2005, um, he passed.
And then, uh, mom lived foranother 10 years and in 2015 she
(19:57):
passed.
Okay.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Okay, so so you're caring for them and teaching and
doing all those things backback in back in the hometown
area.
You're in Preble County, youweren't in Eaton, but are
teaching in Eaton.
So 2020 hits you retire.
What's life look like then?
Speaker 5 (20:13):
Oh, that was strange.
Um, that whole school year whenwe started out, I kept telling
I taught high school and Itaught seniors and, in
particular, and I get kepttelling that class, we're going
to graduate together, we'regoing to graduate together.
Um and um, it was such a funclass, I really enjoyed that
class.
(20:34):
And then all of a sudden, inMarch, we were done.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
And, um, I think, along with several of the people
I knew, I had COVID.
Before it was COVID, I think alot of people did, and I had
been sick more in that fromJanuary to March, more than I
think the whole time I was, youknow, worked and so I literally
(21:02):
came back from being sick for acouple of days to somebody
saying this is our last day.
It's like what, how is thatpossible?
And no, that's not, it's notgoing to be.
Yeah, it was, we were done andum, so there's no prep.
No there's no prep.
You just, I mean, I knew it wasgoing to be done at the end of
(21:23):
the year, but I didn't know Iwas going to be done.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
In March, in March yeah.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
So we struggled through the classes struggled
through because nobody wasreally in a real good place to
be able to, because we had allthese things yet to accomplish
and you're not going to get itaccomplished.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Yeah, you're not prepared because it was
completely unexpected Right then.
You're not going to get itaccomplished.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
Yeah, you're not prepared because it was
completely unexpected, rightright?
Speaker 3 (21:45):
yeah, and so that was a challenging time.
Here you are kind of, you know,riding the wave out with this
group of seniors and then all ofa sudden, bang, everything kind
of stops and changes, and nowyou've got to change how you
teach right and what that lookslike, and probably knowing we're
not coming back to finish outthe year.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
Yeah, one thing that Trail has done really, really
well, and I imagine still does,is we had the technology.
Thanks to our technology guy,brian Poole, our technology is,
I'll say it, probably betterthan anybody else in Provo
(22:24):
County.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:25):
I'm sure there'll be people who won't appreciate me
saying that, but I'm prettycertain and because of that and
I like technology my kids were.
We worked from the computer.
I didn't rely on the computerto do everything, but they were
(22:47):
comfortable with the way Itaught and that they could use
the computer.
And so some things weredifferent, but we were able to
get through and finish up theyear somewhat successful.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Sure, yeah, so we'll fast forward a little bit.
Okay, to 2024, on your birthday.
Can you talk about kind ofleading up to that point?
I know we'd had someconversations and reading you
know what you'd sent me onanswering some of my questions,
(23:20):
but you were sick.
Right, you were feeling sick.
Things weren't good for you.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
Yeah, I've been a pretty healthy person all my
life.
Don't like to go to the doctorbecause I'm never sick.
So I went on a cruise with afriend of mine and didn't feel
terrible, but didn't feel, youknow, didn't feel as good as I
(23:47):
usually do and came home foundout that I had a UTI Okay, big
deal, got over that but stilldidn't feel great.
And this is getting into Maynow and get to Memorial Day and
find that I'm or MemorialWeekend anyways, and find that
I'm a Memorial weekend anyways,and find that I'm having back
(24:10):
pain and, um, I don't again, Idon't have that kind of problem,
and so and of course it was aholiday.
So I thought, well, I, and itseems like if you call for a
doctor's appointment, it takesforever now.
So I went to the emergency roomand explained what it was and
(24:34):
what was going on andfortunately they took me serious
and did all kinds of tests andall the tests came back fine, I
was good.
The only thing that the doctormentioned was that my lymph
nodes were enlarged and he saidthat could be any number of
things, um, including cancer,and then he left and I'm like,
(24:56):
oh, okay, well, it's no big dealright yeah, it's just, and I'll
be in touch with my regulardoctor.
And so then we started theprocess of checking everything
and all my tests were comingback normal, everything was fine
, except that they began to feellike maybe my gallbladder was
(25:18):
giving me the problem because Iwas still having back pain.
I was still having and I was sotired and I was so tired it was
.
I have a dog and I would walkmy dog every day and I could
hardly walk my dog.
I could get so far and then I'dhave to stop and wait, catch my
(25:39):
breath and then walk back to myhouse.
My poor dog didn't hardly knowwhat was going on.
Walked back to my house, mypoor dog didn't hardly know what
was going on.
And um, so that was, um, thatwas in june and they decided it
was my gallbladder.
So I had my gallbladder takenout in beginning of july and, um
(26:01):
, that doctor, um, did a biopsy.
Um, I think when he took thegallbladder out he knew probably
what was going on.
And um, they uh did the biopsy.
And then on my birthday theycalled and said you have cancer.
And I can't say I was surprised.
(26:22):
Um, I really wasn't.
Something was up.
I knew that by that time that Iwas sick, something was wrong.
Something was wrong.
I didn't dwell on the thoughtthat it could be cancer.
I certainly didn't do that but,it was, there was something
wrong, definitely.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
So how did that hit you when, when you actually when
it kind of confirmed in yourmind what you may have been
thinking how did it hit you?
Speaker 5 (26:46):
Well, um, I think the thing that that hit me most was
I've got to tell my family andum, there was cancer in um, my
oldest brother's uh wife died ofcancer.
Her family unfortunately hadhas cancer pretty prevalent in
there, and my niece, um, is a10-year survivor of breast
(27:09):
cancer.
And so I think the thing thathit me first was I didn't want
to tell my family.
I mean, I wanted to tell thembecause I I needed them, but I
didn't want to tell them that.
I didn't want to say you know,um, here we go again for them.
And that was probably the thingthat hit me first was having to
(27:32):
share that with them.
And then after that it was likeokay, you know, I have lived on
my own all my life, I amindependent on my own all my
life.
I have my um, I am umindependent um, I, uh, I have
always been independent.
I've had to be right so this isjust one more thing, um, and
(27:57):
that I have to deal with.
But the the good news for mewas I didn't have to deal with
it alone.
I had a big God, um, and I knewthat, I knew he was big and he
was big enough to handle this.
And, um, I did not um, I didnot fear, I never did Um, I, I
(28:22):
said to my pastor, I said Idon't quite understand it, yet I
do, I'm not afraid, and I knowthis could be a death sentence,
I know that, whether it is ornot, you know I'm his.
And there's a verse that I cameacross after this, not before
(28:42):
this, but after this.
It says if I live, I live tothe Lord.
If I die, I die to the Lord.
If I die, I die to the Lord.
If I live or die, I'm his andthat's okay, that's the best,
that's a win-win, that's that's.
You know, if I, if I'm healed,it's a win.
If I go to Jesus, it's an evenbigger win.
(29:02):
In my mind, that's amazing.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
Yeah, that's amazing and and and this is very fresh,
right, I mean when you, when yousay July, you're talking just
July, seven months eight monthsago, seven months ago.
Yeah, so you tell your familywhat's their reaction.
Speaker 5 (29:20):
Cheers.
I mean, we were all crying Umbut, yeah, but you know, I felt
they were going to be there.
I knew they were going to bethere.
I didn't have to worry aboutthat.
They were going to be there.
But at the same time, you know,unless you've gone through
something like this, you reallydon't know what that means that
(29:45):
they're going to be there.
And again, it's still hard toput into words.
You really don't know until youknow, um, until you experience
it and um, yeah, I have aamazing family.
Um, they all just stepped in.
I mean, I couldn't even vacuummy floor.
I literally went three monthswithout cleaning my house.
(30:10):
My mom would have been rollingin her grave and, yeah, I
couldn't run a vacuum cleaner.
I was lucky if I could get upout of bed, and I would.
I would never stay in bed, butI'd get up out of bed and I'd
make it to my chair and, um,maybe make it to the kitchen to
(30:33):
get something to eat, but I hadstopped eating.
I could hardly eat anything,and then I'd come back to my
chair and then eventually I'd goto bed and that was about as
much energy as I had.
There just wasn't any energy atall and, um, that was the thing
that that was.
So I'm not a super, you know,going all the time kind of
(30:59):
person.
I never have been that way.
But to not be able to doanything was, I mean, my car sat
for weeks and never movedbecause I wasn't moving.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
It's one thing, the toll on your body, right, you
know what you're dealing withgoing through chemo, the
treatments but I think probablythe bigger toll is maybe on your
mind, right.
Speaker 5 (31:24):
Yeah Well, yes, tolls maybe on your mind, right?
Yeah Well yes, I mean I feltthat was actually an area where
I was strong because of my God,because of, because of my faith.
Um, I didn't have anything inthe word, in the way of of
strength, but I could, I couldbe in the word, I could pray, I
(31:46):
could um, um, talk to him, um, Ireally um, I.
I often would think about if,if you didn't, if for someone
who didn't have my faith likethe faith I had, or whatever,
what would it be like for them?
And I couldn't imagine it.
(32:06):
It would have been awful,because in the middle of the
night, when you're alone in thathospital bed, there's nothing
except yourself, and if that'sall you got, that's sad, that is
um, and I can see how peoplewould be.
(32:29):
Just so, um, I can't even thinkof the right word Overwhelmed.
Yeah, um, and I, I can say, yeah, I got overwhelmed, but I
didn't feel, um, hopeless, uh,uh, I felt hope the whole time.
I never felt hopeless and,again, I didn't know whether I
(32:50):
was going to live or die.
I didn't and I had no, nothing,you know.
I know some people say, well,you know, the lord has given me
this or whatever, and, um, hegave me hope, but he did not say
you're gonna live.
He never said that and and, butI, as time, say you're going to
live.
He never said that, and and,but I, as time went on, I began
to understand yeah, I was gonnalive, I, I'm, I think I'm, I
(33:15):
feel like I'm going to live.
And um at um, do you want tohear about what the chemo was?
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Absolutely Okay.
Speaker 5 (33:30):
And because that was surprising to me.
You know, you hear about thepeople who go and have chemo and
they sit in the chair and thenthey come home, right.
Well, the doctor says to meokay, you're going to be here
and you're going to be in thehospital.
When I say here, you're goingto be in the hospital for five
to eight days and you're goingto be in the hospital.
When I say here, you're gonnabe in the hospital for five to
(33:51):
eight days and you're going tohave chemo, and the chemo is
going to run 22 hours a day, I'mlooking at his face his big
eyes.
Well, he was wrong.
It was 24 to 26 hours a day,wow, and because that's how they
filled the chemo bag.
And so what I would, um, what Iwould do is you're hooked up,
(34:11):
you have a what's called a portwhere they hook you up and, uh,
to this bag, and you have Gladysthat was my little tree that I
walked around with, that's whatI called her.
So Gladys and I would goeverywhere together and, um,
(34:32):
this, um.
Then they had the bag that wascovered in a black plastic
because it could not be open tothe light.
You know, if you think, if youknow what a infusion bag is, um,
where you get saline, you know,or something like that you know
that that's open to the lightand there's no problem with this
.
can't be open to the light.
(34:54):
This has to be completelycovered in a black bag, or a
dark bag anyways.
And um in, so what, um, intalking to my niece, who's Molly
, who was, like I said, is acancer survivor, she told me
when she went through it she hadbreast cancer, so it was a
(35:14):
little different, but she toldme that when they gave her her
first infusion, they said thisis called the red devil and
because it's that you andbecause it's that, yeah, yeah,
it's that.
It's that difficult.
And she said she decided in hermind that it was not going to
be the red devil but the bloodof jesus.
See it's red the chemo is.
(35:37):
Is is kind of a red, reddishorange yeah and I thought holy
cow way to go molly.
Way to go molly, yeah, way togo molly and so every time they
hooked me up to it, it was likeblood of jesus, blood of jesus
coming through my veins givingyou strength, giving me strength
.
That's exactly right.
Um, I told you that I had umbacks.
(36:00):
My back was hurting so, and thefirst time they hooked me up,
within 10 minutes, that backpain was gone.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Really.
Speaker 5 (36:09):
Yeah, that was strange, that was surprising and
strange.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Well, cause it had been bothering you for months
and months.
Right, yeah, give me.
Yeah, you're good, so you're.
You're going through this 24 to26 hours of treatment, and this
is every this was, um, when itfinally settled down.
Speaker 5 (36:34):
The first week was eight days, but they were
getting me all kind of set up,you know.
And then after that it was uh,you, I was there for five days,
um, and then I would go home,and then, um, then the very next
day you came back and you hadone more treatment.
So I guess you could say sixdays of treatment and then I'd
(36:54):
be home for two weeks.
And in that first week, firstfive to seven days, I just felt
awful and the strain machinesgot to back up for for a second
while I was in treatment and Iwas good, I felt good.
I mean, yeah, I had to dragGladys with me everywhere I went
(37:15):
, but I did not, I was not sick.
Um, I never.
Um, I take that back, I did once, um, but you know, most people
talk about the nausea and all ofthat.
Well, they, they did a lot toprevent that.
I mean, the care you get now,compared to what you used to
hear about cancer, is like nightand day different.
(37:37):
It really is.
At least for me it was.
And they, I, I felt fine, they,um, I, I felt fine, uh, I did
not.
Uh, I could get up.
I could walk.
Once I started getting strengthback, um, I could do, um,
really just about anything Ineeded to do, um to just accept
(38:02):
I couldn't leave the hospital.
I was.
I had to be there for thetreatment, but then, once the
treatment was over with, that'swhen I started to feel crappy.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Right.
Speaker 5 (38:13):
Yeah, and so for the next five to seven days,
depending, I would be not sick,but just did not feel good.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
Kind of nauseous, kind of like a flu feeling maybe
.
Speaker 5 (38:28):
Yeah, I can't say I had a lot of nausea, but again I
had a lot of medication to helpme with that, so I avoided most
of that.
But you know, I would go inagain.
I talked about sitting in mychair.
I would sit with my in thechair, with my head in my hands
and just sit there for who knowshow long.
(38:48):
I mean just because that's asfar as I could get.
And, um, of course, I lost myhair, which was pretty funny
Actually.
I thought that was hilariousand I don't think it's hilarious
.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
I lost my hair too.
I wear a hat.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
Let me ask you one thing yeah sure.
Speaker 3 (39:08):
Is there significance to the name Gladys?
Speaker 5 (39:11):
No, not really, Except that there's a really,
really old joke, that I can'ttell jokes at all, I don't
remember them, but there's onejoke that I remember, and it's
Gladys.
It has to do with a Gladys, sothat's it.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
That's the only reason.
I was just curious, becausehere you know you're spending 24
, 26 hours with Gladys right?
Just curious if there was anyjust a funny name.
Speaker 4 (39:34):
Okay, I'm just glad that you said that you named it
Gladys Cause, otherwise I'd havebeen going somewhere and being
like now that's your Gladysright.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
What are you talking about?
Speaker 4 (39:43):
So I'm glad you saved me that embarrassment.
It's not like, gladys, what areyou talking about?
I'm glad you saved me thatembarrassment.
Speaker 5 (39:47):
Yeah, no, it's just you.
Humor became really important.
I mean, I'm a person who likesto laugh.
I mean I am not a down in yourdumps kind of a person I've
always been.
I've always tried to smile andbe somebody that has a positive
look always tried to smile andbe somebody that has a positive
(40:10):
look.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
And hearing your story, I think that's pretty
obvious, because look at whatyou did, you know.
When you started out in childservices, you go to Dallas and
you're helping runaway kids andthen you become a teacher.
I mean, your whole life hasbeen about service to others and
having to be that positiveinfluence Right.
So I would expect nothing less.
It's pretty, it's pretty amazingto see.
So you, you get through thechemo treatments.
(40:32):
What's that like?
And what's next for you?
What are the doctors tellingyou?
What's?
Because this is.
When did you finish chemo?
Speaker 5 (40:41):
I finished the end of November.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
Okay, so no, I'm sorry.
Speaker 5 (40:44):
The beginning of November, sorry.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
So we're just talking three, four months yeah.
Speaker 5 (40:48):
I'm pretty new to this.
Yeah, let me step back for justa second Between the third and,
I'm sorry, the second and nothird and fourth.
Third and fourth treatment Ihad a PET scan and, to begin
with, before I even started withtreatment, I had a PET scan and
, to begin with, before I evenstarted with treatment, I had a
PET scan and they showed thepicture of that and I was full
(41:17):
of cancer in my lymph nodes inmy face area through all the way
down into, um, uh, my torso, uh, all the way into my torso.
I was full of cancer.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
So like what's they?
They put that in stages right.
Speaker 5 (41:36):
Yeah, well, yes and no, um, my, um, my family
actually asked that questionwhat stage is this?
And?
And the doctor said it's.
It's different.
We're used to hearing,especially because of breast
cancer, the stages, and for whatI had was B cell lymphoma,
(41:57):
which is a blood cancer, and, um, what they?
This is different.
I had aggressive B celllymphoma type two, which in and
as he explained it to my family,it would be similar to stage
four breast cancer, but with Bcell you have a greater chance
(42:19):
of cure.
Okay, so, um, yeah, so it's alittle yeah, yeah, there's hope.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
Yeah, oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (42:28):
And he, he was real honest.
He says there's no guarantee.
He said, but there's, there iscure on this.
Um, and that's why they were soaggressive from the very
beginning, because, uh, I was sofull of cancer, full of cancer.
(42:52):
And um, so between my third andfourth I had another PET scan.
And PET scan is just verysimple.
It's just they run it throughthe machine and out and you know
so there's no.
You know they're not beingpoked or probed or anything but
um.
So, in waiting to find out, mybrother and sister-in-law, dean
and Susan, were there in theroom and we were going to wait
(43:14):
for the doctor to come and talkand we were like, oh gosh, you
know what's going on.
Well, I feel better, I do feelbetter, so I've got to be at
least some better.
I mean, but you don't know.
And um, he comes in and, uh, drleonhardt gotta say his name
(43:36):
and comes in and um says, um,there's no cancer.
It's like what?
Speaker 1 (43:44):
wow, he says um.
Speaker 5 (43:46):
There's no discernible cancer, it's gone
wow are you kidding me?
Nope, you are cancer free atthis moment did you just want to
jump for joy?
Well, after you left, I got upout of bed and did a happy dance
for sure I did get up and dance.
Yeah, that was like I said Ifelt good, I felt like I was
(44:08):
better.
I didn't know that I was cancerfree, but I was better.
But he said that we're going tocontinue to do all six
treatments because I want to getyou into as deep a remission as
I can get you, and I was okayfor that.
Yeah, definitely, as long asthe insurance pays, I'm okay.
(44:31):
And so, yeah, when he left,yeah, we got up, we cried, we
hugged and we and I danced.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (44:41):
And so.
So then, from third to fourthThrough six, it was about being
in remission and being, and Ihave to say, the, the.
I was on the third floor atKettering, maine, and those
people, they were amazing to me,um, kind and um, just such a
(45:04):
blessing.
Um, there was no, no one that Imean.
Yeah, they got me up at allkinds of hours and because you
have to take all of the, the,the different tests and the
different um medicines and yeahand but, um, they were, they
(45:24):
were the best, and I can't sayenough good things about them.
I had a group of doctors thatwere great.
I mean, there were all kinds offunny, weird, silly things that
happened.
We laughed a lot and you learnto just okay, and that's part of
(45:47):
what is really important for meto say is you learn to
understand that you're not incontrol anymore, and that is for
me.
I've had to be in control allmy life.
I had to take care of businessbecause it was me, and so to not
be in control was eye-opening,but it was freeing too.
(46:11):
It was so freeing to be able tojust okay, lord, you're in
control, you're going to workthe hands of the doctors and
you're going to be the nursesand I'm just going to trust in
you.
I'm going to trust yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:25):
And I'm going to trust.
And yeah, deb, that's anamazing story.
You're an amazing you.
Speaker 5 (46:28):
I'm going to trust, yeah, and I'm going to trust,
and yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
Deb, that's an amazing story.
You're an amazing woman.
I've got a couple of questionsfor you.
I want you to answer for ourlisteners out there, because I
think every family in some way,shape or form, has been impacted
by cancer.
Speaker 5 (46:43):
Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (46:43):
Right.
Whether it's a family member, afriend or whoever it may be, we
all know someone who's who'sbeen given that diagnosis.
Speaker 1 (46:59):
So for someone who may have been given that
diagnosis today, when they'relistening to, this.
Speaker 5 (47:03):
What advice do you have for them To to trust God?
Um, to trust God, it's hard toanswer that question.
I mean, for somebody who is aChristian, who believes in God,
believes in Jesus, that he's ourSavior, it's a little easier to
(47:27):
answer.
It's a harder thing to answerwhen you don't have that and
that is I mean I to be able to,to understand what's even
happening to you without havingfaith.
Um, to do that without faith,you would have to.
(47:51):
I don't know how you could doit.
I just I can't really imaginenot having my faith and having
to go through that.
I think I had, in truth,probably an easier time than
most people did through cancer.
Because of your faith, becauseof my faith, but also, yeah,
(48:13):
because my faith.
I I don't.
I believe god gave me um aneasier time too.
Um, I could hear people um in a, in other rooms being sick
rooms, being sick, but then Idon't again, I don't know what.
What they had or what was thetheir problem.
(48:35):
Um, I didn't have that.
Um, I had um, like I said I,it's a hard question to answer,
I mean, it's an easy question toanswer.
Speaker 3 (48:47):
No, you did a good job.
Speaker 5 (48:48):
I mean, it's an easy question to answer if, like I
said, if you have the faith.
Speaker 1 (48:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (48:53):
It's just, yeah, rely on the Lord, get that Bible out
, get that and begin to read.
And you don't have to have ahuge long background, you don't
have to be a pastor to be ableto, um, just open that that
thing up.
I have a?
(49:13):
Um, I gotten, um this littlebook, um called god's promises,
and I had been, I had kind ofgotten into it prior to this
whole thing, and it has just allkinds of verses that are the
promises that exist in the Bibleand that became man.
That was with me everywhere.
(49:34):
I was just hanging on to thatfor dear life.
In fact, when I ended up havingto go to the emergency room at
the very beginning of this, Ihad it in my purse and I was
hanging on to that just to beable to read that.
That meant everything, just tobe able was hanging on to that,
to just to be able to read that.
That means that meanteverything, just to be able to
hang on to that and to read thatBible and hang on to that.
(49:55):
If you don't have that, then my, my um advice would be um, find
somebody to let you have aBible get a.
Bible, um, and then just beginto read and just let God do what
he does so well.
Speaker 3 (50:13):
Yeah, that's a.
That's a great answer, greatanswer.
So, as we land this plane, alittle bit, this has flown by
for you, don't you think I?
Speaker 1 (50:20):
mean we're.
We're almost an hour in andyou're kidding, you're cranking,
you're doing a great job.
Speaker 3 (50:25):
So I got, I got two questions, two final questions,
okay.
First one is is if you couldhave a conversation with someone
, living or deceased, who wouldit be and why?
Speaker 5 (50:36):
Um, you saw my answer , didn't you Maybe?
Speaker 1 (50:40):
That was yeah.
Speaker 5 (50:41):
Okay, uh, my grandma Stover.
My grandma Stover was my dad'smom and um she, um she, she was
a toot.
She was something else.
And soon after I moved backfrom Texas, I went with some
(51:02):
friends to play mud volleyballand she happened to be, she
happened to be visiting at thattime, and she said to my aunt,
um that basically I would not,how could I possibly turn out to
be anything if I was playingmud volleyball?
Speaker 3 (51:21):
and so, uh, when I saw that question, I thought,
yeah, I want to tell grandma wasokay I turned out okay, you,
you did good, I did good Allright last question, as you're
going through everything thatyou've been through in your
entire life, especially here inthe past six months or a year,
with everything that you'vebattled through.
(51:43):
Is there a Bible verse?
Is there a quote?
Is there something that getsyou through daily that you can
share with our listeners?
Speaker 5 (51:54):
one or a couple.
I have so many.
I'm scrolling down to find theone that I because unfortunately
I um have chemo brain and can'tremember necessarily everything
I want to say- You've donegreat so far.
(52:15):
One that I have had most of mylife, which was Psalm 34, 4, is
I sought the Lord and he heardme and he delivered me from all
my fears.
That's one that I've had long,long before this ever happened,
but I would say probably the onethat I have come back to often
(52:40):
is Romans 8, 38 and 39.
And it says for I'm persuadedthat neither death nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, norpowers, nor things present nor
things to come, nor height nordepth, nor any other created
thing shall be able to separateme us from the love of God,
(53:00):
which is Christ Jesus, our Lord,and I just love that.
Speaker 1 (53:05):
That's great, I just love that.
Speaker 5 (53:08):
So there were a lot.
There were so many that I cameacross, and you know when things
were rough.
I had a real tough time withbeing dehydrated for a long
period of time, and I cameacross one that had to do with
the water, living water, and sowhenever something you know was
(53:36):
in particular was an issue, itseemed like there would be a
verse that would pop that wouldjust go.
Oh, that's me Okay.
Speaker 3 (53:45):
That's amazing.
I got that, Ben.
You have any questions?
Speaker 4 (53:49):
I'm just.
I've been all amazed.
I just I don't know.
You know you talk about, youdidn't have any fears and that
was the Bible verse.
You just said you live by right.
What was?
Speaker 5 (53:58):
it.
Speaker 4 (53:58):
Psalm 34?
.
Is that what it was?
It was.
Speaker 5 (54:01):
Psalm no, it was Romans 8.
Speaker 4 (54:03):
Romans 8, and then what was the one before that?
Speaker 5 (54:05):
34.
Speaker 4 (54:05):
that 34, four 34, four, that was Psalms.
Yeah, yeah, and say that onemore time Okay, sorry, no it's
all right.
Speaker 5 (54:13):
I just I have to read it.
I sought the Lord and he heardme.
That's the part.
Speaker 4 (54:25):
He heard me Right and he delivered me from all my
fears, right and right beforeyou talked about when you you
know your battle with cancerwhat'd you say?
Speaker 5 (54:29):
It was weird, I didn't have any fears.
Speaker 4 (54:30):
I didn't have any fear at all.
Speaker 5 (54:31):
If I live, great I lived a Lord, and if I die, I
die of the Lord, and that's all,that's all of our goals.
Speaker 4 (54:36):
Right To die and go up there and he looks at you and
says well done.
You know, I just thought whenyou said that to be anything you
, the verse you live by andthat's I just.
I don't know.
I get chills thinking about ithonestly, it's amazing.
And I mean we've all been inthose situations too, of people
of Christ that you know.
(54:57):
I remember the first timesomeone prayed with Jude, my son
, when he was in the NICU, youknow, and you hear people say
you pray all the time and I feellike people that aren't
christians that hear you praythey're probably thinking like,
hey, just please be with deb,and that's it, yeah, right.
And then here's somebody reallypray like, hey, the doctors
that are going to work on her bewith it.
You know, give them knowledgeto deal with what they're she's
(55:18):
dealing with, give them thehands.
I mean, you know, when somebodyreally prays for you and you
hear it, you know, and you knowyou have people like that it
just it adds a whole other layerof confidence and just knowing
how loved you really feel.
Speaker 5 (55:30):
Yeah, that was the thing that I think humbled me
more than anything else was toto, and we talked a little bit
about my family but but also thepeople who came around me from
my church and and and not justmy church, but they were
obviously those who are closestto me.
Um, I mean they would do thingslike come into my house and and
(55:53):
were closest to me.
I mean they would do thingslike come into my house and
clean it for me, mow my yard, anumber of things.
But the biggest thing was whenthey said they prayed.
And then they would say andthen I told my cousin, who told
her Bible group they are prayingthere in South Carolina, and
(56:14):
then you would hear somebodyelse would say, when I was
driving by your house, I prayed,I mean that I amazing yeah.
I mean, that just chokes me withwith all kinds of feelings and
emotions and and what a giftthat I mean.
These are, these are peoplethat I knew, but I can't say
(56:36):
were big buds necessarily, butthey were.
They, um, cared enough and andit makes you feel which is part
of the reason why I'm here,because doing this is not on my
bucket list- but if it was, youcould mark it all, yeah.
(56:58):
Which is, you know, god healedme for a reason, and when I was
going through this, especiallywhen I knew I was cancer free, I
was like then, what's next,lord?
What do you want from me now?
Because I know I can't, youcan't have done this without
(57:19):
expecting Right and um, so whatis next?
And certainly this wasn't whatI thought of, but you know, I
had thought about maybe someother things and um, but that's
what was.
When I talked to you I was likeI don't want this about,
necessarily about me, but Iwanted, about you, know what,
what he did, and to his glory.
Speaker 3 (57:41):
You know what's you know?
What's amazing is is thatalmost everyone that that comes
and sits at this table and tellstheir story says the exact same
thing.
I don't want it to be about me.
And what I tell you it's yourstory, right?
It is about you.
But ultimately it's about thelistener who hears the story
(58:02):
right, who finds hope andinspiration in whatever
difficulties they might befacing, because to see you know
your your life's journey again,a servant leader.
Everything you've done has beenservice to others, not about
you, right?
You come on here and you tellyour story so that others can
(58:23):
hear it and find hope andinspiration.
And I don't know if you saw theshirt that I'm wearing.
Speaker 1 (58:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (58:28):
So this is, this was kind of it's not kind of.
This was the motto of betempered when we started, and I
don't know if you saw the shirtthat I'm wearing.
So this was kind of it's notkind of.
This was the motto of BeTempered when we started and I
had the shirt.
I pulled it out this morning.
I'm like this is what I'm goingto wear when we interview Deb,
and it's a Bible verse, isaiah43, verse 2.
It says when you pass throughthe waters, I will be with you,
and when you pass through therivers, I will be with you.
(58:49):
And when you pass through therivers, they will not sweep over
you.
When you walk through the fire,you will not be burned, the
flames will not set you ablaze.
And so I haven't wore this shirton a podcast, yet it is a be
tempered shirt.
I haven't wore it, but forwhatever reason this morning,
(59:09):
you know, I I just I felt calledto um, to wear it today, and
and I wasn't even gonna read theBible verse, but as, as the
more and more you were talking,it was like you know what?
This is why I wore, wore theshirt so, um, that your story is
a true testament to the powerof resilience, faith and an
(59:30):
unbreakable spirit.
Through the toughest challenges, you've shown that strength
isn't about never falling.
It's about getting back up andmoving forward with grace and
courage.
I thank you for sharing yourjourney with us today.
Your unwavering hope anddetermination inspire us all to
(59:50):
live with purpose, to embraceevery moment and to never give
up.
And no matter the obstacles,I'm sure your story will
continue to uplift and empowermany who hear it.
Speaker 5 (01:00:02):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3 (01:00:04):
Really, really appreciate you coming on and
telling your story.
Really appreciate Molly pushingyou as well.
Speaker 5 (01:00:09):
Thank you, molly.
Yeah, thank you.
Yeah, she was a big help.
Yeah, she was.
Speaker 3 (01:00:13):
And she's an amazing woman.
I had the pleasure of coachingher son Noah, who's the same age
as my son Nate and four yearsin basketball.
Great kid, it's hard to believethat they're 15-year-old
freshmen in high school and allthat crazy stuff.
But truly grateful for you.
Thank you and grateful for yourjourney and excited to see
(01:00:34):
where you go next.
Speaker 5 (01:00:35):
Yeah, me too, I really am.
I think guys got you know.
Well, I've already, in justthis short time, done things
that I didn't expect.
No, not even close.
Well, everybody, if you're notinspired by this story, you
didn't expect.
No, not even close.
Speaker 3 (01:00:51):
Well, everybody, if you're not inspired by this
story, you didn't listen.
Be sure to share Deb's story.
It's amazing.
Someone out there you knowagain is battling cancer or have
been given that diagnosis, andthis is a true testament to how
to get through it with faith.
Speaker 5 (01:01:09):
With faith, there you go.
I didn't do it on my own.
Speaker 3 (01:01:11):
You didn't, you didn't Everybody go out and be
tempered.
Speaker 1 (01:01:16):
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This is my dad, Dan.
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