July 6, 2024 • 23 mins
Discover the incredible journey of resilience and love on this special episode of Sylvr Tea New Me, where I sit down with my younger sister, Donna Walker. Together, we recount the emotional and challenging road we traveled during my fight against breast cancer. Donna’s unwavering support, from attending appointments to documenting our journey through her photography, brought light to our darkest moments.
We also bring attention to the critical need for open conversations about breast cancer, particularly within the Black community, where mortality rates are distressingly higher. Highlighting the importance of emotional support and early detection, we introduce the innovative Maker Street Studios, a creative haven for content creators. Donna emphasizes how sharing survival stories can foster a supportive community and improve the quality of life for those affected. Don't miss this heartfelt discussion filled with valuable insights and practical tips designed to inspire and inform.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, my name is Sherry and welcome to my podcast,
silver Tea.
And today my podcast is aboutfamily and support, and I have a
special guest, my youngersister, donna Walker.
She was a great part of mywhole process, from the
beginning to the end.
She went with me for my firstappointment.
(00:23):
It was the first one.
I was trying to remember if itwas mom.
I think mom went on the secondappointment, I think it was.
I think I remember going to theappointment when the doctor
needed to tell you a lot ofinformation about your diagnosis
and what the next steps were,because, remember, I recorded
(00:43):
information.
To be honest, I don't know ifthat was the first, yeah, and,
uh, what the next steps were.
So because, remember, Irecorded, yeah, information, so,
but I, to be honest, I don'tknow if that was the first, yeah
, that's what I'm trying toremember, or was this one later
on, but I was there from thebeginning, yeah, so she was
there, she was, she was a greathelp.
Donna donna showed up.
She went with me, uh, for my,my chemo treatment, and no, she
(01:05):
didn't go for the radiationtreatment, but she was there for
my chemo treatment and it was,and I have to say, well, it had
to be tough seeing your sisterin that condition, but donna's
the photographer, so she wastaking pictures, she was making
the best of it, so I'm gonnapost some pictures right here so
you can see some pictures shetook of me when I was going
through my chemo treatment thatday.
And so I just want to ask Donnaa couple of questions.
(01:28):
So, donna, what are yourthoughts on this podcast?
Well, sister, thank you.
First, I want to say thank youfor allowing me to come on to
your podcast to bring myperspective on this wonderful
podcast, to bring my perspectiveon this wonderful podcast.
(01:49):
I feel like you are doing anexcellent thing by sharing your
experience as a breast cancersurvivor.
Because you may not havementioned it before, but I'm
going to say it Sherry's prettymuch an introvert, and so she
likes to keep to herself.
But for her to actually feellike that she likes to keep to
herself, but for her to actuallyfeel like that, she needs to
speak to the world, that youneed to speak to the world about
(02:10):
your experience, becausesherry's very compassionate.
If if she hasn't mentioned thateither, I'm gonna tell you
she's very, very, verycompassionate.
She's one of those who couldcry because there's a dog on the
side of the road that need help.
But my sister's verycompassionate and so, um,
because of that, she, she wantsto make sure that others yeah,
you know others want who eitheris um have gotten the news, like
(02:33):
you got the news who have, whoare currently going through
treatment or who have come outas survivors, that you want to
share information to help peoplealong each step of that path,
so they know that they're notalone.
They know that there are peopleout there who have gone through
the same situation that theyare currently going through or
have completed, and there is aresource they can always come to
(02:57):
your podcast and see how youare managing at the stage that
you are, and you also talk aboutwhat happens or how it works
for you during the actualprocess of getting the
treatments.
So I am so proud that you wantto do this.
I'm super excited and happythat you are doing this because
it shows that you have a newappreciation for life and that
(03:20):
you also want to make sure thatyou are giving back.
You know some people may wantto crawl into a corner and curl
up and don't want to see the,you know, just go into a shell,
but you have decided to go awhole different direction.
You decided that you wanted toopen up a part of your life
because it's going to be abenefit to someone.
So I really love the podcast.
(03:42):
We need to talk more about it.
So, yeah, I'm glad you said acouple of those things and it
sounds like you've been watchingmy podcast.
So, with those podcasts thatyou're looking at, can you tell
me which one was your favoriteone?
And if you notice, because Ihave to say I am the film editor
, so I'm growing at the sametime as learning.
(04:04):
So I want to know what donna is.
A professional?
She's a professional to me.
I want to know what are youseeing with the growth so far
with my four podcasts?
So I just want to make onecorrection.
I know I'm sorry, I may not bea professional, but I am a
perfectionist, which is also awhole other problem.
We're not even going to talkabout that.
(04:25):
But so I have seen all of yourepisodes and I don't have a
favorite because I like them all.
I mean because they all havethey all stand on their own
merits about what it is that youhave experienced and what you
want to share, yeah, and thatwill help someone else who's,
you know, may not understand.
You know what happens when youget chemotherapy or the
(04:50):
radiation I think it was the oneI remember.
Yeah, you talked about onewhere you got radiation and the
effect that it has on your skin.
Yeah, one where you gotradiation and the effect that it
has on your skin, yeah, sobecause of that, I think that
you know it's good to that.
You shared that because someoneelse could learn from that.
And you've also talked about,you know, your, your cause.
I think in that same episodeyou talked about your
moisturizing treatment.
Yes, you know, I think that wasgreat.
(05:11):
You, um, and I'm trying toremember all because you just
shared so much good informationabout, like, uh, the services
that are available to those whoare going through cancer
treatment, because there areprograms available to uh those
people, to to the ones who aregoing through this, and because
there are programs available youdon't have to really worry
(05:33):
about.
You know how are you going to,um, do the next thing, like I, I
need to get up and go to thegrocery store, or I need to go
cook, or I need to go dosomething I need.
I need to go to the gym orwhatever the services are that I
think you you talked about inthat one episode.
I think that's great, becausesome you know who knows what
people will remember when theyare going through the process.
I'm sure that they're beingtold about it, but then you know
(05:57):
who's going through the process.
I'm sure that they're beingtold about it, but then you know
who's thinking about oh wait,you said what now?
Oh, sorry, I was thinking aboutmy problem.
Yes, somebody to help themthrough that process.
Because you definitely talkedabout some of the organizations
that are out there that I mean.
They were wonderfulorganizations.
I didn't even mention anotherone that was so helpful to me.
(06:19):
So I mentioned that one becauseI really, really want people to
know that there is light at theend of the tunnel.
And then there's, you're notalone, there's somebody with you
.
There's not just your familyand your friends, but you also
have organizations that knowthat there are women and men
that need that kind of supportwhen they're going through this
(06:40):
and they follow you from thebeginning and beyond with giving
you services.
So I'm glad you mentioned some,some of those things.
So, donna, I want to ask youanother question because I was
going on, I was looking upinformation and I found this
information about one out ofeight women in the United States
(07:04):
are going to be developingbreast cancer in their, in their
in her lifetime.
In general, we don't talk enoughabout what's going on in our
lives, and I'm not sure if it'sjust like past hurts, it's past
experiences or history, or you,you, you fill in the blanks as
to what it might be, but I thinkit's something that we all need
(07:26):
to break out of.
We all need to realize that weare helpers one to another.
How can we be helpers to eachother If we talk about what
we're going through?
I know, I know, know.
No, I don't want you all up inmy business.
I can hear it already but allup in your business is going to
help me or someone else to um,to overcome some situation that
(07:47):
they're going through.
It may minimize a situationthat they might be entering into
they.
It just may help them to see away out and escape.
So, no, I don't know, I don'tthink we're talking about it
enough.
I think we need to stand at thehigh heels.
We need to be.
You know days gone by, you knowyou had the town crier.
We need someone to talk aboutthis information so that way
(08:10):
others will see that there issurvival through it, there is
support through it, that thereis help through this, you know,
even for emotional help, becauseit's not, you know it's, it's a
physical thing.
So you really, I know, Iremember that you went through a
lot of physical fatigue andpain and a lot of pain and, uh,
just a lot, yeah, authorized alot of things that the body,
(08:30):
physical body, went through.
But there's that emotional sideof things that you know you
have made mentioned to me at onepoint that my grandson he was
so cute, my grandson, I broughthim over to visit her one day.
This is, um, I think I can'tremember what she was in.
She had gone through or was inthe process of chemotherapy,
yeah, and so when I brought himover, it just lifted her spirit.
(08:52):
So I know that you know therethere's emotional health and we
can talk about things like whatare ways to lift your spirits
when you are going through thechemotherapy and you feel you
feel so alone, you feel beatdown, you feel you know, just
like you can't do this anymore,that no one cares or no one is
really understanding yourprocess.
There's a whole emotional sideof things.
(09:13):
I think that you know we can.
You can probably talk somewhatabout ways to overcome those
emotional um depths as you, asyou go through these things.
So, yeah, we just need to talkabout it.
Yeah, you're right, because itin this research it said 40
percent.
The breast cancer death ratesare 40.
(09:33):
40 percent higher among blackwomen than white women.
What's that number?
Again, 40, what?
Breast cancer death rates are40 percent higher among black
women than white women.
Four zero, four zero.
That's a big percentage.
(09:55):
And I I'm, I'm telling you whenI go out and I talk me and donna
, we went for a podcast meetupand I just mentioned what my
podcast was about and I wastalking to a young lady and she
goes oh yeah, my grandmother hasand she's 91, my aunt has it,
and I was thinking why don'tthey?
And that wasn't the first time.
I talked to somebody else.
Same thing.
(10:15):
She was telling me oh, thisperson, my sister, and I'm
thinking how come?
I am just now hearing this.
I know some people that have,but I just didn't know that many
of us are having and dying frombreast cancer.
Right, because we don't talkabout it.
We don't talk about it, no, ormaybe we don't talk about we
(10:37):
don't talk about it, no, ormaybe we don't talk about it, uh
, loudly.
There may be some oh, like thatconversation and passing, oh,
my grandmother, my mother's uh,my mother's sister, whomever had
it in their family, and that'sas far as the conversation goes.
It's not that you, you know,and I understand we didn't
really know her, you didn't knowher, but it's just like, if
(10:57):
there is um more conversation onsocial media, it's a it's a
hard topic.
It is to really try to to getout into the world, but it's.
I think it's a needed topic.
Yeah, without doom and gloom.
Yes, I think we can.
We can talk about it.
We can talk about the you knowthe stresses and you can talk
about, yeah, yeah, thedisappointments that you the
(11:18):
stresses and you can talk about.
Yeah, yeah, the disappointmentsthat you may have because
you're trying to understand why,why me?
You know you're definitelyasking yourself that question,
right?
So you know, there's just there, there's just more conversation
that's needed in order to helpprop people up and let them know
that, um, there is survivalthrough this.
(11:39):
Yes, it's actually good to seeme, other me out there talking
about it, and not just I.
I know about somebody that Iwant to hear what, what are you
doing like?
How are you surviving?
How's your life?
What's what's happening?
How can you improve it?
I definitely have been throughsome stuff going to the gym, I
(12:02):
go to the gym, I go walk and I Ichanged my eating.
I try to eat differently.
I actually forced some food onmy family members, but that's
okay, I'll be like look, trythis, I'll try something new.
But i'm'm trying and I'menjoying it.
I'm enjoying this quality hereand I'm reaching for it and I
(12:24):
would like to see other peoplereach for it and that's why I'm
trying to share so they can havethat quality of life.
That's great.
When I was listening to youtalk, you were talking about
we're not talking about itenough were talking about we're
not talking about it enough.
Well, in in this stats they talkabout, we have four million
cancer, cancer survivors in theunited states right now.
(12:45):
I four million, four millionsurvivors, survivors.
You would think that there weremore, more podcasts or
conversation on social mediaabout cancer survivor and what
they're surviving cancer.
So I'm four million people,four, sherry, thank you.
Yes, four million people.
Sherry, thank you, you'rewelcome, and I just want to
(13:08):
share my experience because II'm among those four million
people.
So here I am today trying tohelp the ones.
That that was 4 million.
They are estimating.
Let me see, they're estimatingthat they're going to have
310,000 new cases of invasionbreast cancer will be diagnosed
(13:32):
in the United States.
Wait, I'm sorry, pause, oneminute.
300,000 people, 300,000 pluspeople, are going to be
diagnosed, people being men,that has cancer, but we're
talking 300 plus thousand.
Yes, just breast cancerdiagnosed yearly.
Yes, and this this year alone,2024.
(14:07):
This is 2024.
Yes, in 24, this is just theestimating for this year in all
the united states.
So I want to be there to forthem to see.
Oh, there's somebody out hereand they talking about what they
, what they doing, or what theydid, or how, how life is for
them now, after they beenthrough the, the cancers not the
(14:28):
cancer, but the but the chemotreatment, been through the
radiation treatment, they, theygonna, they are past that point.
So what are you doing now?
They don't want to know that.
So that's why I'm sharing thisinformation and my sister is
great because she's helping mewith it.
She, she's there with all myquestions and she's there with
all my questions she don't knowanswers to.
(14:50):
She's like, oh well, let melook that up.
That's what the internet, mrgoogle, yes, and she definitely
helps me out, because sometimesI don't understand all that
technical lingo that's going onon the internet.
So Donna helps me with thoseanswers.
The answer today is no longer aterminal diagnosis.
(15:11):
It's not that you're going tonecessarily pass away from it
because there are treatments inplace.
Necessarily pass away from itbecause there are treatments in
place and you know, and thereare scannings in place, as
sherry reminds you at the end ofher podcast, to get your
scannings, because that that ispreventative maintenance and
that is early detection.
So that way, um, you know, wecan, we can beat, we can live
(15:32):
with through the process ofbeing cancer free.
Breast cancer death rates haveslowly decreased since 1989, for
an overall decline of 43%through 2021.
Now, that's interesting.
And why is that happening?
This is part due to a betterscreening and early detection
(15:54):
efforts, increased awareness andcontinually improving treatment
options.
I really like that.
Donna brought that up becausewe did see a decrease in people
dying she talked about.
A lot of people are not dyinganymore because we have
treatments and we and earlydetection, early detection,
(16:16):
absolutely.
People are living, living andgetting through cancer, but we
still need to be on top of ourpreventive care.
So, uh, there's a lot of goodstuff in here.
I want to actually talk aboutbreast cancer for men.
2800 men will be diagnosed withbreast cancer this year Scary
(16:37):
In America and approximately 530of them will die.
Now I don't really know whatthe process is For men to get
their breast cancer, theirscreenings done, but I'm
assuming you go to the doctorand you complain to the
urologist I believe is the onethat you go to.
(16:58):
I will look that up and I thinkthat they probably start with
their, mostly because men don'thave the same urgency of
screening, because they don'thave the same numbers of people
being diagnosed with cancer orgetting breast cancer.
I think they probably wait.
It's probably why you knowtheir rate of death is what it
(17:18):
is, because we we arerecommended to get screened
every year.
Men don't have thisrecommendation.
Men don't know that they shouldbe having their breasts looked
at.
Yeah, so, um, they probablyonly respond when they feel
something different Eithersomething hurts or something
feels don't feel right, orsometimes their partners will
(17:39):
recognize that there's adifference in the breast, and
then they will go to the doctorand sort of find out what this
is.
Because I know with my husbandI'd be like what's that mark
over there on your arm?
Wait, you got like this littleknot on your back, what's?
I mean?
I'll be watching.
Okay, everything.
Yes, I I ain't mad at you.
(17:59):
You want, you want to make surethey get that detection, or
detection, get it taken care ofquickly, get that screening.
So I mean, breast cancer isserious.
Breast cancer is the secondleading cause of death in women
in the United States.
I would say you go, get yourscreenings done.
And so here's, here's a little.
I want to.
(18:20):
I want to ask Donna a question,cause I know Donna is starting,
she's in the beginning stages ofstarting her own business, and
I would like to know what is herbusiness about and where is she
at in the business scheme ofthings?
What is she?
Is it she got her bill?
I mean, what's going on, dom?
Tell us about your business.
Yeah, really.
So I thought we were justtalking about you and your
(18:43):
process of, you know, managing alife after cancer.
I wasn't really myself, butthank you for the opportunity.
I do want to.
Just, I want to say that, sinceyou have decided that you were
going to pursue podcasting andthat you were, you know you
wanted to just do somethingdifferent in your life.
(19:04):
That's going to be, you know,like a help to someone, cause I
think, I think we all want toleave behind a legacy, a legacy
where you know we've touchedothers lives, we've helped
someone through whatever thesituations may be.
We all want to leave a legacyof something good, nothing bad.
We want good, like exactly, um,but you know I, because you're
(19:26):
doing this is it was like thetiming was sherry went through
her um cancer diagnosis andtreatment well before I decided
that I wanted to do thisbusiness that I'm, that I'm
trying to start right now, um,anyone watching who have seen me
on other podcasts know that Iam starting a content creation
(19:47):
studio and it's more.
And when I say content creation, it's more for photography, it
is for video, it's for umpodcast studios.
So anyone, any podcaster who'slooking for a space in order to,
uh, to create their student,their podcast excuse me, um, it
is.
It's a space where I want toallow um, small entrepreneurs
(20:10):
who have wares or products thatthey can come and do a pop-up
shop in.
We also want to also make spacefor anyone who wants to do a
small workshop or a smallseminar.
So I like being in thatsupportive role, that role that
sort of helps someone else tolaunch their thing.
And so this business that I'm,that I'm putting together, um,
(20:32):
it will do that very thing,cause I've always wanted to be.
You know say this real quickwhen I was younger, way back
when I was younger, um, I wantedto uh, be a, I wanted to open
up a finance firm.
I had no idea what that meant,but I know that I wanted to open
up a finance firm where Iwanted to be a lender.
I wanted to because once again,that's me in a role to support
(20:55):
people trying to get a look, gettheir business off the ground
or get their, their products orwhatever it is that they want to
do.
They're small, they don't havea lot of resources.
I wanted to be a lender.
That didn't pan out because Inever did pursue it.
But from that, you, from thatyou know it still.
It helped me to realize andrecognize that I still like
being in that role, thatsupportive role of helping
(21:17):
people to to like a launch aspringboard to a launching pad,
and so this business of contentcreation studio I am still in
that supportive role wherepeople can come um, I will have,
like, my podcast studio isgoing to be set up with all the
necessary equipment in order foranyone to create their podcast.
(21:37):
It can probably also double as aphotographer room, depending on
how well it's set up.
Um, but yeah, I just you know,I thank you for this opportunity
.
We we are at the very beginningstages.
I am working on a podcast of myown that's going to sort of
talk about where I am thus far,like what, what was my, my um
(21:58):
news, or my impetus, or my what,what caused me to to get out
there now?
And so there were some some.
Uh, there's a path that I'vetaken.
There are a few roadblocks thatI encountered along the way and
trying to decide what it isthat I wanted to do.
So that's coming, so I'll talkmore about that, but thank you
for this opportunity.
We've signed the lease andwe're just waiting and we're
(22:19):
just doing all the preparatorywork that needs to happen before
we can open.
Okay, so do you mind?
I mean, I know you don't wantto get too much out right now,
but can you share the name ofyour business or you're not
ready to do that yet?
Oh, yes, I've already put it onsocial media, so it's out in
the world now.
Okay, so the name of mybusiness or my studio is called
(22:41):
maker street studios, so makerstreet studios is a name that,
um, I probably should googlebefore I bought the, the, the
url, the address, because therewas another one, but they didn't
spell it the same way.
But, anyway, I'm the first MakerStreet Studios with an S in the
US.
There's one over in anothercountry, but, yeah, maker Street
(23:03):
Studios, because I feel like itis a place for makers and their
content makers, contentcreators, so Maker Street
Studios is the name of it.
Okay, we had a wonderful guesttoday and they're content makers
, content creators, so MakerStreet Studios is the name of
the business.
Okay, we had a wonderful guesttoday.
I want to thank you, donna,again for coming out and, ladies
and gentlemen, I want to saythis very important message
(23:24):
Early detection is the bestdetection, so please get your
annual mammograms done.
Until next time, ladies andgents, have a nice couple.
Hi, my name is Sherry and welcome to my podcast,
silver Tea.
And today my podcast is aboutfamily and support, and I have a
special guest, my youngersister, donna Walker.
She was a great part of mywhole process, from the
beginning to the end.
She went with me for my firstappointment.
(00:23):
It was the first one.
I was trying to remember if itwas mom.
I think mom went on the secondappointment, I think it was.
I think I remember going to theappointment when the doctor
needed to tell you a lot ofinformation about your diagnosis
and what the next steps were,because, remember, I recorded
(00:43):
information.
To be honest, I don't know ifthat was the first, yeah, and,
uh, what the next steps were.
So because, remember, Irecorded, yeah, information, so,
but I, to be honest, I don'tknow if that was the first, yeah
, that's what I'm trying toremember, or was this one later
on, but I was there from thebeginning, yeah, so she was
there, she was, she was a greathelp.
Donna donna showed up.
She went with me, uh, for my,my chemo treatment, and no, she
(01:05):
didn't go for the radiationtreatment, but she was there for
my chemo treatment and it was,and I have to say, well, it had
to be tough seeing your sisterin that condition, but donna's
the photographer, so she wastaking pictures, she was making
the best of it, so I'm gonnapost some pictures right here so
you can see some pictures shetook of me when I was going
through my chemo treatment thatday.
And so I just want to ask Donnaa couple of questions.
(01:28):
So, donna, what are yourthoughts on this podcast?
Well, sister, thank you.
First, I want to say thank youfor allowing me to come on to
your podcast to bring myperspective on this wonderful
podcast, to bring my perspectiveon this wonderful podcast.
(01:49):
I feel like you are doing anexcellent thing by sharing your
experience as a breast cancersurvivor.
Because you may not havementioned it before, but I'm
going to say it Sherry's prettymuch an introvert, and so she
likes to keep to herself.
But for her to actually feellike that she likes to keep to
herself, but for her to actuallyfeel like that, she needs to
speak to the world, that youneed to speak to the world about
(02:10):
your experience, becausesherry's very compassionate.
If if she hasn't mentioned thateither, I'm gonna tell you
she's very, very, verycompassionate.
She's one of those who couldcry because there's a dog on the
side of the road that need help.
But my sister's verycompassionate and so, um,
because of that, she, she wantsto make sure that others yeah,
you know others want who eitheris um have gotten the news, like
(02:33):
you got the news who have, whoare currently going through
treatment or who have come outas survivors, that you want to
share information to help peoplealong each step of that path,
so they know that they're notalone.
They know that there are peopleout there who have gone through
the same situation that theyare currently going through or
have completed, and there is aresource they can always come to
(02:57):
your podcast and see how youare managing at the stage that
you are, and you also talk aboutwhat happens or how it works
for you during the actualprocess of getting the
treatments.
So I am so proud that you wantto do this.
I'm super excited and happythat you are doing this because
it shows that you have a newappreciation for life and that
(03:20):
you also want to make sure thatyou are giving back.
You know some people may wantto crawl into a corner and curl
up and don't want to see the,you know, just go into a shell,
but you have decided to go awhole different direction.
You decided that you wanted toopen up a part of your life
because it's going to be abenefit to someone.
So I really love the podcast.
(03:42):
We need to talk more about it.
So, yeah, I'm glad you said acouple of those things and it
sounds like you've been watchingmy podcast.
So, with those podcasts thatyou're looking at, can you tell
me which one was your favoriteone?
And if you notice, because Ihave to say I am the film editor
, so I'm growing at the sametime as learning.
(04:04):
So I want to know what donna is.
A professional?
She's a professional to me.
I want to know what are youseeing with the growth so far
with my four podcasts?
So I just want to make onecorrection.
I know I'm sorry, I may not bea professional, but I am a
perfectionist, which is also awhole other problem.
We're not even going to talkabout that.
(04:25):
But so I have seen all of yourepisodes and I don't have a
favorite because I like them all.
I mean because they all havethey all stand on their own
merits about what it is that youhave experienced and what you
want to share, yeah, and thatwill help someone else who's,
you know, may not understand.
You know what happens when youget chemotherapy or the
(04:50):
radiation I think it was the oneI remember.
Yeah, you talked about onewhere you got radiation and the
effect that it has on your skin.
Yeah, one where you gotradiation and the effect that it
has on your skin, yeah, sobecause of that, I think that
you know it's good to that.
You shared that because someoneelse could learn from that.
And you've also talked about,you know, your, your cause.
I think in that same episodeyou talked about your
moisturizing treatment.
Yes, you know, I think that wasgreat.
(05:11):
You, um, and I'm trying toremember all because you just
shared so much good informationabout, like, uh, the services
that are available to those whoare going through cancer
treatment, because there areprograms available to uh those
people, to to the ones who aregoing through this, and because
there are programs available youdon't have to really worry
(05:33):
about.
You know how are you going to,um, do the next thing, like I, I
need to get up and go to thegrocery store, or I need to go
cook, or I need to go dosomething I need.
I need to go to the gym orwhatever the services are that I
think you you talked about inthat one episode.
I think that's great, becausesome you know who knows what
people will remember when theyare going through the process.
I'm sure that they're beingtold about it, but then you know
(05:57):
who's going through the process.
I'm sure that they're beingtold about it, but then you know
who's thinking about oh wait,you said what now?
Oh, sorry, I was thinking aboutmy problem.
Yes, somebody to help themthrough that process.
Because you definitely talkedabout some of the organizations
that are out there that I mean.
They were wonderfulorganizations.
I didn't even mention anotherone that was so helpful to me.
(06:19):
So I mentioned that one becauseI really, really want people to
know that there is light at theend of the tunnel.
And then there's, you're notalone, there's somebody with you
.
There's not just your familyand your friends, but you also
have organizations that knowthat there are women and men
that need that kind of supportwhen they're going through this
(06:40):
and they follow you from thebeginning and beyond with giving
you services.
So I'm glad you mentioned some,some of those things.
So, donna, I want to ask youanother question because I was
going on, I was looking upinformation and I found this
information about one out ofeight women in the United States
(07:04):
are going to be developingbreast cancer in their, in their
in her lifetime.
In general, we don't talk enoughabout what's going on in our
lives, and I'm not sure if it'sjust like past hurts, it's past
experiences or history, or you,you, you fill in the blanks as
to what it might be, but I thinkit's something that we all need
(07:26):
to break out of.
We all need to realize that weare helpers one to another.
How can we be helpers to eachother If we talk about what
we're going through?
I know, I know, know.
No, I don't want you all up inmy business.
I can hear it already but allup in your business is going to
help me or someone else to um,to overcome some situation that
(07:47):
they're going through.
It may minimize a situationthat they might be entering into
they.
It just may help them to see away out and escape.
So, no, I don't know, I don'tthink we're talking about it
enough.
I think we need to stand at thehigh heels.
We need to be.
You know days gone by, you knowyou had the town crier.
We need someone to talk aboutthis information so that way
(08:10):
others will see that there issurvival through it, there is
support through it, that thereis help through this, you know,
even for emotional help, becauseit's not, you know it's, it's a
physical thing.
So you really, I know, Iremember that you went through a
lot of physical fatigue andpain and a lot of pain and, uh,
just a lot, yeah, authorized alot of things that the body,
(08:30):
physical body, went through.
But there's that emotional sideof things that you know you
have made mentioned to me at onepoint that my grandson he was
so cute, my grandson, I broughthim over to visit her one day.
This is, um, I think I can'tremember what she was in.
She had gone through or was inthe process of chemotherapy,
yeah, and so when I brought himover, it just lifted her spirit.
(08:52):
So I know that you know therethere's emotional health and we
can talk about things like whatare ways to lift your spirits
when you are going through thechemotherapy and you feel you
feel so alone, you feel beatdown, you feel you know, just
like you can't do this anymore,that no one cares or no one is
really understanding yourprocess.
There's a whole emotional sideof things.
(09:13):
I think that you know we can.
You can probably talk somewhatabout ways to overcome those
emotional um depths as you, asyou go through these things.
So, yeah, we just need to talkabout it.
Yeah, you're right, because itin this research it said 40
percent.
The breast cancer death ratesare 40.
(09:33):
40 percent higher among blackwomen than white women.
What's that number?
Again, 40, what?
Breast cancer death rates are40 percent higher among black
women than white women.
Four zero, four zero.
That's a big percentage.
(09:55):
And I I'm, I'm telling you whenI go out and I talk me and donna
, we went for a podcast meetupand I just mentioned what my
podcast was about and I wastalking to a young lady and she
goes oh yeah, my grandmother hasand she's 91, my aunt has it,
and I was thinking why don'tthey?
And that wasn't the first time.
I talked to somebody else.
Same thing.
(10:15):
She was telling me oh, thisperson, my sister, and I'm
thinking how come?
I am just now hearing this.
I know some people that have,but I just didn't know that many
of us are having and dying frombreast cancer.
Right, because we don't talkabout it.
We don't talk about it, no, ormaybe we don't talk about we
(10:37):
don't talk about it, no, ormaybe we don't talk about it, uh
, loudly.
There may be some oh, like thatconversation and passing, oh,
my grandmother, my mother's uh,my mother's sister, whomever had
it in their family, and that'sas far as the conversation goes.
It's not that you, you know,and I understand we didn't
really know her, you didn't knowher, but it's just like, if
(10:57):
there is um more conversation onsocial media, it's a it's a
hard topic.
It is to really try to to getout into the world, but it's.
I think it's a needed topic.
Yeah, without doom and gloom.
Yes, I think we can.
We can talk about it.
We can talk about the you knowthe stresses and you can talk
about, yeah, yeah, thedisappointments that you the
(11:18):
stresses and you can talk about.
Yeah, yeah, the disappointmentsthat you may have because
you're trying to understand why,why me?
You know you're definitelyasking yourself that question,
right?
So you know, there's just there, there's just more conversation
that's needed in order to helpprop people up and let them know
that, um, there is survivalthrough this.
(11:39):
Yes, it's actually good to seeme, other me out there talking
about it, and not just I.
I know about somebody that Iwant to hear what, what are you
doing like?
How are you surviving?
How's your life?
What's what's happening?
How can you improve it?
I definitely have been throughsome stuff going to the gym, I
(12:02):
go to the gym, I go walk and I Ichanged my eating.
I try to eat differently.
I actually forced some food onmy family members, but that's
okay, I'll be like look, trythis, I'll try something new.
But i'm'm trying and I'menjoying it.
I'm enjoying this quality hereand I'm reaching for it and I
(12:24):
would like to see other peoplereach for it and that's why I'm
trying to share so they can havethat quality of life.
That's great.
When I was listening to youtalk, you were talking about
we're not talking about itenough were talking about we're
not talking about it enough.
Well, in in this stats they talkabout, we have four million
cancer, cancer survivors in theunited states right now.
(12:45):
I four million, four millionsurvivors, survivors.
You would think that there weremore, more podcasts or
conversation on social mediaabout cancer survivor and what
they're surviving cancer.
So I'm four million people,four, sherry, thank you.
Yes, four million people.
Sherry, thank you, you'rewelcome, and I just want to
(13:08):
share my experience because II'm among those four million
people.
So here I am today trying tohelp the ones.
That that was 4 million.
They are estimating.
Let me see, they're estimatingthat they're going to have
310,000 new cases of invasionbreast cancer will be diagnosed
(13:32):
in the United States.
Wait, I'm sorry, pause, oneminute.
300,000 people, 300,000 pluspeople, are going to be
diagnosed, people being men,that has cancer, but we're
talking 300 plus thousand.
Yes, just breast cancerdiagnosed yearly.
Yes, and this this year alone,2024.
(14:07):
This is 2024.
Yes, in 24, this is just theestimating for this year in all
the united states.
So I want to be there to forthem to see.
Oh, there's somebody out hereand they talking about what they
, what they doing, or what theydid, or how, how life is for
them now, after they beenthrough the, the cancers not the
(14:28):
cancer, but the but the chemotreatment, been through the
radiation treatment, they, theygonna, they are past that point.
So what are you doing now?
They don't want to know that.
So that's why I'm sharing thisinformation and my sister is
great because she's helping mewith it.
She, she's there with all myquestions and she's there with
all my questions she don't knowanswers to.
(14:50):
She's like, oh well, let melook that up.
That's what the internet, mrgoogle, yes, and she definitely
helps me out, because sometimesI don't understand all that
technical lingo that's going onon the internet.
So Donna helps me with thoseanswers.
The answer today is no longer aterminal diagnosis.
(15:11):
It's not that you're going tonecessarily pass away from it
because there are treatments inplace.
Necessarily pass away from itbecause there are treatments in
place and you know, and thereare scannings in place, as
sherry reminds you at the end ofher podcast, to get your
scannings, because that that ispreventative maintenance and
that is early detection.
So that way, um, you know, wecan, we can beat, we can live
(15:32):
with through the process ofbeing cancer free.
Breast cancer death rates haveslowly decreased since 1989, for
an overall decline of 43%through 2021.
Now, that's interesting.
And why is that happening?
This is part due to a betterscreening and early detection
(15:54):
efforts, increased awareness andcontinually improving treatment
options.
I really like that.
Donna brought that up becausewe did see a decrease in people
dying she talked about.
A lot of people are not dyinganymore because we have
treatments and we and earlydetection, early detection,
(16:16):
absolutely.
People are living, living andgetting through cancer, but we
still need to be on top of ourpreventive care.
So, uh, there's a lot of goodstuff in here.
I want to actually talk aboutbreast cancer for men.
2800 men will be diagnosed withbreast cancer this year Scary
(16:37):
In America and approximately 530of them will die.
Now I don't really know whatthe process is For men to get
their breast cancer, theirscreenings done, but I'm
assuming you go to the doctorand you complain to the
urologist I believe is the onethat you go to.
(16:58):
I will look that up and I thinkthat they probably start with
their, mostly because men don'thave the same urgency of
screening, because they don'thave the same numbers of people
being diagnosed with cancer orgetting breast cancer.
I think they probably wait.
It's probably why you knowtheir rate of death is what it
(17:18):
is, because we we arerecommended to get screened
every year.
Men don't have thisrecommendation.
Men don't know that they shouldbe having their breasts looked
at.
Yeah, so, um, they probablyonly respond when they feel
something different Eithersomething hurts or something
feels don't feel right, orsometimes their partners will
(17:39):
recognize that there's adifference in the breast, and
then they will go to the doctorand sort of find out what this
is.
Because I know with my husbandI'd be like what's that mark
over there on your arm?
Wait, you got like this littleknot on your back, what's?
I mean?
I'll be watching.
Okay, everything.
Yes, I I ain't mad at you.
(17:59):
You want, you want to make surethey get that detection, or
detection, get it taken care ofquickly, get that screening.
So I mean, breast cancer isserious.
Breast cancer is the secondleading cause of death in women
in the United States.
I would say you go, get yourscreenings done.
And so here's, here's a little.
I want to.
(18:20):
I want to ask Donna a question,cause I know Donna is starting,
she's in the beginning stages ofstarting her own business, and
I would like to know what is herbusiness about and where is she
at in the business scheme ofthings?
What is she?
Is it she got her bill?
I mean, what's going on, dom?
Tell us about your business.
Yeah, really.
So I thought we were justtalking about you and your
(18:43):
process of, you know, managing alife after cancer.
I wasn't really myself, butthank you for the opportunity.
I do want to.
Just, I want to say that, sinceyou have decided that you were
going to pursue podcasting andthat you were, you know you
wanted to just do somethingdifferent in your life.
(19:04):
That's going to be, you know,like a help to someone, cause I
think, I think we all want toleave behind a legacy, a legacy
where you know we've touchedothers lives, we've helped
someone through whatever thesituations may be.
We all want to leave a legacyof something good, nothing bad.
We want good, like exactly, um,but you know I, because you're
(19:26):
doing this is it was like thetiming was sherry went through
her um cancer diagnosis andtreatment well before I decided
that I wanted to do thisbusiness that I'm, that I'm
trying to start right now, um,anyone watching who have seen me
on other podcasts know that Iam starting a content creation
(19:47):
studio and it's more.
And when I say content creation, it's more for photography, it
is for video, it's for umpodcast studios.
So anyone, any podcaster who'slooking for a space in order to,
uh, to create their student,their podcast excuse me, um, it
is.
It's a space where I want toallow um, small entrepreneurs
(20:10):
who have wares or products thatthey can come and do a pop-up
shop in.
We also want to also make spacefor anyone who wants to do a
small workshop or a smallseminar.
So I like being in thatsupportive role, that role that
sort of helps someone else tolaunch their thing.
And so this business that I'm,that I'm putting together, um,
(20:32):
it will do that very thing,cause I've always wanted to be.
You know say this real quickwhen I was younger, way back
when I was younger, um, I wantedto uh, be a, I wanted to open
up a finance firm.
I had no idea what that meant,but I know that I wanted to open
up a finance firm where Iwanted to be a lender.
I wanted to because once again,that's me in a role to support
(20:55):
people trying to get a look, gettheir business off the ground
or get their, their products orwhatever it is that they want to
do.
They're small, they don't havea lot of resources.
I wanted to be a lender.
That didn't pan out because Inever did pursue it.
But from that, you, from thatyou know it still.
It helped me to realize andrecognize that I still like
being in that role, thatsupportive role of helping
(21:17):
people to to like a launch aspringboard to a launching pad,
and so this business of contentcreation studio I am still in
that supportive role wherepeople can come um, I will have,
like, my podcast studio isgoing to be set up with all the
necessary equipment in order foranyone to create their podcast.
(21:37):
It can probably also double as aphotographer room, depending on
how well it's set up.
Um, but yeah, I just you know,I thank you for this opportunity
.
We we are at the very beginningstages.
I am working on a podcast of myown that's going to sort of
talk about where I am thus far,like what, what was my, my um
(21:58):
news, or my impetus, or my what,what caused me to to get out
there now?
And so there were some some.
Uh, there's a path that I'vetaken.
There are a few roadblocks thatI encountered along the way and
trying to decide what it isthat I wanted to do.
So that's coming, so I'll talkmore about that, but thank you
for this opportunity.
We've signed the lease andwe're just waiting and we're
(22:19):
just doing all the preparatorywork that needs to happen before
we can open.
Okay, so do you mind?
I mean, I know you don't wantto get too much out right now,
but can you share the name ofyour business or you're not
ready to do that yet?
Oh, yes, I've already put it onsocial media, so it's out in
the world now.
Okay, so the name of mybusiness or my studio is called
(22:41):
maker street studios, so makerstreet studios is a name that,
um, I probably should googlebefore I bought the, the, the
url, the address, because therewas another one, but they didn't
spell it the same way.
But, anyway, I'm the first MakerStreet Studios with an S in the
US.
There's one over in anothercountry, but, yeah, maker Street
(23:03):
Studios, because I feel like itis a place for makers and their
content makers, contentcreators, so Maker Street
Studios is the name of it.
Okay, we had a wonderful guesttoday and they're content makers
, content creators, so MakerStreet Studios is the name of
the business.
Okay, we had a wonderful guesttoday.
I want to thank you, donna,again for coming out and, ladies
and gentlemen, I want to saythis very important message
(23:24):
Early detection is the bestdetection, so please get your
annual mammograms done.
Until next time, ladies andgents, have a nice couple.
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