March 24, 2025 • 33 mins
Cancer transformed my perspective on life, self-love, and family bonds, revealing strengths I never knew I'd possessed and deepening connections with those who matter most.
• Sisters Venus and Donna played crucial roles during Sherry's cancer journey, with Venus acting as primary nurse and Donna providing emotional support
• A botched port installation led to a serious infection that became septic - a complication that felt more threatening than the cancer itself
• Reframing my scars as "new beauty marks" to help restore self-esteem after physical changes
• Hair loss was emotional yet surprisingly empowering, leading to a new aesthetic with colorful scarves and bold earrings
• The silence around breast cancer in the Black community creates unnecessary isolation when connection is most needed
• Confronting mortality permanently altered my outlook, propelling me forward with newfound purpose
• Watching how the cancer my journey inspired growth not just with me but in those around me became the most beautiful outcome
• Venus completed her bachelor's degree despite challenges, while Donna opened her podcast studio, Maker Street Studios
• The greatest lesson: life is meant to be lived "out loud" - embracing uncertainty and pursuing dreams despite fear
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
and my son.
They were there for me duringthe whole journey and, gosh, I
mean I don't want to cry becauseI feel like I want to cry, but
it was very emotional and goinginto the chemo room I thought
was going to be a lot of doomand gloom.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
So I was surprised you said the chemo room.
What's the chemo room?
Speaker 1 (00:24):
A lot of doom and gloom.
So I was surprised you said thechemo room.
What's the chemo room?
The chemotherapy room, and Ithink anybody that has and to
anybody that's new.
I just call it the chemo roombut it's the chemotherapy where
you get all your chemotreatments.
We go into that room and youcan smell all the medicine in
the air.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
And I was like so I've seen them, probably on
television what you'redescribing as a room where they
have, like these chairs lined upalong the wall.
Then they have, you would see,like a bag on the, whatever the
bag holder is, and it's drippingthe medicine into the body.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
So that's the chemo room that you're talking yes,
that's when they give you allyour infusions.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, got it.
That makes sense to me.
I just wasn't.
There were some terminologiesthat you sort of have to get
used to whenever, you know,whenever there's any
conversation about your personalexperience, because everybody
as Sherry has said this beforein one of her episodes you sort
of cancer is your own, becauseyour experience may not be like
(01:24):
someone else's experience.
It's just that it could be thatyour experience someone may
have had a different reaction tothe medicines that you have.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Someone else may have had, their hair was differently
, it didn't come out.
Oh, you know whatever, it'sjust yeah, it's your own.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
You know and I really , and so, and having that, you
really do need to appreciate andunderstand the terminology
that's used by yes.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So I'm going to try to make sure I'm a little bit
more descriptive to thenewcomers that's coming in.
So Renee said very, very true,donna.
So she's in agreement with you,renee.
True, donna, so she's inagreement with you, renee.
So, renee, are you?
Renee is asking how can I sharesome of the things that I dealt
(02:11):
with so far as self-esteemafter breast cancer.
Well, oh my well.
So when you look at yourselfafter having breast
reconstruction, after goingthrough a kind of like a botched
port installation, Wait, Sherry.
Cancer because he had that washis closest appointment, so
(02:33):
cancer is really out there.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
That's disturbing.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
How do we deal with it's going to become real to a
lot of people Because it is sorampant and you know we really
try to do what we can to avoid.
You know we watch all thevideos and we talk to different
friends and different ones andwe try to do everything that we
can to avoid.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Cancer.
We eat the right foods and weavoid Certain foods we don't eat
carcinogens.
Yes exactly yeah.
Cancer bombs, all the thingsyou just don't do those things,
but yet and still you can'tcontrol if it's going to happen
to you.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Well, I did have Venus, like I said, who was the
neighbor.
So she was constantly sprayingstuff, wiping down doorknobs
over and over.
She made sure that she wantedto clean and clean and clean my
apartment because I was nowliving with a jeopardized immune
system, and if there was a germto be found, venus found it and
(03:39):
she killed it, I'm telling you.
So there was a lot ofpreparation with getting me
there and then, once I had thesurgery, I actually had my bed
moved into my, my living room.
You remember that the bed wasin the living room because I
felt like I wanted to be near mygarden and I wanted to be
(04:03):
looking out of the sliding glassdoor as something beautiful
that would make me smile whilegoing through such a
traumatizing, life-alteringchange.
And I mean it was, it was a lot,it was a lot to see.
(04:25):
That's why family and sistersupport is so important, because
it it was a lot to go through.
And venus, you, you were there,donna, you were there, donna,
donna was, uh, she was like,look, can I just throw some
money at you and you justbecause?
But donna had to come and bethe nurse, because we we'll talk
(04:46):
about that botched port in afew minutes, but we so it was.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
I just want to add it really was emotional Venus, as
you were saying to to really forpeople to really understand
what, how it impacts the familyimpacts um the family.
So if you have a family, likeif you're close, uh, a
close-knit family, yeah, andwhen one hurt, you all hurt or
you're very concerned yeah, soit's like you, because you
really need to alter your life.
(05:13):
Yeah, you need to change, youknow your habits may change when
I say that your routines maychange, because instead of me
just coming straight home fromwork, I would go take care of
Sherry, the one who was in need.
But that's part of the processof when one hurt, we all hurt.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Yes, and that is true .
And Renee, you have a goodquestion.
So, venus and Donna, your roles.
She wanted to know for Venusand Donna, donna, what was the
different roles expected fromeach of you, because I know
Venus was like the nurse.
She, after the breastreconstruction she was over
(05:57):
there changing all of my.
I had these little like grenade, like bulbs that they had going
and they had to be changedevery morning.
Venus was all okay.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
How you?
Speaker 1 (06:07):
doing.
She's coming over in and Donnawas did she have a tray?
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, she needed to have a tray Go ahead, real nurse
.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
She was on time every morning.
Okay, very seriously.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
She took it very seriously.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
So we yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
So we we ended up with the breast reconstruction.
The fluid would drain, so shecame home with these two bags
that would drain the fluid orcatch the fluid that drained.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yeah, any extra fluid .
Speaker 3 (06:45):
So they would get full overnight or full at a
certain time of day, and I wasthe person that changed it and
drained it.
I took care of her woundbecause at that time they didn't
have a nurse that could comeout and take care of the wound.
So there's an open wound therethat we have to take care of.
You and Donna both did that yeahso that was, you know, my role
(07:06):
was the caretaker, made sureeverybody ate, you know, was
shopping for the food, thingslike that, and I would not go to
bed until either the apartmentwas already cleaned or cleaned
the kitchen was clean, and thenI would go back and do my
homework and then I had to be towork.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
I was thinking about how Venus was when I would,
after showers or taking a bath,I could barely move.
Venus would like literallymoisturize my legs and my toes.
I felt like well, I like.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Keep that going Okay.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
When I'm good, still come over and moisturize my toes
.
Thank you, I appreciate that,but Venus was there, so Donna
Robe was coming over and she wasback out, okay let me, okay,
let me talk about my own okay,okay, what's good?
Speaker 2 (07:56):
so yes, Venus was the primary nurse, she was the RN,
I was the LPN, so I was the onewho actually, you know, I would
help Sherry to like we had topack her because Sherry had a
botch port, a botch portinstallation.
We're going to talk about thatin a minute, but the process of
what happened, I'm just sayingthat I was there to help to make
(08:17):
sure that the the packing wasdone Because, as Venus had
mentioned, there were no nurses.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
No nurses.
They didn't have any woundnurses.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Available to come and treat Sherry.
We became Sherry's wound nurses.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
And I just I filled in where Venus was polite enough
to leave some things for me todo.
I know Because Venus and Sherrylive closer, don get over here
right now.
Venus and Sherry live closer toeach other than I do, so Venus
was there to be the person tomake sure, and Stephen yeah, I
cannot omit Stephen.
(08:52):
Stephen did a very good job.
Stephen did a wonderful job Oneof the ones who did most of the
work.
I was just there and they werekind enough to leave a few
things for me to do.
So I was emotional support,Talking to her on the phone,
rubbing her head, all the stuffthat I that's what I do.
It's my role emotional support.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
To answer your question.
It brought us a lot more closerbecause we were all facing the
possibility that I could not behere anymore, because at that
point I felt like Venus andDonna was doing all that.
It wasn't even before this,before I started the
(09:34):
chemotherapy treatment, I reallyfelt that it wasn't even the
cancer that I was worried about.
I was more worried about theinfection that I got from the
wound.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Let's talk about it.
We're here, yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
So I became septic.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
So let's go back to how you got.
So we need to talk about theport, because that was one of
the things that needed to bedone before you could get your
surgery done.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
No, it was after the surgery.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
After the surgery yeah, yeah, To be able to
receive your chemo.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
So after the surgery, there is a port that needs to
be put in?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Yeah, because I was going to say if somebody can
explain what a port is, so theport is.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Okay.
So let me tell you what a portis.
I call it an installment.
They install like this little,tiny, little type of chamber
that goes right beneath yourskin but it also connects right
into one of your large veinsthat run to your heart.
(10:46):
So this will allow them to dochemo without having to always
have to go find a vein, stickyou with a vein, and also the
chemo can be painful.
It can be burning those smallerveins that you have here.
Going in here in a port.
It made it better and it waseasier, and you really had to
(11:07):
keep these ports clean.
So when you would go to the, Ihad, I had to watch a whole
video on okay, this is how youdo it when the nurse is wiping
it down.
You got to turn your head thisway so you won't breathe on it.
It was, I know it was a lot.
So, um, the port was there togive you the chemotherapy and it
is hard to describe, but theport, the very first port they
(11:31):
put in, became infected Like daytwo.
So day one I was feelinghorrible.
Day two, I was called a doctor.
Day three, I was in thehospital.
I was called a doctor.
Day three, I was in thehospital and they had to remove
the port and put in a PICC line.
A PICC line is also another wayof giving you your chemotherapy
(11:54):
, because they put it in yourarm and I had it like in my arm
and they really were trying toget me to get my chemotherapy
right away after the surgery,but it was a holdup because of
the infected port, and so that'show I ended up with the PICC
(12:15):
line.
So I did most of mychemotherapy with the PICC line
and they finally installed a newport on the other side.
So, to get back to theself-esteem that Renee was
asking about, how did I overcomeit?
Well, let me tell you.
You look at yourself.
You see you have changed and Iwill say now you have these new
(12:38):
beauty marks that you have to.
Yes, you got now new beautymarks that you're now taking
care of, and you had to see itthat way.
You couldn't see it as anythingmore, because that's when you
won't have that self-esteem.
Now I have these new beautymarks.
I'm going to make sure they'rewell taken care of.
(12:59):
I moisturize every day because Ihad to go through radiation
treatment and the skin dries up.
So um it just, it was justbeating marks so I was able to
get over.
But I did.
I'm not gonna.
I'm not gonna lie.
I did have some days when itwas tough, but I had my sisters
there Venus was there, donna wasthere, they they watched, they
(13:23):
watched me just try to overcome.
I was always getting intosomething, because that's just
who I am.
I won't even give you the namethey used to call me when I was
growing up, because it's notworth mentioning, but I'm always
into something.
So I would go outside to try tomess with my plants or I would
(13:43):
try to walk.
Because I lost some mobility, Istarted learning how to walk
again.
You have to find theself-esteem and you have to find
the silver lining in whatyou're going through, because
the silver lining is you'realive and you have your family.
So that's kind of how I feelabout it.
(14:06):
Getting over the beating marks.
No, is the name like Mike Tyson?
No, it's not.
I am a busybody.
So they used to call meHurricane Sherry.
Okay.
Is somebody asking that, renee,okay.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
So I have a question.
So you know when you were theafter effects of chemotherapy or
the effects during chemotherapytherapy.
Can you explain that?
Like what was happening withyour body?
Like a lot of people lose theirhair Wow, and that's along with
the self-esteem.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
So if you're losing your hair, your appearance
change yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Your appearance is changing and plus you have like
breast reconstruction.
So how did you deal with thosethings?
Because I would have an issuewith it and I don't want to say
in vain.
But when you're used toyourself looking one way and
then, all of a sudden, you haveall these changes.
(15:12):
So did that work on yourself-esteem?
Did you feel just ugly to theworld and you didn't want to go
out?
How did it affect you, with allthe different things that were
happening?
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Well, I definitely have to say that I invested in a
lot of scarves because I don'tlike wigs, so I bought a lot of
scarves.
Because I don't like wigs, so Ibought a lot of scarves.
And I also kind of made myselffeel pretty because I was still
beautiful without the hair youare, and I don't have any hair,
(15:53):
and so what I did was I put somemakeup on.
Vina was telling me to putthese big earrings on.
She was just telling me becauseyou look beautiful the way you
are, I would wear earrings witha scarf, guys.
Yes, yes, I would wear the bigearrings and I would put them.
But let me tell you, your headwould get so cold.
It would be so cold.
(16:14):
So a lot of times I would havemy scarf on or have like a
little turban, like those littlecaps to put on your head at
night when I would go to sleep.
So I would make sure I did that, thank you.
Thank you, renee, and I haven't, I haven't, I, you, renee, and
I haven't, I haven't, I haven'tlost.
(16:34):
So Renee said I'm happy to seethat you never lost your essence
of who you are after dealingwith cancer.
Your personality is a happy one.
Yeah, I'm always ahappy-go-lucky person.
I try to be because I feeltruly blessed.
So that's kind of where I'm at.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
I just want to add that my experience when you were
going through the hair loss youdid acknowledge the fact that
your hair was coming out asexpected, but I felt like you
took it more gracefully becauseit's like you know it's going to
happen.
I knew it was coming, and withall the other, the fact that you
(17:14):
were diagnosed with cancer andand you just don't know what the
outcome is going to be, but youdo know some of the symptoms
and some of the things thatyou're going to experience.
I felt like you took your hairloss with grace.
Sherry would wear these cutescarves.
She would wear these cute hats.
She would put like, just justdecorative things on her head,
(17:35):
on her head, you know, to sortof, just like you know I, I own
this.
I have cancer.
I'm going to beat this, butthrough the process I'm going to
.
I'm just going to be alive.
I'm just going to that's itlives and you just sort of you
know, you did.
I think you just you did verywell, yeah, with um dealing with
the fact that there was goingto be some type of bodily change
(17:57):
in the whole process.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
Yeah, but nobody actually tells you that you lose
hair everywhere.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Well, cher, I think, because you did so much research
.
Yes, and you knew what most ofthe effects would be.
I mean, we dealt with some thatwell, we didn't know this was
going to happen.
But because you did all yourresearch and because you
educated yourself on the effectsof it, you kind of knew what to
(18:28):
expect and, like Donna said,you took it with grace, beauty
and you just work with it.
I mean, I thought it was themost beautiful thing when she
would have her scarf on and herred framed glasses.
What happened to those glasses?
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Were they red?
No, I never had red ones, butthey're on your face now.
You got my praise.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Well, not these, but you had these beautiful red ones
and you took a picture and youwere bald with the picture.
I do have it.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
I was trying to see if I could find it because I
wanted to try to post it in here.
But I remember when the firstpiece of hair fell out, I had to
call Venus.
I'm like Venus.
The hair just slid right offinto my lap.
It was like a chunk of hair.
I was like, oh my God, it'shappening.
I was hoping that I was notgoing to lose my hair.
I was like, oh my God, it'shappening.
(19:13):
I was hoping that I was notgoing to lose my hair.
I thought it was going to bejust some thinning, but it just
came out.
I had my barbers just finishcutting off the rest of it.
Then the rest just came out.
You can still see the littletiny pieces that was left.
Those were falling out.
It was emotional.
(19:33):
Those were falling out.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
It was too.
It was emotional yeah it was.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
It was very emotional , it was like oh my hair.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
I mean, you masked it well, Mm-hmm.
So.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Yeah, yeah, Thank you , Thank you.
So I mean, I want to now talkabout what am I doing to what am
I doing?
Now?
Donna's over here, acting up asusual.
I am not.
What am I doing to try movingforward?
(20:08):
I didn't really realize how manyblack people that are so quiet
about having breast cancer.
No one really talks about itand I really wanted to talk
about it a little bit to letpeople know that there's a light
at the end of the tunnel.
There's so much that you can bedoing.
(20:28):
There's exercise, changing howyou eat, spending more time with
your family, research, spendingmore time with yourself,
spending more time with natureout there doing it.
You just there's a lot to doand you don't sit around the
house feeling sorry for yourself.
So I decided that I want toshare my story as much as I can
(21:01):
to be an encouragement to anyonethat's going through this or
been through it and they don'tknow exactly what's next for
them.
There's a lot to do after this.
There's a lot to smile about.
There's a lot to you're goingto love.
I think I love myself more nowthan I ever have before.
I really do.
I love myself a lot.
Yeah, I really do.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
We love you too.
We love you more I mean westill love you.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Thank you for loving me because it did show.
So I'm doing some new things.
I'm doing a podcast.
Donna, what has your personalgrowth been and what are you
doing to live life out loud?
Speaker 2 (21:45):
I think that as we grow older, because this to me
is an age thing.
As we get older, you willrealize that you live.
There's more life behind youthan in front of you.
You've heard people say thatright, so it's just like seize
the.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
Moment.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Carpe diem is the one right.
Seize the day.
Seize the day.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Seize the day.
Carpe diem, all of the thingsRight.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
So I think that I think that when there is
opportunity or you have dreamsthat you have, life is short you
going through your cancertreatment and the fact that you
are cancer free as far as I know, yes, I am, you're cancer free,
you're correct, it's just amatter yes, it's a matter of
living life as if you know, youwant to take off some of the
(22:36):
guardrails.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
I don't say, I'm not saying be reckless, Come on
y'all.
Don't be foolish, but all I'msaying is I think that you
should give yourself, allowyourself to experience a little
bit more risk.
Allow yourself to experience alittle bit more risk Because
it's a term that I always saythat I feel like I was very risk
averse, which means that Ididn't like to risk things.
(23:01):
I did not want to go throughloss, I did not want to go
through embarrassment, I didn'twant to go through any of the
things that was going to bringme out of my comfort zone.
So, you know, as I get olderand as life is changing and as
we experience different things,as we get, as you know, as life
continues on for us, I am doing,you know, I'm Carpe Diem Good
(23:26):
Start my podcast studio.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
We are in Congratulations.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Yes.
The very podcast studio Yay.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
So Venus.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Wait, what oh.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
I'm sorry, am I cutting you off?
I'm done yet Wait a minute,okay, okay, okay, now you want
to talk.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Go ahead Right, but even in this you know what?
Go ahead, I'm listening.
So even in this, I just feellike it's just more of an
opportunity to think more aboutourselves.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Because, as we were younger mothers, we actually had
to care for others and as wives, we have to care for others.
So, as we get older, let's takea moment and just take some
time to care for ourselves.
Let's seek to do what we wantto do and you won't be surprised
(24:14):
how much husbands will supportyou, because my husband for this
podcast studio and the meetingspace which is, you know, the
minitorium, and the photographystudio which is at the other end
of the building, all thesethings, he is very supportive in
me and getting this businessgoing.
So, if anybody's in need of anypodcasting rental studio, come
see me.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
If you need a meeting space for a small group 30 or
less or if you need aphotography studio, hit me up.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Okay, so.
So where's your?
Is it um?
Speaker 3 (24:44):
what is the name of your?
Speaker 1 (24:45):
yeah, what's the name of your studio?
Speaker 3 (24:48):
What's the name of the studio?
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Where are you just?
Speaker 2 (24:53):
throw it out there.
So the studio's name is MakerStreet Studios, with an S at the
end, because there is a MakerStreet Studio.
You don't want to go there.
You want to go to Maker StreetStudios and that's my website.
It's thenamecom, you will finda little bit more information
about the different servicesthat we offer here.
So my sisters are very engaged.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Yes, hands on all the way, venus so what was the
question again?
Well, I was going to ask youwhat is some of your personal
and professional, what are someof your dreams and aspirations
that you're trying to do foryourself and what has this
experience post cancer?
We are both survivors andsurvivors.
(25:38):
What are some of your dreamsthat now you feel like you want
to try to reach and plans?
Speaker 3 (25:45):
so when you feel like you want to try to reach and
plans, okay.
So when she was diagnosed withcancer, I was going to get my
associate not my associate mybachelor's degree.
So you know, as we, as we'regoing through all of this, I did
have to put it on the backburner for at least a year.
And then I did finish gettingmy degree April of last year, so
it'll be a year.
And then I did finish andaccomplish getting my degree
(26:07):
April of last year, so it'll bea year.
So that was a dream that Iaccomplished, but I did make it
through.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
What was the name of the program that you did?
So I went to.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Strayer, and I have a bachelor's degree in business
administration.
I worked at my job for the last27 years.
I experienced a lot of personalgrowth there, just learning
from my colleagues and learningtechnology and how it works.
So, and you know, I do want toachieve some other things.
(26:41):
I'm looking forward toretirement so I can start my own
business.
And I did dabble in something.
So I did balloon art, I didsome decorating for a party Then
you forget how old you are,because then you're aching.
You're putting up these archesand you're doing all this stuff
for a party.
(27:02):
All the arthritis is kicking in.
But so my personal.
I achieved a lot of personalgrowth just being around Sherry
and how she lived when she hadcancer.
She always lived out loud,always, always lived out loud,
and I'm an introvert.
So it's taken a lot for me tobe on here and talk because, you
(27:24):
know, I know people can see meat my job.
I, no one sees me.
So, um, I am my.
You know I want to, yeah, Iwant to be able to be more of a
extrovert yeah, that's apersonal wait, can I jump in?
Speaker 2 (27:39):
on this yes, you can I'm too, close to the mic, I
just realized, I just checkedthe levels.
I'm sorry for screaming intothe microphone, but anyway, I
too, being a Senate, am anintrovert.
And don't, Sherry, give me thislook.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
I almost felt okay, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
I'm listening.
I'm listening.
I really am.
So when I go into a room or acrowd or whatever, I prefer to
be off in the corner.
I'd rather be in the backgroundsupporting everyone else.
But what I learned is, if Iwant more out of life, I cannot
be introverted.
So I've learned to be, and I'velearned this new word.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
I'm telling everybody this new word.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
It's called an ambivert A-M-B-I vert.
Ambivert is someone whoactually is introverted,
naturally, but they can beextroverted when they need to be
.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
That's me, that's me.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Venus, you sound like you're going to be an introvert
and.
Sherry, God bless you.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
I'm an introvert too, she's still working on trying
to come out of herintrovertedness.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
She's doing a great job.
She's got a podcast.
I don't even have a podcast.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Oh, I can't even take the step.
I can't take it.
I'm so proud of you that you'regoing through this and I'm with
you.
The whole thing.
Personal growth is to be ableto do this, to be able to be
comfortable.
Yes, I have a, that I can say.
But again, being that introvertand taking that first step as
an introvert is so hard, and Ithink that sometimes we do.
(29:10):
Sometimes we care what peoplethink about us too, which we
need to get over that, becauseI've gotten over that with age,
like I don't give a two ratsbehind, now what?
Speaker 1 (29:21):
anybody thinks of me.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
So yeah, so we got just live your dream.
If y'all see me out in thestreet, say, hey, you know, but
I want to keep going.
You're going to say hi back.
I'm going to say hi back.
Usually I'm just driving anddoing my thing and not stopping.
It's all about keep going, keepgoing and achieve personal
things and yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Well, I'm glad I am definitely an introvert.
Venus and Donna are more of asocial, more social than I am.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
We're introverts, so we can be social when we need to
be social.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
They didn't even know I existed half the time until
oh Ruby has a third daughter,it's me.
So Venus and Donna are moreoutgoing than I am.
And Venus, this is hard, but Isaid that I want to share my
story with anybody that willlisten.
(30:16):
And I have had some times whenI was crippled with fear.
I had to step back a minute,but then I had to remember why
am I doing this?
And then I stepped back rightup to that plate and I haven't
looked back since.
I've been driving Donna crazy,of course, like hey, donna, what
you got, can I come over andhelp you with your studio?
(30:38):
Can you come help me at mystudio?
Speaker 2 (30:42):
so I've just been living out loud and sharing has
been a great help in medeveloping my studio.
Wait, I'm sorry, I forgot toswitch the camera, my bad.
Sherry has been a great helpwith me developing my studio.
She almost don't know what nomeans, because you know when I'm
(31:02):
like no, you don't have to do,she was like, okay, I'll be over
.
I mean for real I'm showing up.
I'm showing up so yeah, she'sbeen and she is.
She is sincere about helpingfamily to achieve 100.
Yeah, she's always a supporterpushing to make sure that um we,
(31:23):
we get what we are seekingafter yeah, you know if, to do
it, you have a support system.
If you don't want to do it,she's like I'm here if you
decide to change your mind andmeanwhile, we just hang out and
have a good time.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
That's it.
So I mean, I hope everyone issubscribing to my podcast
because this is still all new tome, but I am going to share
everything with you.
Thank you, renee, for watchingyour podcast is on YouTube yeah,
my podcast is on YouTube.
(31:57):
It's on two platforms it's onYouTube and it's on Facebook, so
you can check them out.
It's called Silver Tea and Ipost about once a week and the
spelling is silver.
Oh okay, so let me give you thespelling, because silver was
taken.
So I end up the traditionalspelling, exactly the
(32:18):
traditional spelling.
So I end up with, as you see,interruptions S-Y-L-V-R-T-E -A
Silver T.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
One more time S-Y-L-V-R, s-y-l-v-r T, t-e-a.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
And I named it after my favorite metal is silver and
I absolutely love T, all kindsof T.
I even got a whole video on Tand more coming, this one, you
know so done.
So please, if you like what,you just join me, hit that
(33:01):
subscribe button, that likebutton and that follow button.
and my son.
They were there for me duringthe whole journey and, gosh, I
mean I don't want to cry becauseI feel like I want to cry, but
it was very emotional and goinginto the chemo room I thought
was going to be a lot of doomand gloom.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
So I was surprised you said the chemo room.
What's the chemo room?
Speaker 1 (00:24):
A lot of doom and gloom.
So I was surprised you said thechemo room.
What's the chemo room?
The chemotherapy room, and Ithink anybody that has and to
anybody that's new.
I just call it the chemo roombut it's the chemotherapy where
you get all your chemotreatments.
We go into that room and youcan smell all the medicine in
the air.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
And I was like so I've seen them, probably on
television what you'redescribing as a room where they
have, like these chairs lined upalong the wall.
Then they have, you would see,like a bag on the, whatever the
bag holder is, and it's drippingthe medicine into the body.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
So that's the chemo room that you're talking yes,
that's when they give you allyour infusions.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, got it.
That makes sense to me.
I just wasn't.
There were some terminologiesthat you sort of have to get
used to whenever, you know,whenever there's any
conversation about your personalexperience, because everybody
as Sherry has said this beforein one of her episodes you sort
of cancer is your own, becauseyour experience may not be like
(01:24):
someone else's experience.
It's just that it could be thatyour experience someone may
have had a different reaction tothe medicines that you have.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Someone else may have had, their hair was differently
, it didn't come out.
Oh, you know whatever, it'sjust yeah, it's your own.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
You know and I really , and so, and having that, you
really do need to appreciate andunderstand the terminology
that's used by yes.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So I'm going to try to make sure I'm a little bit
more descriptive to thenewcomers that's coming in.
So Renee said very, very true,donna.
So she's in agreement with you,renee.
True, donna, so she's inagreement with you, renee.
So, renee, are you?
Renee is asking how can I sharesome of the things that I dealt
(02:11):
with so far as self-esteemafter breast cancer.
Well, oh my well.
So when you look at yourselfafter having breast
reconstruction, after goingthrough a kind of like a botched
port installation, Wait, Sherry.
Cancer because he had that washis closest appointment, so
(02:33):
cancer is really out there.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
That's disturbing.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
How do we deal with it's going to become real to a
lot of people Because it is sorampant and you know we really
try to do what we can to avoid.
You know we watch all thevideos and we talk to different
friends and different ones andwe try to do everything that we
can to avoid.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Cancer.
We eat the right foods and weavoid Certain foods we don't eat
carcinogens.
Yes exactly yeah.
Cancer bombs, all the thingsyou just don't do those things,
but yet and still you can'tcontrol if it's going to happen
to you.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Well, I did have Venus, like I said, who was the
neighbor.
So she was constantly sprayingstuff, wiping down doorknobs
over and over.
She made sure that she wantedto clean and clean and clean my
apartment because I was nowliving with a jeopardized immune
system, and if there was a germto be found, venus found it and
(03:39):
she killed it, I'm telling you.
So there was a lot ofpreparation with getting me
there and then, once I had thesurgery, I actually had my bed
moved into my, my living room.
You remember that the bed wasin the living room because I
felt like I wanted to be near mygarden and I wanted to be
(04:03):
looking out of the sliding glassdoor as something beautiful
that would make me smile whilegoing through such a
traumatizing, life-alteringchange.
And I mean it was, it was a lot,it was a lot to see.
(04:25):
That's why family and sistersupport is so important, because
it it was a lot to go through.
And venus, you, you were there,donna, you were there, donna,
donna was, uh, she was like,look, can I just throw some
money at you and you justbecause?
But donna had to come and bethe nurse, because we we'll talk
(04:46):
about that botched port in afew minutes, but we so it was.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
I just want to add it really was emotional Venus, as
you were saying to to really forpeople to really understand
what, how it impacts the familyimpacts um the family.
So if you have a family, likeif you're close, uh, a
close-knit family, yeah, andwhen one hurt, you all hurt or
you're very concerned yeah, soit's like you, because you
really need to alter your life.
(05:13):
Yeah, you need to change, youknow your habits may change when
I say that your routines maychange, because instead of me
just coming straight home fromwork, I would go take care of
Sherry, the one who was in need.
But that's part of the processof when one hurt, we all hurt.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Yes, and that is true .
And Renee, you have a goodquestion.
So, venus and Donna, your roles.
She wanted to know for Venusand Donna, donna, what was the
different roles expected fromeach of you, because I know
Venus was like the nurse.
She, after the breastreconstruction she was over
(05:57):
there changing all of my.
I had these little like grenade, like bulbs that they had going
and they had to be changedevery morning.
Venus was all okay.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
How you?
Speaker 1 (06:07):
doing.
She's coming over in and Donnawas did she have a tray?
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, she needed to have a tray Go ahead, real nurse
.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
She was on time every morning.
Okay, very seriously.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
She took it very seriously.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
So we yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
So we we ended up with the breast reconstruction.
The fluid would drain, so shecame home with these two bags
that would drain the fluid orcatch the fluid that drained.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yeah, any extra fluid .
Speaker 3 (06:45):
So they would get full overnight or full at a
certain time of day, and I wasthe person that changed it and
drained it.
I took care of her woundbecause at that time they didn't
have a nurse that could comeout and take care of the wound.
So there's an open wound therethat we have to take care of.
You and Donna both did that yeahso that was, you know, my role
(07:06):
was the caretaker, made sureeverybody ate, you know, was
shopping for the food, thingslike that, and I would not go to
bed until either the apartmentwas already cleaned or cleaned
the kitchen was clean, and thenI would go back and do my
homework and then I had to be towork.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
I was thinking about how Venus was when I would,
after showers or taking a bath,I could barely move.
Venus would like literallymoisturize my legs and my toes.
I felt like well, I like.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Keep that going Okay.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
When I'm good, still come over and moisturize my toes
.
Thank you, I appreciate that,but Venus was there, so Donna
Robe was coming over and she wasback out, okay let me, okay,
let me talk about my own okay,okay, what's good?
Speaker 2 (07:56):
so yes, Venus was the primary nurse, she was the RN,
I was the LPN, so I was the onewho actually, you know, I would
help Sherry to like we had topack her because Sherry had a
botch port, a botch portinstallation.
We're going to talk about thatin a minute, but the process of
what happened, I'm just sayingthat I was there to help to make
(08:17):
sure that the the packing wasdone Because, as Venus had
mentioned, there were no nurses.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
No nurses.
They didn't have any woundnurses.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Available to come and treat Sherry.
We became Sherry's wound nurses.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
And I just I filled in where Venus was polite enough
to leave some things for me todo.
I know Because Venus and Sherrylive closer, don get over here
right now.
Venus and Sherry live closer toeach other than I do, so Venus
was there to be the person tomake sure, and Stephen yeah, I
cannot omit Stephen.
(08:52):
Stephen did a very good job.
Stephen did a wonderful job Oneof the ones who did most of the
work.
I was just there and they werekind enough to leave a few
things for me to do.
So I was emotional support,Talking to her on the phone,
rubbing her head, all the stuffthat I that's what I do.
It's my role emotional support.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
To answer your question.
It brought us a lot more closerbecause we were all facing the
possibility that I could not behere anymore, because at that
point I felt like Venus andDonna was doing all that.
It wasn't even before this,before I started the
(09:34):
chemotherapy treatment, I reallyfelt that it wasn't even the
cancer that I was worried about.
I was more worried about theinfection that I got from the
wound.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Let's talk about it.
We're here, yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
So I became septic.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
So let's go back to how you got.
So we need to talk about theport, because that was one of
the things that needed to bedone before you could get your
surgery done.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
No, it was after the surgery.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
After the surgery yeah, yeah, To be able to
receive your chemo.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
So after the surgery, there is a port that needs to
be put in?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Yeah, because I was going to say if somebody can
explain what a port is, so theport is.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Okay.
So let me tell you what a portis.
I call it an installment.
They install like this little,tiny, little type of chamber
that goes right beneath yourskin but it also connects right
into one of your large veinsthat run to your heart.
(10:46):
So this will allow them to dochemo without having to always
have to go find a vein, stickyou with a vein, and also the
chemo can be painful.
It can be burning those smallerveins that you have here.
Going in here in a port.
It made it better and it waseasier, and you really had to
(11:07):
keep these ports clean.
So when you would go to the, Ihad, I had to watch a whole
video on okay, this is how youdo it when the nurse is wiping
it down.
You got to turn your head thisway so you won't breathe on it.
It was, I know it was a lot.
So, um, the port was there togive you the chemotherapy and it
is hard to describe, but theport, the very first port they
(11:31):
put in, became infected Like daytwo.
So day one I was feelinghorrible.
Day two, I was called a doctor.
Day three, I was in thehospital.
I was called a doctor.
Day three, I was in thehospital and they had to remove
the port and put in a PICC line.
A PICC line is also another wayof giving you your chemotherapy
(11:54):
, because they put it in yourarm and I had it like in my arm
and they really were trying toget me to get my chemotherapy
right away after the surgery,but it was a holdup because of
the infected port, and so that'show I ended up with the PICC
(12:15):
line.
So I did most of mychemotherapy with the PICC line
and they finally installed a newport on the other side.
So, to get back to theself-esteem that Renee was
asking about, how did I overcomeit?
Well, let me tell you.
You look at yourself.
You see you have changed and Iwill say now you have these new
(12:38):
beauty marks that you have to.
Yes, you got now new beautymarks that you're now taking
care of, and you had to see itthat way.
You couldn't see it as anythingmore, because that's when you
won't have that self-esteem.
Now I have these new beautymarks.
I'm going to make sure they'rewell taken care of.
(12:59):
I moisturize every day because Ihad to go through radiation
treatment and the skin dries up.
So um it just, it was justbeating marks so I was able to
get over.
But I did.
I'm not gonna.
I'm not gonna lie.
I did have some days when itwas tough, but I had my sisters
there Venus was there, donna wasthere, they they watched, they
(13:23):
watched me just try to overcome.
I was always getting intosomething, because that's just
who I am.
I won't even give you the namethey used to call me when I was
growing up, because it's notworth mentioning, but I'm always
into something.
So I would go outside to try tomess with my plants or I would
(13:43):
try to walk.
Because I lost some mobility, Istarted learning how to walk
again.
You have to find theself-esteem and you have to find
the silver lining in whatyou're going through, because
the silver lining is you'realive and you have your family.
So that's kind of how I feelabout it.
(14:06):
Getting over the beating marks.
No, is the name like Mike Tyson?
No, it's not.
I am a busybody.
So they used to call meHurricane Sherry.
Okay.
Is somebody asking that, renee,okay.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
So I have a question.
So you know when you were theafter effects of chemotherapy or
the effects during chemotherapytherapy.
Can you explain that?
Like what was happening withyour body?
Like a lot of people lose theirhair Wow, and that's along with
the self-esteem.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
So if you're losing your hair, your appearance
change yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Your appearance is changing and plus you have like
breast reconstruction.
So how did you deal with thosethings?
Because I would have an issuewith it and I don't want to say
in vain.
But when you're used toyourself looking one way and
then, all of a sudden, you haveall these changes.
(15:12):
So did that work on yourself-esteem?
Did you feel just ugly to theworld and you didn't want to go
out?
How did it affect you, with allthe different things that were
happening?
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Well, I definitely have to say that I invested in a
lot of scarves because I don'tlike wigs, so I bought a lot of
scarves.
Because I don't like wigs, so Ibought a lot of scarves.
And I also kind of made myselffeel pretty because I was still
beautiful without the hair youare, and I don't have any hair,
(15:53):
and so what I did was I put somemakeup on.
Vina was telling me to putthese big earrings on.
She was just telling me becauseyou look beautiful the way you
are, I would wear earrings witha scarf, guys.
Yes, yes, I would wear the bigearrings and I would put them.
But let me tell you, your headwould get so cold.
It would be so cold.
(16:14):
So a lot of times I would havemy scarf on or have like a
little turban, like those littlecaps to put on your head at
night when I would go to sleep.
So I would make sure I did that, thank you.
Thank you, renee, and I haven't, I haven't, I, you, renee, and
I haven't, I haven't, I haven'tlost.
(16:34):
So Renee said I'm happy to seethat you never lost your essence
of who you are after dealingwith cancer.
Your personality is a happy one.
Yeah, I'm always ahappy-go-lucky person.
I try to be because I feeltruly blessed.
So that's kind of where I'm at.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
I just want to add that my experience when you were
going through the hair loss youdid acknowledge the fact that
your hair was coming out asexpected, but I felt like you
took it more gracefully becauseit's like you know it's going to
happen.
I knew it was coming, and withall the other, the fact that you
(17:14):
were diagnosed with cancer andand you just don't know what the
outcome is going to be, but youdo know some of the symptoms
and some of the things thatyou're going to experience.
I felt like you took your hairloss with grace.
Sherry would wear these cutescarves.
She would wear these cute hats.
She would put like, just justdecorative things on her head,
(17:35):
on her head, you know, to sortof, just like you know I, I own
this.
I have cancer.
I'm going to beat this, butthrough the process I'm going to
.
I'm just going to be alive.
I'm just going to that's itlives and you just sort of you
know, you did.
I think you just you did verywell, yeah, with um dealing with
the fact that there was goingto be some type of bodily change
(17:57):
in the whole process.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
Yeah, but nobody actually tells you that you lose
hair everywhere.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Well, cher, I think, because you did so much research
.
Yes, and you knew what most ofthe effects would be.
I mean, we dealt with some thatwell, we didn't know this was
going to happen.
But because you did all yourresearch and because you
educated yourself on the effectsof it, you kind of knew what to
(18:28):
expect and, like Donna said,you took it with grace, beauty
and you just work with it.
I mean, I thought it was themost beautiful thing when she
would have her scarf on and herred framed glasses.
What happened to those glasses?
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Were they red?
No, I never had red ones, butthey're on your face now.
You got my praise.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Well, not these, but you had these beautiful red ones
and you took a picture and youwere bald with the picture.
I do have it.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
I was trying to see if I could find it because I
wanted to try to post it in here.
But I remember when the firstpiece of hair fell out, I had to
call Venus.
I'm like Venus.
The hair just slid right offinto my lap.
It was like a chunk of hair.
I was like, oh my God, it'shappening.
I was hoping that I was notgoing to lose my hair.
I was like, oh my God, it'shappening.
(19:13):
I was hoping that I was notgoing to lose my hair.
I thought it was going to bejust some thinning, but it just
came out.
I had my barbers just finishcutting off the rest of it.
Then the rest just came out.
You can still see the littletiny pieces that was left.
Those were falling out.
It was emotional.
(19:33):
Those were falling out.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
It was too.
It was emotional yeah it was.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
It was very emotional , it was like oh my hair.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
I mean, you masked it well, Mm-hmm.
So.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Yeah, yeah, Thank you , Thank you.
So I mean, I want to now talkabout what am I doing to what am
I doing?
Now?
Donna's over here, acting up asusual.
I am not.
What am I doing to try movingforward?
(20:08):
I didn't really realize how manyblack people that are so quiet
about having breast cancer.
No one really talks about itand I really wanted to talk
about it a little bit to letpeople know that there's a light
at the end of the tunnel.
There's so much that you can bedoing.
(20:28):
There's exercise, changing howyou eat, spending more time with
your family, research, spendingmore time with yourself,
spending more time with natureout there doing it.
You just there's a lot to doand you don't sit around the
house feeling sorry for yourself.
So I decided that I want toshare my story as much as I can
(21:01):
to be an encouragement to anyonethat's going through this or
been through it and they don'tknow exactly what's next for
them.
There's a lot to do after this.
There's a lot to smile about.
There's a lot to you're goingto love.
I think I love myself more nowthan I ever have before.
I really do.
I love myself a lot.
Yeah, I really do.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
We love you too.
We love you more I mean westill love you.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Thank you for loving me because it did show.
So I'm doing some new things.
I'm doing a podcast.
Donna, what has your personalgrowth been and what are you
doing to live life out loud?
Speaker 2 (21:45):
I think that as we grow older, because this to me
is an age thing.
As we get older, you willrealize that you live.
There's more life behind youthan in front of you.
You've heard people say thatright, so it's just like seize
the.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
Moment.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Carpe diem is the one right.
Seize the day.
Seize the day.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Seize the day.
Carpe diem, all of the thingsRight.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
So I think that I think that when there is
opportunity or you have dreamsthat you have, life is short you
going through your cancertreatment and the fact that you
are cancer free as far as I know, yes, I am, you're cancer free,
you're correct, it's just amatter yes, it's a matter of
living life as if you know, youwant to take off some of the
(22:36):
guardrails.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
I don't say, I'm not saying be reckless, Come on
y'all.
Don't be foolish, but all I'msaying is I think that you
should give yourself, allowyourself to experience a little
bit more risk.
Allow yourself to experience alittle bit more risk Because
it's a term that I always saythat I feel like I was very risk
averse, which means that Ididn't like to risk things.
(23:01):
I did not want to go throughloss, I did not want to go
through embarrassment, I didn'twant to go through any of the
things that was going to bringme out of my comfort zone.
So, you know, as I get olderand as life is changing and as
we experience different things,as we get, as you know, as life
continues on for us, I am doing,you know, I'm Carpe Diem Good
(23:26):
Start my podcast studio.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
We are in Congratulations.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Yes.
The very podcast studio Yay.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
So Venus.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Wait, what oh.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
I'm sorry, am I cutting you off?
I'm done yet Wait a minute,okay, okay, okay, now you want
to talk.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Go ahead Right, but even in this you know what?
Go ahead, I'm listening.
So even in this, I just feellike it's just more of an
opportunity to think more aboutourselves.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Because, as we were younger mothers, we actually had
to care for others and as wives, we have to care for others.
So, as we get older, let's takea moment and just take some
time to care for ourselves.
Let's seek to do what we wantto do and you won't be surprised
(24:14):
how much husbands will supportyou, because my husband for this
podcast studio and the meetingspace which is, you know, the
minitorium, and the photographystudio which is at the other end
of the building, all thesethings, he is very supportive in
me and getting this businessgoing.
So, if anybody's in need of anypodcasting rental studio, come
see me.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
If you need a meeting space for a small group 30 or
less or if you need aphotography studio, hit me up.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Okay, so.
So where's your?
Is it um?
Speaker 3 (24:44):
what is the name of your?
Speaker 1 (24:45):
yeah, what's the name of your studio?
Speaker 3 (24:48):
What's the name of the studio?
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Where are you just?
Speaker 2 (24:53):
throw it out there.
So the studio's name is MakerStreet Studios, with an S at the
end, because there is a MakerStreet Studio.
You don't want to go there.
You want to go to Maker StreetStudios and that's my website.
It's thenamecom, you will finda little bit more information
about the different servicesthat we offer here.
So my sisters are very engaged.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Yes, hands on all the way, venus so what was the
question again?
Well, I was going to ask youwhat is some of your personal
and professional, what are someof your dreams and aspirations
that you're trying to do foryourself and what has this
experience post cancer?
We are both survivors andsurvivors.
(25:38):
What are some of your dreamsthat now you feel like you want
to try to reach and plans?
Speaker 3 (25:45):
so when you feel like you want to try to reach and
plans, okay.
So when she was diagnosed withcancer, I was going to get my
associate not my associate mybachelor's degree.
So you know, as we, as we'regoing through all of this, I did
have to put it on the backburner for at least a year.
And then I did finish gettingmy degree April of last year, so
it'll be a year.
And then I did finish andaccomplish getting my degree
(26:07):
April of last year, so it'll bea year.
So that was a dream that Iaccomplished, but I did make it
through.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
What was the name of the program that you did?
So I went to.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Strayer, and I have a bachelor's degree in business
administration.
I worked at my job for the last27 years.
I experienced a lot of personalgrowth there, just learning
from my colleagues and learningtechnology and how it works.
So, and you know, I do want toachieve some other things.
(26:41):
I'm looking forward toretirement so I can start my own
business.
And I did dabble in something.
So I did balloon art, I didsome decorating for a party Then
you forget how old you are,because then you're aching.
You're putting up these archesand you're doing all this stuff
for a party.
(27:02):
All the arthritis is kicking in.
But so my personal.
I achieved a lot of personalgrowth just being around Sherry
and how she lived when she hadcancer.
She always lived out loud,always, always lived out loud,
and I'm an introvert.
So it's taken a lot for me tobe on here and talk because, you
(27:24):
know, I know people can see meat my job.
I, no one sees me.
So, um, I am my.
You know I want to, yeah, Iwant to be able to be more of a
extrovert yeah, that's apersonal wait, can I jump in?
Speaker 2 (27:39):
on this yes, you can I'm too, close to the mic, I
just realized, I just checkedthe levels.
I'm sorry for screaming intothe microphone, but anyway, I
too, being a Senate, am anintrovert.
And don't, Sherry, give me thislook.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
I almost felt okay, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
I'm listening.
I'm listening.
I really am.
So when I go into a room or acrowd or whatever, I prefer to
be off in the corner.
I'd rather be in the backgroundsupporting everyone else.
But what I learned is, if Iwant more out of life, I cannot
be introverted.
So I've learned to be, and I'velearned this new word.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
I'm telling everybody this new word.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
It's called an ambivert A-M-B-I vert.
Ambivert is someone whoactually is introverted,
naturally, but they can beextroverted when they need to be
.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
That's me, that's me.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Venus, you sound like you're going to be an introvert
and.
Sherry, God bless you.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
I'm an introvert too, she's still working on trying
to come out of herintrovertedness.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
She's doing a great job.
She's got a podcast.
I don't even have a podcast.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Oh, I can't even take the step.
I can't take it.
I'm so proud of you that you'regoing through this and I'm with
you.
The whole thing.
Personal growth is to be ableto do this, to be able to be
comfortable.
Yes, I have a, that I can say.
But again, being that introvertand taking that first step as
an introvert is so hard, and Ithink that sometimes we do.
(29:10):
Sometimes we care what peoplethink about us too, which we
need to get over that, becauseI've gotten over that with age,
like I don't give a two ratsbehind, now what?
Speaker 1 (29:21):
anybody thinks of me.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
So yeah, so we got just live your dream.
If y'all see me out in thestreet, say, hey, you know, but
I want to keep going.
You're going to say hi back.
I'm going to say hi back.
Usually I'm just driving anddoing my thing and not stopping.
It's all about keep going, keepgoing and achieve personal
things and yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Well, I'm glad I am definitely an introvert.
Venus and Donna are more of asocial, more social than I am.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
We're introverts, so we can be social when we need to
be social.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
They didn't even know I existed half the time until
oh Ruby has a third daughter,it's me.
So Venus and Donna are moreoutgoing than I am.
And Venus, this is hard, but Isaid that I want to share my
story with anybody that willlisten.
(30:16):
And I have had some times whenI was crippled with fear.
I had to step back a minute,but then I had to remember why
am I doing this?
And then I stepped back rightup to that plate and I haven't
looked back since.
I've been driving Donna crazy,of course, like hey, donna, what
you got, can I come over andhelp you with your studio?
(30:38):
Can you come help me at mystudio?
Speaker 2 (30:42):
so I've just been living out loud and sharing has
been a great help in medeveloping my studio.
Wait, I'm sorry, I forgot toswitch the camera, my bad.
Sherry has been a great helpwith me developing my studio.
She almost don't know what nomeans, because you know when I'm
(31:02):
like no, you don't have to do,she was like, okay, I'll be over
.
I mean for real I'm showing up.
I'm showing up so yeah, she'sbeen and she is.
She is sincere about helpingfamily to achieve 100.
Yeah, she's always a supporterpushing to make sure that um we,
(31:23):
we get what we are seekingafter yeah, you know if, to do
it, you have a support system.
If you don't want to do it,she's like I'm here if you
decide to change your mind andmeanwhile, we just hang out and
have a good time.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
That's it.
So I mean, I hope everyone issubscribing to my podcast
because this is still all new tome, but I am going to share
everything with you.
Thank you, renee, for watchingyour podcast is on YouTube yeah,
my podcast is on YouTube.
(31:57):
It's on two platforms it's onYouTube and it's on Facebook, so
you can check them out.
It's called Silver Tea and Ipost about once a week and the
spelling is silver.
Oh okay, so let me give you thespelling, because silver was
taken.
So I end up the traditionalspelling, exactly the
(32:18):
traditional spelling.
So I end up with, as you see,interruptions S-Y-L-V-R-T-E -A
Silver T.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
One more time S-Y-L-V-R, s-y-l-v-r T, t-e-a.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
And I named it after my favorite metal is silver and
I absolutely love T, all kindsof T.
I even got a whole video on Tand more coming, this one, you
know so done.
So please, if you like what,you just join me, hit that
(33:01):
subscribe button, that likebutton and that follow button.
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